NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2026

by | Oct 18, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2026

Two more Panthers collect hat tricks, the Flyers finally win their first game of the season, Connor Hellebuyck’s suspension ends soon, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each had hat tricks in an 8-3 drubbing of the Seattle Kraken. Matthew Tkachuk collected three assists for the 5-2-2 Panthers. Shane Wright, Frederick Gaudreau, and Ryker Evans replied for the Kraken (5-3-1).

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Verhaeghe had a natural hat trick, making the Panthers the first team in NHL history with natural hat tricks in three consecutive games, after Brady Tkachuk record natural hat tricks in the Panthers’ previous two games.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored two goals and collected three assists to lead his club over the Utah Mammoth 6-2. Tristan Jarry made 26 saves, and Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for the 6-1-1 Oilers. John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev scored for the Mammoth, who remain in first place in the Central Division (6-3-0) with 12 points.

Former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers snapped a 2-2 tie to lift the Carolina Hurricanes over his old club by a score of 3-2. Mark Jankowski extended his goal streak to seven games, and Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists for the Hurricanes (7-1-1) to stretch their win streak to seven games. They also hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 15 points. Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo replied for the Jets (4-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following this game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that multiple sources said Connor Hellebuyck had informed the Jets before their first game of the season (Oct. 2) that he intended to report to the team.

The 33-year-old goaltender went public with his trade request in August. He had not received permission from the Jets to stay away from training camp, allowing the club to suspend him without pay for a “reasonable” length of time. According to Friedman’s sources, the end date for the suspension is Friday, Oct. 23.

Hellebuyck can rejoin the Jets on that date. Friedman suggested the possibility of the club paying him to stay home, but he doesn’t think that’s what anyone wants.

Jets captain Adam Lowry was asked about the possibility of Hellebuyck returning to the lineup. “I think if he does show up, there’s going to have to be conversations; there’s gonna have to be one of those ‘water under the bridge things’,” Lowry said.

The Jets exceeded expectations with Hellebuyck, with a 4-2-2 record. There will be concerns about whether his potential return upsets team chemistry. They’ll want to ensure Hellebuyck is coming back to help the team, not just to hasten a trade or to resume his payments.

The Philadelphia Flyers won their first game of the season by holding off the Ottawa Senators 3-1. Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov each had a goal and an assist, and Dan Vladar stopped 25 shots for the 1-6-3 Flyers. Drake Batherson scored for the 6-3-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers’ victory leaves the Los Angeles Kings as this season’s only team without a win (0-4-2). Flyers winger Owen Tippett missed this game with an upper-body injury. Senators captain Thomas Chabot left this game after the second period with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Kings, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins got four unanswered goals from David Pastrnak, Marat Khusnutdinov, Elias Lindholm, and JJ Peterka to improve to 7-2-0, leaving them in first place in the Atlantic Division with 14 points. Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Pavel Zacha missed this game with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov was a healthy scratch.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to nip the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier each had two assists as the Canadiens improved to 4-3-1. Josh Norris, Jack Quinn, and Tage Thompson scored for the 4-3-2 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forward Oliver Kapanen and defenseman David Reinbacher made their season debut for the Canadiens.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov tallied twice to rally his club from a 2-0 deficit to a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Brayden Point had two assists and Jake Guentzel a goal and an assist for the Lightning (6-2-0) as they extended their home win streak to five games. Linus Karlsson and Elias Pettersson scored for the Canucks (2-7-1) as their winless skid reached seven games (0-6-1).

The Washington Capitals scored four straight goals to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Boone Jenner scored for the fourth time in five games, Vincent Desharnais collected two assists, and Logan Thompson stopped 29 shots for the 5-3-0 Capitals. Arseny Gritsyuk had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who slipped to 4-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals placed center Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness) on injured reserve.

New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist to lead his club to a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Sorokin stopped 28 shots, and Simon Holmstrom scored twice for the 4-3-1 Islanders. Colton Sissons replied for the Maple Leafs as they slipped to 3-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders forwards Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli left this game with lower-body injuries. Before this game, the Maple Leafs announced center John Tavares is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by Lucas Raymond gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Alex DeBrincat scored the tying goal, Emmitt Finnie had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson made 31 saves for the Red Wings, who improved to 3-3-2. Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists for the Sharks (4-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Red Wings placed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New York Rangers 1-0 on an overtime goal by Kent Johnson. Jet Greaves turned in a 29-save shutout for the Blue Jackets (3-3-0). Dylan Garand stopped 28 shots for the 6-3-1 Rangers.

Dallas Stars winger Arttu Hyry scored twice for his first NHL multipoint game in a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Jake Oettinger had a 19-save shutout, and Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the 4-3-1 Stars. Spencer Knight made 28 saves for the Blackhawks, who dropped to 3-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars general manager Jim Nill said he hopes to open contract extension talks with Robertson in December. The winger is on a one-year, $12 million contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July. Center Wyatt Johnston returned to the Stars’ lineup after missing the last two games with an illness.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, and Adam Wilsby each collected two assists for the Predators (3-2-3). Philip Broberg and Jimmy Snuggerud scored for the Blues as they dropped to 3-4-1.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as his club thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Trevor Connelly each had two points for the league-leading Golden Knights (8-2-0, 16 points). Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin replied for the 3-5-1 Penguins, who’ve dropped three straight games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2026

by | Oct 16, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2026

Another natural hat trick for Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk, Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane sets a record for American-born players, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk became the first NHL player since 1986 to score back-to-back natural hat tricks as he rallied his club from a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Seth Jones assisted on two of Tkachuk’s goals for the 4-2-2 Panthers. Goaltender Leevi Merilainen stopped 36 shots, and winger Liam Ohgren and defenseman Elias Pettersson scored for the Canucks, who dropped to 2-6-1.

Florida Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk joins Petri Skriko (1986) and Cy Denneny (1923) as the only players in league history to record consecutive natural hat tricks.

Patrick Kane collected two assists and Artyom Levshunov scored in overtime as the Chicago Blackhawks nipped the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Connor Bedard scored his first goal of the season and picked up an assist while Spencer Knight made 31 saves for the 3-5-0 Blackhawks. Neal Pionk had a goal and two assists for the Jets (4-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane has 896 career NHL regular-season assists, passing Phil Housley (894) for the most by an American-born player. Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Jets blueliner Josh Morrissey is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury, but he doesn’t require surgery.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a hat trick and an assist in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. Karill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild, who improved to 5-2-1. Cam Fowler collected three assists, and Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist for the 3-3-1 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Boldy’s fifth career hat trick. Wild blueliner Quinn Hughes had two assists to extend his assist streak to eight games.

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 on an overtime goal by Owen Power. Jack Quinn had two goals and two assists for the Sabres (4-3-1). Kirill Marchenko tallied a hat trick for the 3-3-2 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs center John Tavares left the game in the third period following a collision with Sabres center Josh Norris.

Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna was benched from the middle of the second period onward. Head coach Jim Hiller explained the Leafs went through a stretch where McKenna sat for a lengthy period as the club was killing penalties. McKenna is not part of the Leafs’ penalty killing unit. Nevertheless, the decision was confusing, prompting speculation that Hiller either mismanaged his bench or may have had an issue with McKenna’s play.

Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs announced defenseman Chris Tanev is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. They also made a minor trade, acquiring center Aatu Raty from the Canucks in exchange for forward Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had a hat trick to lead his club over the Calgary Flames 6-2. Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists, and Ivan Barbashev set up three goals for the Golden Knights (7-2-0), who hold first place in the overall standings with 14 points. Jake Middleton and Matt Coronato replied for the 1-6-0 Flames.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 20 shots to backstop his club to a 2-1 shootout win over the New York Islanders. Shane Pinto scored the winning goal, and Ridly Greig scored the tying goal for the 6-2-0 Senators, who’ve won four of their last five games and hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 12 points. Matias Maccelli scored for the 3-3-1 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer wasn’t pleased with his club’s performance, benching forwards Calum Ritchie and Anthony Duclair for the second half of the third period. Before the game, the Senators announced that winger William Eklund underwent surgery to repair a torn ankle tendon and will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks.

An overtime goal by Victor Hedman lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Seattle Kraken 4-3. Brandon Hagel scored two goals for the Lightning (5-2-0). Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves, and Matty Beniers scored to send the game into overtime for the 5-2-1 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour left this game with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The New Jersey Devils crushed the New York Rangers 7-1. Defenseman Luke Hughes scored twice for his first multi-goal NHL game as the Devils improved to 4-3-0. Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand was replaced by Spencer Martin after giving up four goals on 13 shots as the Blueshirts dropped to 6-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolfpack signed veteran goaltender James Reimer to a professional tryout offer. It remains to be seen if he’ll eventually move up into the Rangers’ lineup.

Detroit Red Wings forward Andrew Copp snapped a 1-1 tie to give his club a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Anton Johansson also scored for the 2-3-2 Red Wings. Matvei Michkov scored for the Flyers, who remain winless in their first nine games (0-6-3).

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller tallied twice to lead his club over the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Logan Cooley had a goal and an assist, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 22 shots for the 6-2-0 Mammoth, who’ve won three straight games to move up into first place in the Central Division with 12 points. Leon Draisaitl and Shakir Mukhamadullin replied for the 5-1-1 Oilers.

The San Jose Sharks downed the Nashville Predators 3-2 on a shootout goal by Macklin Celebrini. Alex Nedeljkovic kicked out 32 shots for the win as the Sharks improved to 4-3-0. Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos scored third-period goals to force overtime for the 2-2-3 Predators.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars signed free-agent forward David Perron to a one-year, prorated contract worth $850,000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars are trying to bolster their forward depth and improve an offense that ranks 30th this season.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks captain Mikael Granlund could miss Friday’s game against the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: Arizona State University hired Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Dave Hakstol to lead its men’s hockey team as the school continues to investigate a training camp workout that left St. Louis Blues prospect Matthew Mayich on life support.

Hakstol replaces Greg Power, who stepped down as ASU head coach. The Avalanche named Brett McLean as Hakstol’s replacement.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2026

by | Oct 14, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2026

Recapping Tuesday’s “Frozen Frenzy” with all 32 teams in action, the Red Wings re-sign Alex DeBrincat, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Brady Tkachuk tallied a natural hat trick and an assist, while brother Matthew Tkachuk had five assists to lead the Panthers to a 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sam Reinhart had two goals and an assist, Seth Jones had four assists, and Carter Verhaeghe scored twice for the Panthers (3-2-2). Kent Johnson, Denton Meteychuk, and Cole Sillinger replied for the Blue Jackets, who dropped to 2-3-0.

Florida Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tkachuks became the first brothers to combine for nine points in a game since Daniel and Henrik Sedin in a Nov. 21, 2015 game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier was ejected in the second period after delivering a between-the-legs slash to Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis.

Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness ripped his team following the game. “You have to hope, you got to believe that performance tonight will embarrass them enough to stop this, right? Because if they’re not embarrassed by that, we don’t want them on the team. It’s as simple as that,” Bowness said.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid recorded a goal and three assists in his 800th NHL regular-season game, leading his club to a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Vasily Podkolzin scored two goals, and Devon Levi kicked out 39 shots as the Oilers (5-0-1) extended their win streak to five games. Brandt Clarke scored for the Kings, who remain winless this season (0-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid sits third all-time among players with the most career points in 800 games (1,237), behind Wayne Gretzky (1,892) and Mario Lemieux (1,580).

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored in overtime and picked up two assists to nip the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Jesper Bratt also had a goal and two assists for the 3-3-0 Devils, while Alex DeBrincat scored twice and collected an assist for the 1-3-2 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following this game, reports emerged that the Red Wings and DeBrincat agreed to a seven-year, $91 million contract extension. The average annual value is $13 million, though the deal hadn’t been formally announced.

This is the first positive headline for the reeling Red Wings after months of bad news, including their playoff drought reaching 10 years, center Dylan Larkin’s public trade request, their ongoing search for a new general manager, and their difficult contract talks with defenseman Simon Edvinsson.

DeBrincat, 28, has been the Red Wings’ leading goal scorer (111 goals) and sits second in points (230) since joining the club in 2023-24. The Michigan native was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so retaining him long term is a major step forward for this struggling franchise.

It’s an expensive contract, but DeBrincat would’ve received a similar deal elsewhere had he opted to test next summer’s free-agent market. It also reflects the ongoing rise in player salaries in conjunction with the rising salary cap.

The Montreal Canadiens got a shootout winner from Zachary Bolduc to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who improved to 3-2-1. Olen Zellweger tallied two goals for the 3-3-1 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight game that Bolduc scored the winning goal in a shootout for the Canadiens, who called up center Owen Beck while defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with a lower-body injury. The Sabres recalled blueliner Dennis Gilbert to replace sidelined captain Rasmus Dahlin. They also placed sidelined defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on injured reserve.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored twice (including the winning goal) and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Mark Jankowski scored to extend his goal streak to five games as the Hurricanes (6-1-1) extended their win streak to six games, holding first place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points. Ryan Leonard had two assists for the 3-3-0 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Hurricanes announced that team captain Jordan Staal would be sidelined for one to two months with a torn calf muscle. Winger Taylor Hall departed during the second period with an upper-body injury.

The Seattle Kraken blew a 2-0 lead but recovered to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Bobby McMann, who also opened the scoring. Chris Dvorak and Trevor Zegras scored for the Flyers, who sank to 0-5-3.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere scored twice to extend his goal streak to a career-high four games in a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Goalie Dylan Garand made 25 saves for the Rangers as they improved to 6-2-0. Zemgus Girgensons replied for the 4-2-0 Lightning.

St. Louis Blues forwards Pius Suter, Jake Neighbours, and Mason McTavish each scored twice to lead their club to a 7-2 drubbing of the Ottawa Senators. Suter and McTavish also each picked up an assist, and Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists for the 3-2-1 Blues. Claude Giroux and Fabian Zetterlund scored for the 5-2-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-riddled Senators lost another player as forward Ridly Greig departed in the third period with a muscle strain.

The New York Islanders got two goals from forward Kyle Palmieri to beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Matias Maccelli had a goal and an assist, and Matthew Schaefer picked up two assists for the Islanders (3-3-0). Max Sasson and Brock Boeser scored for the 2-6-0 Canucks, who rallied to tie the score before Palmieri scored the winning goal.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard had an assist in his season debut as his club downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and picked up an assist, and Roman Kantserov tallied two goals for the 2-5-0 Blackhawks. Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the 3-3-1 Penguins.

The Winnipeg Jets got a three-point performance from Mark Scheifele (one goal, two assists) in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Cole Perfetti scored two goals, and Neal Pionk had two assists for the 4-1-1 Jets. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice for the 4-2-1 Wild.

Colorado Avalanche winger Martin Necas scored twice as his club held off the Dallas Stars 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon set up two goals, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 24 shots for the Avalanche (4-2-0). Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz replied for the Stars, who slipped to 2-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon and Hintz got into a second-period fight that bloodied the Avalanche star. The Avalanche played without top defenseman Cale Makar. He returned to Denver to be with his wife, who is expecting twins.

The Vegas Golden Knights got third-period goals from William Karlsson, Trevor Connelly, and Brett Howden to beat the Nashville Predators 5-2. Adin Hill made 25 saves, and Rasmus Andersson collected two assists as the Golden Knights improved to 6-2-0 to sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 12 points.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4. Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (3-3-1) while the Mammoth moved into first place in the Central Division with 10 points (5-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs made it interesting with third-period goals by John Tavares and rookie winger Gavin McKenna, who has five points in his last four games.

Third-period goals by Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich lifted the Calgary Flames to their first win of the season by doubling up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Aydar Suniev had a goal and an assist, and Dustin Wolf turned aside 23 shots for the 1-5-0 Flames. Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored for the Ducks (4-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Ducks called up Roger McQueen for his NHL debut and placed center Ryan Poehling on injured reserve. Poehling is out six to eight weeks with an MCL sprain.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored in his season debut in a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Fraser Minten scored two goals, and Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves for the Bruins (5-2-0), who moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with 10 points. Macklin Celebrini scored and assisted on rookie Ivar Stenberg’s first NHL goal as the Sharks dropped to 3-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse left this game in the third period following a fight with Bruins blueliner Nikita Zadorov.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2026

by | Oct 11, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2026

Recapping all 14 games from Saturday night, Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin is out for the season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: William Nylander scored two goals and collected three assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame 2-1 and 3-2 deficits to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3. Auston Matthews scored twice and set up two others, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots for his first win for the Maple Leafs as they improved to 3-2-1. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice for the 3-2-0 Avalanche.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update about his condition.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov tallied a hat trick and added an assist in a 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, and Jesper Wallstedt made 29 saves for the 3-1-1 Wild. Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers (2-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After collecting five points in preseason action, Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk is scoreless in his first five regular-season games.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel’s hat trick gave his club a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders. Jake Guentzel scored twice for the Lightning (4-1-0), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with eight points. Tony DeAngelo had a goal and an assist for the 2-3-0 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders captain Bo Horvat played in this game and collected an assist, showing no ill effects from the blindside hit he received from Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar on Thursday. Nazar received a two-game suspension.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on a shootout goal by Zachary Bolduc. Goaltender Jacob Fowler made 30 saves in regulation and overtime, and stopped all six shots in the shootout for the shutout win for the 2-2-1 Canadiens, snapping a three-game winless skid (0-2-1). Daniil Tarasov also made 30 saves for the Red Wings, who dropped to 1-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens fans chanted “We want Larkin!” in the hope of convincing Red Wings center Dylan Larkin to accept a trade to Montreal. If he were willing, he’d already be with the Habs. Larkin reportedly has an eight-team trade list but only wants to join American-based playoff contenders.

Boston Bruins forward Fraser Minten had a goal and two assists in a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. JJ Peterka collected two assists for the Bruins (4-2-0). Porter Martone replied for the 0-4-2 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s getting ugly for the Flyers, who entered this season with heightened expectations after making the playoffs and reaching the second round last season. They’ve been outscored 24-7 in their first six games, prompting some Flyers followers to blame head coach Rick Tocchet for the club’s woeful start.

Flyers forward Travis Konecny (lower-body injury) and defenseman Cam York (upper-body injury) missed this game, while blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen (hand) missed his third straight contest.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Captain Nico Hischier led the way with two goals and an assist, Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist, and goalie Jake Allen made 20 saves in his 500th NHL start for the Devils, who improved to 2-2-0. Linus Karlsson scored for the Canucks, who dropped to 2-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks’ penalty killing was their downfall, giving up three power-play goals to the Devils.

The Edmonton Oilers (4-0-1) collected their fourth straight win by downing the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Mattias Ekholm, Vasily Podkolzin, and Alex Formenton scored while Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots. Macklin Celebrini replied for the Sharks (3-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini returned to action after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury.

Anders Lee, Kailer Yamamoto, and John Marino each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Karel Vejmelka turned aside 23 shots for the 4-2-0 Mammoth, who hold first place in the Central Division with eight points. Tage Thompson scored for the Sabres, who slipped to 2-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres scratched forwards Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich from this game.

Ottawa Senators forwards Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto scored shootout goals to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-2. Stutzle had a goal and an assist in regulation for the 4-1-0 Senators, who overcame a 2-0 deficit. Ross Colton and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Predators (2-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators placed winger William Eklund (ankle) on injured reserve. He’s expected to be sidelined for two months. Predators forward Mavrik Bourque missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Third-period goals by Ryan Poehling and Nikita Nesterenko lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Mikael Granlund collected two assists for the 4-1-0 Ducks. Morgan Frost and Aydar Suniev replied for the Flames (0-5-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Poehling was injured while scoring his goal and left the game with an apparent injury to his right leg. Teammate Cutter Gauthier left in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner scored in overtime to beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Marner and Trevor Connelly each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (5-1-0), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 10 points. Artemi Panarin scored for the Kings, who dropped to 0-2-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kings placed sidelined forwards Mats Zuccarello and Alex Turcotte on injured reserve. They also signed forward Jared Wright to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $925,000.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their win streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mark Jankowski extended his goal streak to three games while Jackson Blake and Jordan Martinook each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (4-1-1), who hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with nine points. Rookie winger Roman Kantserov scored his first NHL goal for the 1-5-0 Blackhawks.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell’s shootout goal gave his club a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Connor Dewar also scored for the 3-2-1 Penguins while Tyler Seguin netted his first of the season for the 2-2-1 Stars.

The St. Louis Blues downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. Jonatan Berggren snapped a 3-3 tie, Jimmy Snuggerud tallied two goals, and Dylan Holloway picked up three assists for the Blues (2-2-1).

IN OTHER NEWS…

NEW YORK POST: The New York Rangers announced Saturday that goaltender Igor Shesterkin is out for the season after suffering a lower-body injury during Friday’s loss to the Washington Capitals.

Dylan Garand takes over the starter’s role for the foreseeable future. The 24-year-old has made only four starts in his NHL career. Backup Joonas Korpisalo is on injured reserve (lower body) for another month. Spencer Martin will be Garand’s understudy when the Rangers face the Canucks on Sunday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a major blow for the Rangers, who won four of their first five starts before Shesterkin’s injury. It will be difficult for Garand, Korpisalo, and Martin to replace the former Vezina Trophy winner, and could significantly hamper their hopes for playoff contention.

DAILY FACEOFF: Seattle Kraken forward Jacob Melanson is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with “an anterior mediastinal hematoma with vascular pseudoaneurysm” as a result of an upper-body injury suffered during an Oct. 1 game against the Calgary Flames. He will be monitored closely by the Kraken’s medical staff as he makes a gradual return to playing hockey.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL winger Bobby Gould died Friday at age 69. He spent 11 seasons in the league (1979-80 to 1989-90) with the Atlanta/Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals, spending eight seasons with the Capitals.

A three-time Selke Trophy finalist, Gould had 145 goals and 159 assists for 304 points in 697 regular-season games. He also had 28 points in 78 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Gould’s family, friends, and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2026

by | Oct 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 9, 2026

Recaps of Thursday’s games feature a hat trick by Hurricanes winger Logan Stankoven, a four-point game by Bruins captain David Pastrnak, and much more.

NHL.COM: Logan Stankoven scored shorthanded, on the power play, and at even strength for his first career NHL hat trick to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 7-2 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks. Sean Walker collected four assists, and Andrei Svechnikov tallied twice for the 3-1-1 Hurricanes. Jake DeBrusk scored both goals for the Canucks, who dropped to 2-3-0.

Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (NHL Images)

Boston Bruins captain David Pastrnak scored twice and picked up two assists in a 6-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 36 saves, and winger Morgan Geekie had a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who improved to 3-2-0. Jack McBain had the only goal for the 3-2-0 Mammoth.

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists, and Jake Oettinger had a 26-save shutout to blank the Buffalo Sabres 4-0. Wyatt Johnston collected three assists for the Stars (2-2-0). Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 14 shots for the 2-2-0 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Oettinger’s second straight shutout, who leads all goalies with at least three games played this season with a .967 save percentage and a 0.67 goals-against average.

The Colorado Avalanche thumped the Calgary Flames 7-3. Cale Makar had two goals and an assist, and Nathan MacKinnon scored and had two assists for the Avalanche (3-1-0). Adam Klapka, Mikael Backlund, and Kevin Bahl replied for the 0-4-0 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor left the team for personal reasons following the sudden death of his father, Myles. My condolences to O’Connor and his family.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel scored on a penalty shot and collected an assist as his club overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on a shootout goal by Trevor Connelly. Sergei Bobrovsky kicked out 40 shots for the 2-2-0 Maple Leafs, while the Golden Knights improved to 4-1-0 to lead the Pacific Division with eight points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left this game late in the third period following a hit by Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. Before this game, the Golden Knights announced that winger Victor Olofsson is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

The Nashville Predators rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Juuse Saros made 32 saves, Ryan O’Reilly scored the winning goal, and Adam Edstrom potted two empty-netters for the Predators (2-1-1). Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook scored for the Canadiens, who fell to 1-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a better effort by the Canadiens, but undisciplined penalties and defensive breakdowns remain troublesome early-season issues.

Rookie defenseman Carter Yakemchuk’s third-period goal lifted the Ottawa Senators over the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Nick Cousins also scored, and Linus Ullmark turned aside 28 shots for the Senators (3-1-0), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with six points. Matvei Michkov replied for the 0-3-2 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators winger William Eklund left this game in the first period with an injured leg. There was no postgame update on his status.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman John Carlson scored his first two goals with his new club in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Nikita Kucherov had two assists, and Dennis Hildeby stopped 34 shots for the 3-1-0 Lightning. Quinn Hughes and Blake Coleman scored for the Wild (2-1-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are tied with the Senators with six points, but the latter holds first place in the division with 12 goals. Wild defenseman Olli Maatta was a late scratch with a lower-body injury.

New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat tallied twice to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Logan Stanley had two assists and Ilya Sorokin stopped 22 shots for the Islanders (2-2-0). Frank Nazar scored for the Blackhawks (1-4-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nazar got a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a blindside hit to Horvat as he scored his second goal. The Isles center left the game and will be reevaluated on Friday.

Defenseman Darnell Nurse’s overtime goal gave the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist, and Collin Graf also scored for the 3-1-0 Sharks. Connor McMichael and Dillon Dube scored for the Blues (1-2-1).

IN OTHER NEWS…

ESPN.COM: Mammoth forward Vincent Trocheck downplayed speculation that Team USA’s Men’s Olympic hockey team group chat played a role in U.S. players on Canadian teams, like Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, requesting trades to American-based NHL teams.

“I think people make it a bigger thing than it is,” Trochek told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “Obviously, people want the headlines, but the whole Canada thing or guys wanting out of Canada that are from the U.S., I think it was more situational than anything else.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no real evidence that the Team USA group chat played any role in Hellebuyck’s trade request, or directly led to Brady Tkachuk’s trade from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers in June.

Team USA’s gold-medal triumph spurred Hellebuyck to seek a trade to a Stanley Cup contender while he’s still in his prime after 11 seasons with Winnipeg. It’s been 36 years since a Canadian team won the Cup. Tkachuk’s desire to play with his brother Matthew in Florida stretched back to before they were Olympic teammates.

It’s worth noting that Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin’s trade request was also tied to the Team USA group chat. However, his desire to leave Detroit (an American city, last I checked) was because of his frustration about the Red Wings’ decade-long playoff drought. Playing on an Olympic gold-medal team gave Larkin a taste of winning he was missing in his pro career, which he no longer believes he’ll have with the Wings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Seattle Kraken placed defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) on injured reserve.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils placed forward Stefan Noesen on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2026

by | Oct 7, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2026

Recapping Tuesday’s action, including a big game for Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere, Dylan Larkin’s season debut with the Red Wings, Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna’s first NHL points, and more.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Winger Alexis Lafreniere had a hat trick and collected an assist to lead the New York Rangers to a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied twice, and Mika Zibanejad had two assists for the Rangers (4-1-0), who’ve won four straight and sit atop the overall standings with eight points. Bo Horvat and Calum Ritchie replied for the 1-2-0 Islanders.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov left this game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin scored and got an assist in his season debut to help his club beat the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Alex DeBrincat scored twice and picked up an assist, and Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (1-2-0) as they collected their first win of the season. Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, and William Eklund each had a goal and an assist for the 2-1-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin missed the first two games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. He was booed early in the game by Red Wings fans, who were angry about his offseason trade request. However, those boos turned to cheers when he scored.

Senators starting goaltender Linus Ullmark missed this game with an undisclosed injury. Backup Samuel Ersson made 31 saves in this contest.

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna scored his first goal and collected his first assist in the NHL as his club nipped the Nashville Predators 5-4 on an overtime goal by Auston Matthews, who also picked up three assists. William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the 2-2-0 Maple Leafs. Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander each had two goals for the Predators (1-1-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos moved into seventh on the all-time power-play goals list with 244. He’s two behind Hall of Famer Phil Esposito and three back of Luc Robitaille.

Vegas Golden Knights forwards Jack Eichel (one goal, three assists) and Tomas Hertl (2 goals, 2 assists) each had four points in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Viktor Olofsson scored twice for the Golden Knights (3-1-0) before leaving in the third period with an injury following a blindside hit by Kraken center Ben Meyers. Shane Wright and Jared McCann scored for the 2-2-0 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel became the first player to reach 10 points this season. Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren left this game early in the first period with an upper-body injury.

A third-period goal by Matthew Tkachuk lifted the Florida Panthers over the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Seth Jones also scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves for the 2-0-2 Panthers. Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots, and Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings, who are winless in their first three games (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a costly win for the Panthers as winger Brad Marchand was helped from the ice after injuring his left knee. It was his second game since returning from offseason lower-body surgery. This comes after the Panthers learned that team captain Aleksander Barkov will miss six to eight weeks with an injured left knee that doesn’t require surgery.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall scored twice (including the winning goal) in a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes (2-1-1). Zachary Bolduc tallied two goals for the 1-1-1 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Canadiens, who had more turnovers than a bakery as they were dominated by the Hurricanes. Habs winger Ivan Demidov missed this game with a lower-body injury and will be sidelined for two to four weeks.

The Utah Mammoth beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Forward Nick Schmaltz led the way with a goal and two assists, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for the 3-1-0 Mammoth. Luke Evangelista scored twice for the Devils, who dropped to 1-2-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev collected three assists before leaving with an upper-body injury when teammate MacKenzie Weegar’s clearing attempt struck the side of his head.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power had two points (including the game-winning goal) in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild. Tage Thompson also had two points for the Sabres as they improved to 2-1-0. Danila Yurov and Maxim Shabanov gave the Wild (2-0-1) an early 2-0 lead before the Sabres rallied in the third to force overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Nick Foligno left this game with an upper-body injury.

The Chicago Blackhawks got their first win of the season by doubling up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist for the Blues (1-2-0), as did Anton Frondell for the 1-3-0 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen left this game with an undisclosed injury after the second period. He’s expected to miss Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: San Jose Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini missed practice yesterday and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed free-agent forward Michael Bunting to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.