NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2025

The Kings defeated the Devils in the first game of the New Year, the three stars and rookie of the month are revealed, plus updates on Auston Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

KINGS SHUT OUT DEVILS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 33 saves to shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0 in 2025’s first NHL game. Andre Lee’s first-ever NHL goal was also the first goal of the New Year while Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who picked up their eighth straight home victory. Jake Allen stopped 21 shots for the Devils as they dropped their third consecutive game.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils (51 points) remain second overall in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Washington Capitals. The Kings have won three straight and sit second in the Pacific Division with 49 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, and New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom are the NHL’s three stars for December 2024. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is the league’s Rookie of the Month for December.

Forwards Shane Doan, Clayton Keller, and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson highlight the Arizona Coyotes’ quarter-century team.

Doan, Keller, Ekman-Larsson, bluliner Keith Yandle and goaltender Mike Smith were part of the Coyotes’ First Team. Hall-of-Famer Jeremy Roenick, forwards Nick Schmaltz and Martin Hanzal, defensemen Teppo Nunminen and Zbynek Michalek and netminder Ilya Bryzgalov formed the Second Team.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is uncertain that his nagging upper-body injury will be sufficiently healed before the end of this season. That could affect Matthews’ participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews missed nine games in November and five straight since Dec. 20. He’s resumed skating with his teammates but there’s no timetable for his return to action. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PUCKPEDIA: Speaking of the Leafs, they placed defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been practicing since mid-November but there’s no timetable for his return. The long-time Sharks defenseman has been sidelined since the beginning of training camp with an upper-back injury.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He’s already missed 13 games this season because of a nagging lower-body injury but it’s uncertain if this injury is related to the previous one.

SPORTSNET: Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux will have a hearing for his slew-foot of Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon on Tuesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Zac Jones vented his frustration over being a healthy scratch in four of the last five games. “It f***ing sucks,” said Jones, adding that he felt like he was “rotting away a little bit.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jones’ remarks could lead to him getting traded if the Rangers become sellers by the March 7 trade deadline.

COLORADO AVALANCHE: placed defenseman Oliver Kylington on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 27.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr will need dental work after losing several teeth in a recent game for Rytiri Kladno against Mountfield HK in the Czech Extraliga. Jagr, 52, also had two assists as Kladno won the game 4-2.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2024

The Red Wings re-sign Moritz Seider, Thatcher Demko talks about his nagging injury, Kyle Okposo calls it a career, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $8.55 million. Seider, 23, was a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The AAV was no surprise as Wings general manager Steve Yzerman didn’t want Seider or recently-signed winger Lucas Raymond to exceed captain Dylan Larkin’s team-leading $8.75 million.

This deal will likely turn into a long-term bargain for the Wings. Seider is their established top defenseman and has yet to reach the prime years of his career. Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2021-22, he had 42 points in 82 games last season. Like Raymond, he’s a foundational part of the Wings’ rebuild.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko explained Thursday that he’s been dealing with a rare lower-body muscle injury. While the 28-year-old netminder didn’t have a timetable for his return to the lineup, he said he has growing confidence in his rehab process.

Demko suffered the injury during Game 1 of the Canucks’ opening-round series against the Nashville Predators, sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs. He also explained that he “hit a bit of a wall” with his recovery this summer but has experienced “a lot of progress” over the last couple of weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates Demko’s condition is “exceptionally unique.” His medical team spent weeks scouring the world for other hockey players who’ve suffered the same injury but couldn’t find any, though they discovered five soccer players with a similar ailment.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Former Sabres captain Kyle Okposo announced his retirement on Thursday. Okposo, 36, spent 17 seasons with the New York Islanders, Sabres, and Florida Panthers from 2006-07 to 2023-24, winning a Stanley Cup with the Panthers in June.

Okposo scored 242 goals and 372 assists for 614 points in 1,051 career regular-season games and 17 points in 41 playoff games. He battled through several concussion issues since 2017 to continue his playing career.

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy reports Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin understands that Kirill Kaprizov will be in line for a mega-contract when his current deal expires in 2026. Nevertheless, he expects more from his franchise player this season.

Kaprizov, 27, exceeded the 40-goal plateau for the third straight season in 2023-24 with 46 goals and 96 points in 75 games. He can ensure a substantial raise if he exceeds 100 points this season.

Guerin acknowledged the cost of re-signing star players is rising but isn’t panicking when it comes to Kaprizov, saying his club will have to be ready for it when the time comes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is earning an AAV of $9 million on his current deal. Another big season from him could put him within the $12 million to $13 million range on his next contract.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reports Devils defenseman Brett Pesce remains week-to-week following offseason to repair a fractured fibula suffered during the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Devils were aware of Pesce’s situation before signing him as a free agent on July 1.

The Devils received good news about Simon Nemec. The 20-year-old blueliner suffered no lingering ill effects from a shoulder injury suffered when playing in Slovakia’s Olympic qualifier last month and was on the ice with his teammates for the opening day of training camp.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss the opening week of training camp following an appendectomy on Wednesday. Guhle, 22, will be re-evaluated in seven days.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture, defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Shakir Mukhamadullin and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov missed the opening day of training camp. Askarov, Couture and Mukhamadullin are nursing lower-body injuries while Vlasic has an upper-body injury. No details were revealed regarding the severity of their injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Couture continues to deal with a nagging lower-body injury that sidelined for all but six games last season. He’s expected to be placed on injured reserve.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks named Radko Gudas as their ninth captain in franchise history.

SPORTSNET: The Ottawa Senators invited goaltender Dustin Tokarski to training camp on a professional tryout offer. His last appearance in the NHL was a four-game stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022-23.

THE SCORE: Jaromir Jagr intends to retire from professional hockey at the end of this season. The 52-year-old forward has spent the past eight seasons with Czech club Kladno Knights. He’s also their owner and team president.

Jagr spent 24 seasons in the NHL from 1990-91 to 2017-18, sitting fourth all-time with 766 goals, fifth with 1,155 assists, and second with 1,921 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2024

Brad Marchand’s future with the Bruins, early contenders for the Calder Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ken Campbell points out Brad Marchand’s future with the Boston Bruins has been overshadowed by the recent speculation about teammate Jeremy Swayman’s contract negotiations.

Marchand is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’ll be 37 by then but could still have value if he scores 30 goals and maintains his effective, pesky style of play.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

Once the Swayman saga is resolved, Campbell expects Bruins management to shift their focus to Marchand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand earns an average annual value of $6.125 million on a contract he signed in Sept. 2016 following his then-career-best performance of 37 goals and 61 points.

The Bruins got great value from this deal as Marchand exceeded 30 goals four times and 80-plus points five times, including a career-high 100 points in 2018-19. He became an invaluable core player and became the team captain last fall following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement.

Marchand’s production declined over the past two seasons with back-to-back 67-point performances, though he narrowly missed the 30-goal plateau last season, finishing with 29. Still, he should remain a high-value target in next summer’s free-agent market if he and the Bruins fail to agree to an extension.

There will undoubtedly be mutual interest between the two sides in getting a contract extension done before next July. It’s unlikely Marchand will hit the open market but we can’t dismiss the possibility.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini tops Steven Ellis’ list of this season’s top five early Calder Memorial Trophy candidates.

Celebrini’s teammate Will Smith is also on Ellis’ list, followed by Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, and Dallas Stars winger Logan Stankoven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season’s race for Rookie of the Year honors could be intriguing.

A gifted young forward, Celebrini is the early favorite because he was chosen first overall in this year’s draft. Smith isn’t as well known as the others on this list but Ellis points out that he’s a proven winner, especially at the international level.

Gauthier garnered headlines last season when his refusal to play for the Philadelphia Flyers led to his midseason trade to the Ducks. Michkov is a much-hyped Russian prospect. Stankoven has a leg up on the others given his 24 regular-season games and 19 postseason contests in 2023-24.

SPORTSNET: Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of Johnny Gaudreau, thanked the city of Calgary and the Flames for the memorial outside the Saddledome honoring her late husband.

Thank you, Calgary,” Gaudreau wrote on his Instagram page. “This is amazing. But I’m not surprised. The best people ever.”

Johnny Gaudreau played most of his career with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. He and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jaromir Jagr left a heartfelt message for Gaudreau on his Instagram account. The two were teammates in Calgary for 22 games in 2017-18, with Gaudreau assisting on what proved to be Jagr’s only goal with the Flames and his final NHL goal.

DETROIT HOCKEY NEWS: Former Red Wings winger Filip Zadina signed a two-year contract with HC Davos in Switzerland. The 24-year-old was chosen sixth overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 draft but struggled to establish himself as a scoring forward with the Wings and San Jose Sharks.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: A recent report out of Russia claimed a KHL team looked into signing former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart before deciding to stick with their current goalies.

Hart is among five players awaiting trial on sexual assault charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case. He has not played since January and became an unrestricted free agent after the Flyers declined to qualify his rights.

Hart’s co-defendants Michael McLeod and Dillon Dube signed one-year contracts with KHL teams this summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Former Minnesota Wild forward Stephane Veilleux, 42, is on the road to recovery following a life-threatening car crash on June 19.

Veilleux’s vehicle was struck by a teenager driving a Toyota Highland that ran a stop sign and T-boned his Nissan Rogue. He’s been in a halo vest to immobilize his neck to allow his C1 vertebrae to heal.

The former Wild forward is grateful to the team, his former teammates, his best friend, his community, and his ex-wife for their assistance during his recovery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Veilleux for a complete recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 26, 2024

More details on why the Flyers terminated Ryan Johansen’s contract, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki on how the addition of Patrik Laine should help his club, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman shed more light on why the Philadelphia Flyers terminated Ryan Johansen’s contract last week citing a material breach.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Ryan Johansen (NHL Images).

I don’t like to question injuries, especially since anyone who’s played 905 games (like Johansen) is guaranteed to have legitimate ones. I’m told the key will be everyone navigating how he went from not missing games and practices in Colorado to how he was unable to play for either Philadelphia or AHL Lehigh Valley. The timing is a little weird, which probably has something to do with video of Johansen dancing at his wedding. Again, I wouldn’t try to handicap this, except for saying the NHL and NHLPA hate risking precedent from an arbitrator, so a settlement is always the preference without an air-tight case.”

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey noted Johansen played in 63 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season before getting traded to the Flyers on March 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers reportedly attempted to send Johansen to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley following the trade. He informed them of his injury which prevented that move and kept him sidelined for the rest of the season.

Johansen’s agent vowed to fight his client’s contract termination. He claims the 32-year-old forward has a “severe hockey injury” scheduled for surgery, adding his client worked “in good faith” with the Flyers, its medical staff, and authorized third-party physicians.

THE ATHLETIC: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki believes adding Patrik Laine will improve his team’s roster this season. The Canadiens acquired the 26-year-old winger last week from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

I think we can beat anybody,” said Suzuki last Thursday. “I thought last year we competed against really good teams all the time.” The 25-year-old Canadiens captain believes adding Laine and a healthy Kirby Dach makes their forward unit “look pretty scary.”

Suzuki contacted Laine following the trade, telling the winger he’d be a “great addition.” He added that Laine is excited about joining the Canadiens and ready to go.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A motivated Laine and the return of Dach should bolster the Canadiens offense which relied heavily on the top line of Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky for the bulk of its production last season. If both players stay healthy they’ll provide the Habs with much-needed scoring depth.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Canadiens, a local restaurant chain created a burger honoring Arber Xhekaj called “The Sheriff”, taken from the defenseman’s nickname. Xhekaj appeared in the promotion holding the burger, but the restaurant had to edit the picture to make the blueliner’s huge hands appear smaller so as not to dwarf the product.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A torn hamstring will sidelined Jaromir Jagr for six weeks, forcing him to miss the start of Rytiri Kladno’s season in the Czech Extraliga. The 52-year-old former NHL star and future Hall-of-Famer owns the club and had hoped to play in every game for them this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jagr’s spent the past seven seasons playing for Kladno since ending his 24-year NHL career midway through the 2017-18 season.

TSN: The American Hockey League last week announced it has mandated cut-resistant gear for all its players and on-ice officials.

The decision was made after former AHL and NHL player Adam Johnson died when his throat was cut by a skate during a game in England’s Elite Ice Hockey League.

The Canadian Hockey League instituted a similar policy last November. USA Hockey implemented a policy that dictates all players 18 years and younger to wear neck protection in all games and practices.

The NHL does not yet have a similar policy but numerous players started wearing neck guards following the incident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 23, 2024

The Panthers take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the latest on the Stars and Oilers ahead of the Western Conference Final, the Devils and Kings hire new head coaches, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers blanked the New York Rangers 3-0 to take Game 1 of the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference Final. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 23-save shutout and Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring with what proved to be the game-winning goal.

Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe each finished with a goal and an assist, with Verhaeghe’s goal the result of an accidental deflection by New York winger Alexis Lafreniere into his own net. Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves for the Rangers.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

Game 2 is in New York on Friday, May 24 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers’ strong defensive play made the difference in this contest. They kept the Rangers from registering shots on goal for long stretches, especially in the second period.

The Blueshirts didn’t look sharp in this game but we can expect a more determined effort from them on Friday. That could include boosting their physical play by inserting hulking forward Matt Rempe into the lineup.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Adam Henrique could return to the Oilers lineup for Game 1 or 2 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. Henrique missed all but one game of their second-round series with the Vancouver Canucks dealing with a suspected ankle injury. He’ll bring invaluable secondary scoring and depth to their special teams.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger left practice on Wednesday with an illness. However, head coach Pete DeBoer is confident Oettinger will be good to go for the first game of the Western Conference Final tonight in Dallas at 8:30 pm EDT. Sidelined Stars Roope Hintz (upper body) and Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) remain day-to-day.

HEADLINES

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Various reports indicate the Devils have hired Sheldon Keefe as their new head coach. It’s believed he’s signed a four-year contract.

Keefe was the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for five seasons until fired earlier this month. He guided them to a regular-season record of 212-97-40 but won only one playoff series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the rumors of Keefe being hired by his old buddy, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, to replace Mike Sullivan, enabling Sullivan to be hired by his old friend, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald.

Keefe has a proven record of working well with a team carrying plenty of offensive talent. However, his efforts were hampered by the Leafs lack of reliable goaltending and blueline depth. He faces the same issues in New Jersey but Devils management will attempt to address those problems.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Kings removed the interim tag from Jim Hiller’s job title, making him their full-time head coach. He took over on Feb. 2 after Todd McLellan was hired with the Kings in danger of falling out of playoff contention. Hiller righted the ship as the club went 21-12-1 in 34 games, clinching a playoff berth but getting eliminated from the opening round in five games by the Edmonton Oilers.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames and assistant coach Marc Savard mutually agreed to part ways after one season. His responsibilities included running the power-play, which finished as the league’s seventh-worst.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hockey News’ David Alter cited rumors linking Savard to the Maple Leafs as a possible assistant coach to their new bench boss, Craig Berube.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Kings have granted the Sharks permission to speak with Marco Sturm as part of their search for a new head coach. Sturm coached the Kings AHL affiliate and began his NHL playing career with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eishockey News recently indicated Sturm was interested in the Sharks coaching job.

THE ATHLETIC: The Penguins are looking into having Jaromir Jagr return to the club in an official capacity. Jagr spent his first 11 NHL seasons with the Penguins, winning five Art Ross Trophies and helping them win two Stanley Cups.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2024

The Islanders and Lightning stave off elimination, the Bruins push the Leafs to the brink, and the Stars cut their series deficit in half against the Golden Knights. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 over the Carolina Hurricanes on a double-overtime goal by Mathew Barzal, who finished the game with two goals. Semyon Varlamov kicked out 42 shots for the Islanders while Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen scored for the Hurricanes, who hold a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven opening-round series. Game 5 is Tuesday, Apr. 30 in Carolina starting at 7:30 pm EDT.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played desperation hockey to keep their season alive. It was Barzal’s best game of the series while Varlamov was outstanding between the pipes. The Hurricanes still dominated the play for long stretches in this game. They’ll be determined to finish this series in front of their fans in Raleigh.

Steven Stamkos scored twice and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Tampa Bay Lightning to avoid being swept from the first round by dropping the Florida Panthers 6-3. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Victor Hedman each had three points for the Lightning. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers to cut the Lightning’s lead to 4-3 before Stamkos and Nick Paul put the game out of reach. The Panthers hold a 3-1 lead in this series, which returns to Sunrise, Florida for Game 5 on Monday, Apr. 29 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning got a big lift with the surprising return of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for his first game since breaking his left leg in February. He collected an assist on Hagel’s second goal of the game. The Bolts’ power play was a big factor, going two-for-five with the man advantage.

The Boston Bruins are a win away from eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs following their 3-1 victory in Game 4. Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who hold a 3-1 series lead and can wrap things up on Tuesday in Boston starting at 7 pm EDT. Mitch Marner scored his first of the series for the Leafs while an illness forced Auston Matthews from the game after the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins did a masterful job shutting down the Leafs offense. They also went one-for-three on the power play and killed off three penalties. Ilya Samsonov gave up three goals on 17 shots and was replaced by Joseph Woll for the third period.

The Leafs’ frustration was evident as the game progressed, culminating in TV cameras catching Matthews, Marner and William Nylander in animated conversation on the bench. After the game, the players denied any tension between them but it’s apparent they’re struggling to find a way to beat the Bruins.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, reducing their deficit in this series to two games to one. Miro Heiskanen scored to give the Stars a 2-0 lead before Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel tied the game to force the extra frame. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for the Stars while Logan Thompson stopped 42 for the Golden Knights. Game 4 goes on Monday in Las Vegas with a 9:30 pm EDT start.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon is listed as day-to-day and received no structural damage to his left hand after being cut by a skate blade during a scuffle at the end of Game 3 of their first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is week-to-week with an upper-body injury after being hit by Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua during Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday.

Predators forward Michael McCarron was fined $2,000.00 for goaltender interference after knocking down Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith behind his net during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Jaromir Jagr intends to play for his hometown team Rytiri Kladno in 2024-25 but indicated it will be his last professional season. The 52-year-old played just 15 regular-season games for Kladno this season, spending two months in the United States as the Pittsburgh Penguins retired his No. 68. He also became the oldest player to score a goal in professional hockey, surpassing the legendary Gordie Howe.