NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2026

by | Jun 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2026

The Hurricanes get a critical win in the Stanley Cup Final, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog wins two awards, the latest on the Oilers’ efforts to hire Mike Babcock, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Stanley Cup Final is tied again as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

The Hurricanes jumped to a 3-1 lead in the first period on goals by Logan Stankoven, Jackson Black, and Jordan Staal. However, Golden Knights forwards William Karlsson and Brett Howden scored in the second period to tie the game. Howden leads this postseason with 14 goals, setting the Golden Knights’ single-season playoff record.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (NHL Images).

Staal put the Hurricanes back on top in the third period with a diving backhand goal that left him sprawling on the ice. Nikolaj Ehlers netted an empty-net insurance goal late in the period as his clearing effort from behind his own net travelled the length of the ice.

This series returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a critical win for the Hurricanes. A loss would’ve put them behind three games to one. Instead, they’re heading home with the series tied at two.

Staal has a series-leading five goals and has scored in each game of the Final. Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella admitted his team has had difficulty containing the Hurricanes’ captain. “He’s killing us in front of the net,” Tortorella said. “We’ve gotta do a better job around the blue paint.”

Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi picked up his first win in his first start in an NHL playoff game. He relieved starter Frederik Andersen after the second period of Game 3 when the latter gave up four goals. Pyotr Kochetkov was Bussi’s backup while Andersen was listed as a healthy scratch. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he felt Andersen needed a break, but some observers wonder if the veteran netminder might be nursing an injury.

It was another rough outing for Carter Hart. The Golden Knights goalie entered this series considered a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. However, he’s become the first netminder in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

Landeskog was a finalist for the Masterton last season for his efforts in resuming his playing career after being sidelined for over two seasons recovering from knee surgeries. This season was his first full campaign, finishing with 35 points in 60 games.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL Players’ Association has asked the league to conduct a full investigation into Mike Babcock’s departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets before the Edmonton Oilers can officially hire him as head coach.

The league’s initial position was that it had to be informed that the Oilers intended to hire Babcock before stepping in. However, sources told Friedman that what’s at issue is the fact the league was prepared to investigate what happened with the Blue Jackets before Babcock resigned as their head coach in September 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Babcock stepped down over allegations he was invading his players’ privacy by requesting to see personal photos on their cellphones.

Friedman said it’s expected the PA’s request will be granted and an investigation will be conducted. He’s not certain if it will prevent the Oilers from hiring Babcock in the meantime, but he thinks it’s hard to see them doing so knowing an investigation is imminent.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed center Michael McCarron to a six-year, $20-million contract extension. McCarron, 31, will earn an average annual value of $3.333 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates he also has a full no-movement clause for the first three seasons. The NMC remains in place in the final three seasons to prevent him from being demoted to the minors, but he will have a 15-team no-trade clause.

Acquired from the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline, McCarron’s physical style and versatility made him a good fit with the Wild. This is the best contract of his career, coming off a two-year deal with an AAV of $900K.

With all due respect to McCarron, it’s unusual for a player of his caliber to get a six-year contract. It was likely done to ensure his cap hit would be an affordable $3.333 million. However, the full no-movement clause is rare for someone like him, and could come back to haunt the Wild if they need to make a cost-cutting move down the road.

This signing could also complicate the Wild’s efforts to acquire Dylan Larkin. The Detroit Red Wings center has Minnesota on his three-team list of trade destinations. McCarron’s signing leaves the Wild with over $9.4 million in cap space for next season.

Larkin carries an AAV of $8.7 million through 2030-31. The Wings won’t be open to retaining part of his cap hit for the next five seasons. The Wild will have to include one or two roster players in that deal to ensure they have sufficient salary-cap flexibility next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2026

by | Apr 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2026

Oilers captain Connor McDavid leads his club to a big win over the Sharks, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin talks about his future, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a five-point performance (three goals, two assists) to lead his club to a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Macklin Celebrini and Kiefer Sherwood replied for the Sharks. With 90 points, the 40-29-10 Oilers hold first place in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the loss leaves the 37-33-7 Sharks (81 points) sitting three points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has 133 points, opening a five-point lead over Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov for the lead in the scoring race. Celebrini is fourth with 108 points. Meanwhile, Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram left this game after two periods with an undisclosed injury. Forward Jason Dickinson departed in the third period after taking a shot to the foot.

The Buffalo Sabres got three unanswered third-period goals from Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker, and Zach Benson to defeat the New York Rangers 5-3. Benson had two goals while Zucker and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (48-23-8), who have sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with 104 points. Alexis Lafreniere tallied twice for the 33-37-9 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes, who hold a game in hand.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson turned in a 21-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary each had a goal and an assist for the 40-30-9 Capitals (89 points), who sit three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left the game early with a lower-body injury. Joseph Woll made 14 saves on 17 shots in relief for the 32-32-14 Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals rookie Ilya Protas collected his first point with an assist in his NHL game, while his older brother Aliaksei also had an assist.

Before the game, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said he won’t decide his future until after this season is over.

The 40-year-old left wing is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He said he intends to speak with his family and Capitals management before deciding during the summer.

Some observers think Ovechkin will retire or return to Russia to finish his player career where it started. TSN’s Chris Johnston said he wouldn’t be surprised if last night’s game against the Maple Leafs was his last in Toronto as an NHL player.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, and Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark are among the 32 players nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).

Other notable players nominated this season include Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall, Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, and Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to all the nominees. You can see the complete list by following the above link.

OTTAWA SUN: Ullmark had mixed feelings about being nominated for the Masterton. He was honored to be recognized, but knows that it was based partially on the hardships he went through off the ice.

“It’s both good and bad, in a way, because it’s one of those honors where you don’t really want it, because that means you’ve gone through a lot of stuff, and it means you’ve gone through hardships that maybe people don’t want you to go through,” Ullmark said.

The 32-year-old Senators goaltender took time away from the team earlier this season to seek help dealing with his mental health. He expressed his gratitude to the Senators organization, his teammates, family, and friends for their support.

“They haven’t treated me any differently, which I don’t want them to, either. I’m still the same person. The only difference is that I’m now more aware that I am broke, that I was broken, and am still very much fighting the demons every day,” he said.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken announced Ron Francis is stepping down from his role as president of hockey operations by mutual agreement.

Francis was named the Kraken’s first general manager in 2019, a role he held until last summer when Jason Botterill was promoted as GM and Francis was shifted into his current role. His contract runs through 2026-27.

During his tenure with the Kraken, Francis was unable to bring a scoring star to Seattle. Their expansion draft core has struggled offensively, while former Kraken players such as Morgan Geekie and Tye Kartye have found success with other teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Botterill will be staying on as general manager.

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames forward Ryan Strome was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson on Tuesday.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed top prospect James Hagens to a three-year entry-level contract.

THE ATHLETIC: The Utah Mammoth is only five games away from becoming the first NHL team in the salary-cap era to go a full season without a single game ending in a shootout.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2026

by | Mar 23, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2026

Alex Ovechkin reaches 1,000 combined career goals, the Stars clinch a playoff berth, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career goal (regular season and playoffs combined), but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Brock Nelson scored in overtime, and Martin Necas collected two assists for the 46-13-10 Avalanche (102 points). Justin Sourdif also scored for the Capitals (35-27-9).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin joins Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky as the only players to score 1,000 combined NHL goals. Gretzky has 1,016, which the 40-year-old Ovechkin could break if he returns next season. Meanwhile, Capitals forward Ethen Frank left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored in his first game since being sidelined on March 6 when he was struck in the groin by a puck. “I took a 96-mile-per-hour slapshot in the nuts, and it hurt,” Landeskog said. “So yeah, had a quick surgery to fix some things and we’re good to go”.

The Dallas Stars clinched a playoff berth despite a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Wyatt Johnston set the single-season franchise record for power-play goals with 23 for the Stars (43-16-11), who sit in second place in the overall standings with 97 points. Brayden McNabb, Ivan Barbashev, and Reilly Smith scored for the 32-25-14 Golden Knights, who moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars clinched a postseason berth because the Utah Mammoth defeated the Los Angeles Kings. Speaking of which…

Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz tallied twice, including the overtime winner, to nip the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Lawson Crouse scored two goals and collected an assist while Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots for the 37-28-6 Mammoth, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points. Quinton Byfield had a goal and an assist for the Kings (28-25-17, 73 points), who are two points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth recently re-signed forward Michael Carcone to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.75 million.

Speaking of the surging Predators, Filip Forsberg also had a two-goal game with an overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Forsberg collected an assist on Steven Stamkos’ game-tying goal for the Predators (33-28-9, 75 points), who’ve won four straight games. Nick Lardis and Connor Bedard scored for the 26-31-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk suffered an upper-body injury during the first period of this game. He will miss the club’s upcoming four-game road trip.

The Anaheim Ducks blew a 4-2 lead, but recovered for a 6-5 win over the Buffalo Sabres on an overtime goal by Troy Terry, who finished this game with two goals. Chris Kreider, Beckett Sennecke, and Jackson LaCombe each had a goal and an assist for the 39-27-4 Ducks, who sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. Zach Benson and Owen Power each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (44-20-7), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference with 95 points.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists, and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist for the 45-19-6 Hurricanes (96 points). Egor Chinakhov replied for the Penguins (35-19-16), who cling to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea missed this game with a facial injury suffered during Saturday’s win over the Winnipeg Jets. Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced they’ve signed 2025 first-round pick Bill Zonnon to a three-year entry-level contract.

The New York Islanders got a 26-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0, snapping the latter’s 12-game points streak. Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders (40-26-5) as they moved into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 85 points, one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings. Jet Greaves made 21 saves for the 37-22-11 Blue Jackets, who are in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets sit ahead of the Islanders because they hold a game in hand.

An overtime goal by Ryan Strome lifted the Calgary Flames to a 4-3 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Devin Cooley stopped 32 shots for the 29-34-7 Flames, who’d held a 3-1 lead before Tampa Bay rallied on goals by Darren Raddysh and Pontus Holmberg. The Lightning (43-21-5) holds second place in the Atlantic Division with 91 points.

The Winnipeg Jets downed the New York Rangers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Kyle Connor. Adam Lowry and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the 29-29-12 Jets (70 points), who are five points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Mika Zibanejad tallied his 30th goal of the season, and Dyland Garand made 35 saves in his NHL debut for the 28-33-9 Rangers

IN OTHER NEWS…

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers forward A.J. Greer received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for boarding Flames forward Connor Zary.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild reporter Jessi Pierce, 37, died Saturday, along with her three children, in a fire at her home.

“The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three children,” the league said in a statement. “Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I send my sincere condolences to Jessi’s family, friends, co-workers, and the NHL.com team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 9, 2026

by | Mar 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 9, 2026

The Sabres take over first place in the Atlantic Division, Anthony Mantha leads the Penguins to a comeback victory, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in a wild 8-7 victory, leapfrogging the latter for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson (NHL Images).

Josh Doan snapped a 7-7 tie with his second goal of the game, Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch tallied twice, Tage Thompson had four assists, while Rasmus Dahlin and Bo Byram had three points each for the 39-19-6 Sabres (84 points). The Sabres are red-hot as they’ve won seven straight games.

Nikita Kucherov scored two goals and an assist, J.J. Moser had a goal and two assists, and Darren Raddysh picked up three assists for the Lightning (39-19-4), who sit second in the Atlantic with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a fight-filled contest with 102 penalty minutes, capped by Lightning winger Brandon Hagel jumping Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin early in the second period.

The last time the Sabres held first place in their division at this stage of the season or later was Apr. 11, 2010.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha scored two game-tying goals, setting the stage for Tommy Novak’s overtime winner in a 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins. Erik Karlsson collected two assists for the Penguins, who improved to 32-17-14 to sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 78 points. Pavel Zacha had a hat trick for the 35-22-6 Bruins, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins forward Justin Brazeau missed this game with an undisclosed injury. He is listed as day-to-day.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche nipped the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring and tallied the game-winner in a shootout for the Avalanche (43-10-9, 95 points). Kirill Kaprizov and Nico Sturm replied for the Wild (37-16-11) as they sit third in the Central Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nazem Kadri collected his first point in his return to the Avalanche, setting up MacKinnon’s regulation goal. The Avalanche reacquired the 35-year-old center from the Calgary Flames before Friday’s trade deadline.

Before this game, the Avalanche announced that team captain Gabriel Landeskog is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Miro Heiskanen lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mavrik Bourque had a goal and an assist for the 39-14-10 Stars, who are second in the Western Conference with 88 points. Connor Bedard scored the tying goal to force overtime for the Blackhawks (23-29-11).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

The Detroit Red Wings blanked the New Jersey Devils 3-0. John Gibson made 21 saves until forced to leave the game with an injury following the second period. Cam Talbot made 10 saves to preserve the shutout. Moritz Seider had a goal and two assists, and Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal as the Red Wings improved to 36-21-7, moving into third place in the Atlantic Division with 79 points. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 27 shots for the 32-30-2 Devils as their four-game win streak ended.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists, and goaltender Connor Ingram made 24 saves to double up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Leon Draisaitl scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Oilers (31-25-8), who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Mitch Marner has two assists for the 29-21-14 Golden Knights, who are two points ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific standings.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their fourth straight win by downing the Anaheim Ducks 4-0. Joel Hofer made 22 saves for the shutout while Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Drouin, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Pius Suter scored for the 25-29-9 Blues. Ville Husso stopped 31 shots for the Ducks (35-25-3, 73 points), who hold a one-point lead over the Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat was fined $2,500.00 by the NHL’s department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven was fined $4,166.67 for cross-checking Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2026

by | Feb 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2026

The captains of Canada, Czechia, Finland, Sweden, and the United States for the 2026 Winter Olympics have been officially announced, a look at the initial practice line combinations for Canada and the USA, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins center Sidney Crosby was officially named captain of Canada’s Men’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy. Crosby previously served as captain of Canada’s 2014 gold medal-winning team.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will serve as Crosby’s alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise there. Crosby was the obvious choice, having also captained Canada in the 2015 World Championship, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL center Roman Cervenka was named captain of Czechia’s men’s Olympic hockey team. Cervenka, 40, spent most of his career in Europe, playing for the Calgary Flames in 2012-13. He’s making his fifth straight appearance in the Winter Olympics.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas will serve as Cervenka’s alternates.

TSN: Finland named Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund as their team captain. Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho and Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen are Granlund’s alternate captains.

Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog will captain Sweden’s team, with defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson serving as his alternate captains.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was named captain of the United States’ men’s team. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk will be Matthews’ alternates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby, Landeskog, and Matthews serve as captains of their respective NHL clubs, as do McDavid, Hedman, and Gudas. Karlsson was captain of the Ottawa Senators from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu reports Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson skated alongside Connor McDavid and San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini on Canada’s first line during the team’s initial practice on Sunday.

Crosby centered Vegas Golden Knights wingers Mitch Marner and Mark Stone on the second line. The third line consisted of Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon between Panthers winger Brad Marchand and Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki, while New York Islanders center Bo Horvat was between Lightning winger Brandon Hagel and Panthers winger Sam Reinhart. Panthers center Sam Bennett and Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis were the spares.

Makar and Avalanche linemate Devon Toews were on the first pairing. The second pairing consisted of Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets and Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues. Travis Sanheim of the Philadelphia Flyers and Shea Theodore of the Golden Knights were on the third pairing, with the Stars’ Thomas Harley and the Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty on the fourth pairing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson skating on the top pairing raised some eyebrows. It’ll be interesting to see how well he meshes with McDavid and Celebrini. He will certainly bring a physical edge to that line.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reported Matthews centered Team USA’s top line with Lightning winger Jake Guentzel and Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy. Jack Eichel of the Golden Knights centered Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and his brother, Senators winger Brady Tkachuk.

Russo indicated that USA head coach Mike Sullivan mixed and matched the bottom two forward lines with each rush. They included Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres, J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers, Brock Nelson of the Avalanche, Clayton Keller of the Utah Mammoth, Kyle Connor of the Jets, and Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings.

The defense saw McAvoy pairing with the Minnesota Wild’s Quinn Hughes, the Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin with the Wild’s Brock Faber, Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets alongside Noah Hanifin of the Golden Knights, and the Senators’ Jake Sanderson with the Ducks’ Jackson Lacombe.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of these line combinations for Canada and the United States might not be what we see throughout this tournament. They could adjust in the coming days depending on performance.

TSN: In recent non-Olympic news, former NHL defenseman Travis Dermott joined the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack on a professional tryout offer on Saturday. The Wolfpack is the affiliate of the New York Rangers.

Dermott, 29, spent eight seasons in the NHL (2017-18 to 2024-25), spending five of them with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also played with the Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, and Minnesota Wild. Dermott has 62 points in 348 NHL games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 26, 2026

by | Jan 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 26, 2026

A milestone game for Penguins stars Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang, hat-trick performances by the Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke and the Avalanche’s Brock Nelson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins got two goals by rookie Ben Kindel to nip the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Evgeni Malkin scored for the third straight game as the Penguins (26-14-11) picked up their fourth straight win. Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger replied for the Canucks (17-30-5), who have two wins in their last 17 games (2-13-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Malkin and his teammates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. They became the fourth trio in NHL history to play 1,000 games (regular season and playoffs) together. The others are Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, and Anze Kopitar with the Los Angeles Kings (1,040), Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane (1,004) with the Chicago Blackhawks, and Alex Delvecchio, Gordie Howe, and Marcel Pronovost (1,001) with the Detroit Red Wings.

Malkin appeared to be injured as his teammates celebrated their win on the bench. However, Penguins coach Dan Muse said the 39-year-old center was fine.

It was a special game for Kindel. The native of Coquitlam, BC, had over 180 supporters in attendance at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena cheering him on.

Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke (NHL Images).

Anaheim Ducks rookie forward Beckett Sennecke scored in overtime to complete his first career NHL hat trick in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Lukas Dostal stopped 32 shots for the Ducks as they won their seventh straight game and improved to 28-21-3. Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Flames, who are winless in four straight games (0-2-2) as their record dropped to 21-25-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sennecke now leads this season’s rookie class with 18 goals and sits second in points with 41. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov leads in that category with 43.

Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson tallied a hat trick to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves for the 35-6-9 Avalanche, who lead the league with 79 points. Max Domi scored for the slumping Maple Leafs (24-19-9), who are 1-4-2 in their last seven contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Maple Leafs forward William Nylander issued an apology for flipping off a TV camera while he was sitting in a booth with other injured teammates. He claimed it was done in a moment of frustration, and he didn’t mean to upset anyone. The league is looking into the matter.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided an update on sidelined captain Gabriel Landeskog, who’s been sidelined since Jan. 4 with a rib injury. Landeskog hopes to return in time to play for Sweden in the Winter Olympics next month. Bednar said the winger is progressing. “Hopefully, everything works out, but it’s going to be tight.”

Ottawa Senators rookie forward Stephen Halliday scored twice and collected an assist in a 7-1 drubbing of the Vegas Golden Knights. Dylan Cozens tallied two goals, and Brady Tkachuk picked up three assists for the 24-21-7 Senators. Rasmus Andersson scored his first goal for the Golden Knights (25-14-12), who have lost three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark returned from his leave of absence for mental health reasons, serving as a backup for Mads Sogaard. The baseless rumors that arose during his absence recently drew a sharp rebuke from NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh, who criticized media figures and online influencers for invading the players’ personal lives.

A four-goal third period powered the Florida Panthers to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Tobias Bjornfot had two goals, and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (28-20-3), who picked up their third straight win. Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the 21-28-3 Blackhawks.

Jordan Eberle netted two points as the Seattle Kraken held off the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Joey Daccord turned aside 27 shots for the 23-19-9 Kraken. Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (27-23-2).

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: recently reported the New York Islanders plan to relocate their AHL affiliate from Bridgeport, Conn, to Hamilton, Ontario.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Tampa Bay Lightning placed rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous (lower body) on injured reserve.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico profiled Montreal Canadiens prospect defenseman Bryce Pickford, who signed an entry-level contract with the Canadiens last month. After being passed over in the 2024 NHL Draft, Pickford’s performance with the Medicine Hat Tigers last season made him a core player during their run to the WHL championship. That put Pickford on the Canadiens’ radar, who chose him in the third round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pickford is having a record-setting performance this season, scoring the most goals in one season by a WHL defenseman (33 and counting).