NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2025

by | Nov 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s action, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck sidelined, Predators GM Barry Trotz stands by his coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres crushed the Chicago Blackhawks 9-3. Alex Tuch collected four assists, Josh Doan scored twice, and Jason Zucker had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who’ve won three of their last four games and improved to 8-9-4. Tyler Bertuzzi tallied two goals for the 10-7-4 Blackhawks.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal tallied twice as his club extended its points streak to five games by downing the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Nikolaj Ehlers collected an assist in his first game back in Winnipeg to face his former club. With the win, the 14-5-2 Hurricanes (30 points)opened a three-point lead over the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Eastern Conference. Gabriel Vilardi tallied twice for the 12-8-0 Jets.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Jets announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will undergo knee surgery on Saturday and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. His absence will be a significant test for the Jets. Hellebuyck was last season’s winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson turned in a 19-save shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Boldy scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Wild (11-7-4), who’ve won four straight and eight of their last 10 games. Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs gave up four goals on 10 shots and was replaced in the second period by Sergei Murashov, who stopped 10 of 11 shots for the 10-6-4 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Vinnie Hinostroza left the game with an undisclosed injury in the second period. He is flying back to Minnesota for a reevaluation. Meanwhile, the Wild activated Zach Bogosian and Nico Sturm off injured reserve, and placed winger Vladimir Tarasenko on IR.

An overtime goal by Morgan Geekie lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Geekie netted both goals for the 13-10-0 Bruins, who regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 26 points. Joel Armia scored for the Kings (10-6-6), who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz praised Head Coach Andrew Brunette and his staff despite the club’s 6-10-4 record.

“I believe our coaches have done a really good job,” Trotz said. “Our record may not show it, but they are coaching their butts off.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz also defended Brunette and his staff through last season’s disappointing performance. His recent comments might quell the speculation about Brunette’s future for now, but if the Predators’ struggles continue, the pressure will grow to shake things up behind the bench and on the ice.

SPORTSNET: Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen was fined $5,000.00 for embellishment by the NHL department of player safety. The incident occurred during a Nov. 11 game against the Ottawa Senators.

CALGARY SUN: Flames rookie forward Samuel Honzek underwent season-ending surgery for an upper-body injury. He’s expected to be sidelined for six months.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens recalled center Florian Xhekaj from their AHL affiliate in Laval. He’s the younger brother of Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. The move comes after center Jake Evans was injured during Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Washington Capitals.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2025

by | Nov 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2025

The Penguins defeat the Predators in the second game of the 2025 Global Series, Quinn Hughes leads the Canucks to victory over the Lightning, the Kings re-sign Adrian Kempe, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Nashville Predators 4-0 in the second and final game of their 2025 Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden. Sergei Murashov made 21 saves for his first NHL shutout while Parker Wotherspoon, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Blake Lizotte were the goal scorers for the 10-5-4 Penguins. Juuse Saros stopped 18 of 21 shots for the Predators, who dropped to 6-10-4.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes collected four assists to lead his club over the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2. The Canucks (9-9-2) tallied six unanswered goals, with five of those in the third period. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel tallied for the 7-2-1 Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Conor Garland left this game following the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Colorado Avalanche extended their points streak to 10 games with a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Scott Wedgewood turned aside 28 shots, and Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist against his former club as the Avalanche (13-1-5) holds a four-point lead over the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars in the overall standings with 31 points. Emil Heineman replied for the 10-7-2 Islanders.

A power-play goal by Kirill Kaprizov with 10 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-2. Mats Zuccarello picked up two assists for the 9-7-4 Wild, who’ve won four of their last five games. Pavel Dorofeyev and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights (8-4-6), who are 1-3-2 in their last six contests.

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond scored late in the third period to give his club a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. Raymond finished the game with two points, and Alex DeBrincat also scored for the 11-7-1 Red Wings. Jonathan Quick kicked out 40 shots, and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers (10-8-2) as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quick started a bench-clearing scrum at the end of the game when he took offense to Wings forward Mason Appleton shooting the puck into the empty net after the final horn sounded.

Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan missed this game for personal reasons. He could also miss the start of the club’s upcoming three-game road trip.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Adrian Kempe has agreed to an eight-year contract extension with the Kings. The 29-year-old winger was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He will earn an average annual value of $10.625 million starting in 2026-27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Next summer’s UFA class is getting thinner. Kempe is the latest notable star to sign an extension. With Anze Kopitar retiring at the end of this season, the Kings couldn’t risk the departure of their top goal scorer. Since his breakout performance in 2021-22, Kempe has tallied a team-leading 145 goals.

Kempe is almost doubling his salary with this new deal. He will be turning 30 next September, which means his cap hit could become a burden for the Kings in the final half of his contract when his performance inevitably declines. Nevertheless, it was the price they felt was worthwhile to keep him in the fold.

NESN: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy travelled home from Montreal with his teammates after being struck in the jaw by a slapshot from Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson. He was reportedly cleared after undergoing a series of tests. Bruins coach Marco Sturm was relatively optimistic regarding those tests.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach has been sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured foot suffered during Saturday’s game against the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dach missed considerable time over the last two seasons with a knee injury. He was off to a decent start to this season with seven points in 15 games.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Sam Honzek is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks placed veteran winger Jeff Skinner (lower body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2024

by | Oct 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, a hat-trick performance by Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, the Stars re-sign goaltender Jake Oettinger, Nikita Kucherov lifts the Lightning over the Golden Knights, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and three assists and Adam Fox collected three helpers for the Rangers. J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 11 points, Panarin is tied with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin for the league scoring lead.

Washington Capitals winger Taylor Raddysh snapped a 2-2 tie as his club upset the Dallas Stars 3-2. Tom Wilson scored for the third straight game and Charlie Lindgren made 22 saves for the win. Colin Blackwell and Jason Robertson replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Stars announced they signed goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.25 million. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s because the Boston Bruins inked goalie Jeremy Swayman to a similar deal, though his deal began this season while Oettinger’s starts next season.

Oettinger, 25, will be the league’s fifth-highest-paid goalie. In a statement, Stars general manager Jim Nill said Oettinger “has established himself as one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL.” He’s backstopped the Stars to three straight playoff appearances and back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice, including the game-winner with 55 seconds remaining in the third period. Janis Moser had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Jack Eichel collected two assists for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel is second among all NHL scorers with 10 points.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes also scored for the Canucks while Jesper Boqvist and Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were without center Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness) for the third straight game. Both forwards are expected to return to the lineup next week.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid tallied his first goal of the season as his club doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Brett Kulak scored two goals and Calvin Pickard stopped 25 shots as the Oilers picked up their second straight win. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Predators, who have lost their first four games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Marchessault acknowledged this season hasn’t started the way they wanted, admitting the roster is feeling a little fragile right now. The Predators began this season with heightened expectations after signing Marchessault, forward Steven Stamkos and defenseman Brady Skjei.

Predators defenseman Luke Schenn reached a personal milestone, appearing in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game.

The St. Louis Blues got a 34-save shutout from netminder Joel Hofer to blank the New York Islanders 1-0. Jake Neighbours tallied the only goal. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin turned aside 29 shots.

Los Angeles Kings goalie David Rittich made 26 saves as his club ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Justin Barron replied for the Canadiens, who also lost defenseman Mike Matheson in the first period with an upper-body injury, though he’s expected to be ready to play in Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis and team captain Nick Suzuki weren’t pleased with their club’s performance against the Kings, with Suzuki calling it “an immature effort.” St. Louis promised to be proactive in addressing the issue after his club’s record sank to 2-3-0.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 30 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Paul Cotter scored his fifth goal of the season for the Devils while Senators captain Brady Tkachuk netted his first of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cotter is tied with the Rangers Artemi Panarin and Utah’s Dylan Guenther for second among the league’s goal scorers. Senators backup Anton Forsberg got the start for this game as Linus Ullmark is still recovering from a lower-body strain. He could return for Saturday’s game against the Lightning.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the struggling Buffalo Sabres 6-4. Kirill Marchenko and Mathieu Olivier each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets while Sabres rookie Juri Kulich potted his first career NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The battered Blue Jackets suffered another injury as forward Kent Johnson left the game grasping his left hand and wrist. They did have some news as forward Justin Danforth made his season debut after recovering from wrist surgery.

Meanwhile, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said the Blue Jackets “came out hungrier than us.” He believes he and his teammates must be better after opening the season with a 1-4-1 record.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Kraken forwards Jordan Eberle and Shane Wright each had a goal and an assist. Scott Laughton tallied twice for the Flyers.

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen each picked up two assists and Tyler Bertuzzi scored his first of the season for the Blackhawks. Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks announced defenseman Alex Martinez (groin strain) was placed on injured reserve before this game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi (upper-body injury) will undergo surgery and is expected to miss four to five months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Durzi is one of Utah’s top defensemen. His absence will be a big blow to their blueline depth.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins activated goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic off injured reserve and have sent him to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for conditioning.

CALGARY SUN: Flames rookie forward Samuel Honzek is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 27, 2023

by | Jul 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 27, 2023

Patrice Bergeron explains why he retired, the Hurricanes re-sign Sebastian Aho, the Leafs place Matt Murray on LTIR, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

DAILY FACEOFF/BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Patrice Bergeron met yesterday with reporters and explained his decision to retire after 19 seasons with the Boston Bruins.

Bergeron, 38, said that he felt it was best to leave while still at the top of his game. He also wants to spend more time with his family.

The former Bruins captain also cited the physical toll that two decades of NHL action has taken on his body, though he indicated that he had no major issues. “It’s time to let that heal and move on,” he said.

As for his future, Bergeron indicated that he doesn’t believe joining the NHL coaching ranks is in the cards. “Never say never, but for now, I don’t have a want or will to coach.”

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most pro athletes tend to hang on too long, often becoming shadows of their former greatness late in their careers. Bergeron was that rare player still capable of playing at a high level at an age when most are in decline. He made the wise choice to trust his instincts and recognize the best time to leave the game.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday signed Sebastian Aho to an eight-year, $78 million contract extension effective July 1, 2024. The 26-year-old center will earn an average annual value of $9.75 million plus his deal comes with a full no-movement clause throughout and a modified no-trade clause (15-team no-trade list) in the final season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise that the Hurricanes locked up their first-line center on a long-term extension. Aho’s been their best forward since his 2017-18 sophomore season and a key reason why they’re a Stanley Cup contender. His new AAV is a reasonable raise over his current annual cap hit of $8.46 million. Aho probably would’ve gotten more in next summer’s open market but opted for the long-term security of staying with the only NHL club he’s ever played for.

General manager Don Waddell also indicated that he’s not close to re-signing other Hurricanes eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next summer. They include defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei and winger Teuvo Teravainen.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs announced goaltender Matt Murray is sidelined indefinitely and has been placed on long-term injury reserve.

The designation, however, comes two months after Murray was considered fully recovered from a late-season concussion and was well enough to be considered for a start against the Florida Panthers during the Leafs’ second-round series.

This report also came without any details as to the nature of Murray’s injury. The league reserves the right to have an independent doctor assess to determine if the LTIR designation is justified.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move prompted speculation on social media accusing the Leafs of circumventing the salary cap. It’s my understanding that the approval of the team doctor is required before a player is placed on LTIR. I believe that Murray must also report to training camp and undergo a physical. If he fails that, he will remain on LTIR for the 2023-24 season until such time that he’s physically able to return to action, which might not happen given his injury history.

Murray and his $4.687 million cap hit join sidelined defenseman Jake Muzzin and his $5.625 million on LTIR giving the Leafs some $10.3 million in cap relief. However, they remain above the $83.5 million cap by just over $2 million. That means they’ll have to shed salary via trade or demotion or end up icing a 20-man roster for the coming season.

THE ATHLETIC: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has returned to the ice in semi-competitive play for the first time since his season-ending shoulder injury last November. He’s participating in a no-contact summer league as he looks toward returning to NHL action for 2023-24 with the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski’s absence was among the factors that contributed to the Blue Jackets missing the playoffs last season. They’ve bolstered their blueline this summer by adding Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson but a healthy and productive Werenski will be crucial to their hopes of postseason contention.

TVA SPORTS: Maxime Comtois revealed it was a mutual decision between himself and the Anaheim Ducks to part ways this summer. The Ducks didn’t send him a qualifying offer, making the 24-year-old forward an unrestricted free agent.

Comtois said he’s getting calls from interested clubs though none have turned into a concrete offer yet. After playing several years with the rebuilding Ducks, he said he wants to play for a winning team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Comtois also said that he’d be interested in joining the Montreal Canadiens but he has not received a call from them. The Habs are rebuilding their roster with an eye on making room for their promising young prospects.

SPORTSNET: Logan Cooley is having second thoughts about returning to the University of Minnesota for another season and could sign his entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes. Cooley, 19, was taken third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Coyotes.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche re-signed forward Ben Meyers to a one-year, $775K contract.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old left winger was chosen 16th overall.