NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2026

by | May 30, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2026

The Hurricanes advance to the Stanley Cup Final, Timo Meier suspended from the World Championship semifinal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the Stanley Cup Final by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final, winning the best-of-seven series four games to one.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and two assists, and Frederik Andersen stopped 23 shots for the Hurricanes. Cole Caufield scored the only goal for the Canadiens.

The Hurricanes will face the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, June 2, in Raleigh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a well-deserved series victory by the Hurricanes. After a 6-2 defeat in Game 1, they dominated the Canadiens over the next four games, limiting them to just five goals. Their aggressive forechecking and suffocating defensive play left their opponents in this series, and in this postseason thus far, with little time and space to maneuver. It has given them an impressive 12-1 record after three rounds entering the Stanley Cup Final.

This victory was an emotional one for Andersen. He dedicated the win to his late agent, Claude Lemieux, who died on Thursday. “It’s so special to be able to show up for him and make him proud, just go out and battle,” Andersen said. “The whole team supported me as well. This has been so special to be a part of.”

What’s also notable is the Hurricanes reached this stage without making a significant addition to their roster at the trade deadline. Nevertheless, the moves made by Eric Tulsky since becoming general manager two years ago contributed to this run. Hall and Stankoven were among his acquisitions, along with Nikolaj Ehlers, K’Andre Miller, Shayne Gostisbehere, Eric Robinson, William Carrier, Sean Walker, and Brandon Bussi.

As for the Canadiens, it’s a disappointing end to their surprising playoff run. However, it doesn’t overshadow their impressive improvement this season. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with 106 points and eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in the first two rounds.

Given their core of young talent, and with more on the way, the Canadiens have a bright future. They weren’t good enough to defeat the Hurricanes in this series. However, if they can learn from the hard lessons of this series, the same lessons the Hurricanes themselves learned in their last three trips to the Conference Final since 2019, the Habs could soon become a serious Stanley Cup contender.

DAILY FACEOFF: The International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended Switzerland forward Timo Meier from the semifinal of the 2026 World Championship for kneeing Swedish forward Oskar Sundqvist during the quarterfinal game between the two countries.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Utah Mammoth’s acquisition of forward JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres for forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring backfired on them during this postseason.

Peterka put up decent numbers in the regular season (25 goals, 47 points) but was held scoreless in the Mammoth’s six-game playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, raising questions about his postseason readiness.

Meanwhile, Doan had 25 goals and 52 points during the regular season with the Sabres. He thrived during their two-series playoff run, finishing with three goals and 10 points in 12 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Time will tell which team ultimately wins this deal, but the early nod must go to the Sabres.

BOSTON.COM: Former Bruins enforcer and radio host Lyndon Byers was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), his family announced on Thursday.

Byers passed away last June at age 61. Before his death, he had pledged his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University’s CTE Center for further testing. His family authorized the results of the testing to be revealed to raise awareness about the effects of CTE.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL has consistently rejected the link between head trauma and CTE. However, Byers is among 20 former NHL players to be diagnosed with the condition following their deaths, including Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Henri Richard.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

by | May 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

The Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead over the Flyers, the Golden Knights take Game 1 of their second-round series with the Ducks, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, the 2026 Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday evening, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall scored his first NHL overtime playoff goal to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round series. The Flyers took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier, but the Hurricanes rallied as Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis scored to send the game to overtime. Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots for the Hurricanes, who hold a 2-0 lead as this series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. Dan Vladar made 40 saves for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers had a much better effort in this game compared to the series opener, but they couldn’t build on their lead or shut down Carolina’s offense. Once again, it was the second line of Hall, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven that made the difference for the Hurricanes. Speaking of Stankoven, this was the first game in this postseason that he was held off the score sheet.

Game 3 of this series is Thursday at 8 pm ET.

A controversial tie-breaking goal by Ivan Barbashev gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of their second-round series. Barbashev’s goal came moments after a linesman waived off what appeared to be an icing call, infuriating Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who pleaded his case with the officials to no avail. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to four games while Mitch Marner had an empty-netter for the Golden Knights. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks. Game 2 of this series is on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw Golden Knights center William Karlsson’s postseason debut after being sidelined since November with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is expected to miss this series with an undisclosed injury suffered during his club’s series-clinching win over the Utah Mammoth last Friday.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets are the finalists for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 6, in real time starting at 7 pm ET at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. It will involve the 16 teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers have the best odds of winning the lottery based on their position in the standings at the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team that sits lower in the order can move up 10 places if they win the lottery. However, only those sitting among the top 11 seeds can win the first overall pick.

Last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite having the 10th-best odds of doing so. They used that pick to select defenseman Mathieu Schaefer in the 2025 Draft. Schaefer had an immediate positive impact with the Islanders this season and is considered the favorite to win the 2026 Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduced Mats Sundin and John Chayka as their new management team. Sundin is the Leafs new senior executive advisor of hockey operations, while Chayka is their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs ownership was already facing criticism from pundits and fans in Leafs Nation for these hirings before the introductions were made.

Sundin is a former captain of the Leafs and among the greatest players in franchise history, but he’s never held a management position before, and his role as a “senior executive advisor” suggests he won’t have a direct role in hockey ops decisions.

Most of the criticism was leveled at Chayka. His checkered past as GM of the Arizona Coyotes has many observers questioning Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment honcho Keith Pelley about the vetting process involved in Chayka’s hiring.

It led to an awkward moment when Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons directly challenged Pelley and Chayka, citing anonymous league sources critical of the latter’s previous experience with the Coyotes. Pelley insisted that the Leafs conducted their due diligence, while Chayka sidestepped questions about his complicated past.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that “at least one team” raised a tampering concern with the league, claiming that employees under contract may have been contacted by the Maple Leafs without proper permission. However, the league looked into the matter and found the complaint to be unsubstantiated. Seravalli stated that a Maple Leafs spokesman declined to comment but acknowledged the interaction with the league.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for sucker-punching Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of the first-round series between the two clubs.

D MAGAZINE: Robert Tiffin reports Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said he tore an oblique muscle during the Apr. 9 regular-season game against the Minnesota Wild. He said the injury was slowly improving with each game, and he expects he’ll be fully healthy over the summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Sam Carrick (upper-body injury) might be available for his club’s upcoming second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens after all. He was initially considered unavailable, but is further along in his recovery than expected.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier will play for Switzerland in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has retired. He played in 206 NHL games from 2010-11 to 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators, finishing with six goals and 27 points. Holzer spent the past six seasons playing in Russia, Germany, and Austria.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

by | Dec 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

A four-goal performance by Predators forward Steven Stamkos, Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler wins his NHL debut, four-point performances by the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos had his second career four-goal NHL game as the Nashville Predators thumped the St. Louis Blues 7-2. Luke Evangelista collected three assists as the 12-14-4 Predators have won six of their last eight games. Winger Hugh McGing scored his first NHL goal as the Blues fell to 11-14-7.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is now six goals away from reaching 600 regular-season goals in his NHL career.

Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped 36 shots to win his first NHL game in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cole Caufield netted his 17th goal of the season while Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two assists for the Canadiens (16-11-3). Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson replied for the 14-8-7 Penguins, who are 0-1-2 in their last three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler became the first Florida-born goaltender in NHL history. He’s also the fourth goaltender in Canadiens history to make his NHL debut against the Penguins, joining Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied twice and collected two assists to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-3. Morgan Geekie had three assists for the Bruins, who extended their win streak to four games and improved to 19-13-0. Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo, and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the struggling Jets (14-15-1) as they’ve lost three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy collected an assist as he returned to action after missing 11 games due to a facial fracture.

The Tampa Bay Lightning pounded the New Jersey Devils 8-4. Nikita Kucherov had four assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had three points for the Lightning (18-11-2), who reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. Goalie Jacob Markstrom was replaced by Jake Allen after giving up three goals on seven shots as the Devils (17-13-1) have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Dave Randorf reports it’s the same injury that sidelined him for 12 games earlier this season. He will see a specialist for a second opinion, and it will be a couple of days before they know how long he’ll be sidelined.

Devils forward Timo Meier missed this game as he took a personal leave to attend to a family health matter.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 22 shots to win his eighth straight start in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Seth Jarvis scored the winning goal in the shootout, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist for the 19-9-2 Hurricanes, who moved past the Capitals into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points. Connor McMichael and Rasmus Sandin each had two points for the Capitals (18-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 10 of the first 11 games of his career. Meanwhile, the Capitals announced that sidelined rookie forward Ryan Leonard will miss three to four weeks with a shoulder injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers. The league-leading Avalanche (22-2-7, 51 points) picked up its 10th straight home win. Noah Gregor and Mackie Samoskevich replied for the 15-13-2 Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all scorers with 25 goals and 53 points. Avalanche rookie forward Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist as he returned from a 10-game absence due to a lower-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights got an overtime goal from captain Mark Stone to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Stone finished with two goals while linemate Jack Eichel had two assists for the 15-6-9 Golden Knights, who took over first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen scored for the Flyers (16-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights opted not to play Carter Hart against this former club, pointing out that he was coming off back-to-back starts.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had two goals and two assists to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 5-2. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have won five of their last six games and improved to 18-11-3. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (19-11-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day after leaving this game in the second period with an injured left leg.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2, snapping the latter’s 11-game points streak. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Marcus Johansson tallied two goals for the 17-9-5 Wild. Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for the Stars (21-6-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game late in the third period with an injured foot. Earlier in the day, the Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jake Middleton on injured reserve.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman tallied a hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Connor McDavid picked up four assists for the 14-11-6 Oilers. Simon Edvidsson replied for the Red Wings (17-12-3) as their six-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed forwards Jack Roslovic and Connor Clattenburg on injured reserve, and moved defenseman Jake Walman on long-term injury reserve.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle scored two goals in a 6-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Drake Batherson, Michael Amadio, and Dylan Cozens each had three points for the Senators (14-12-4) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Jet Greaves replaced Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins after giving up three goals on five shots as his club slipped to 13-12-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators center Lars Eller left this game with a lower-body injury. This was his second game back from an undisclosed injury.

An overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Wennberg finished with three points, and John Klingberg tied the game late in the third for the Sharks, who improved to 15-14-3. William Nylander had two assists for the Maple Leafs (14-11-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left this game in the third period after injuring his left leg. He will be reevaluated on Friday. Before the game, the Leafs announced that sidelined blueliner Brandon Carlo (lower-body injury) underwent surgery and will be out for a month.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (13-14-4) as they picked up their first regulation road win since Apr. 1. Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the 11-17-3 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed goaltender Colten Ellis on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a significant blow for the struggling Mammoth. He leads them with 14 goals and is fourth in points with 23.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2024

by | Nov 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2024

Recaps of Tuesday’s games plus the latest on Auston Matthews, Tage Thompson, Timo Meier, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks got a 32-save shutout from Kevin Lankinen to blank the Boston Bruins 2-0. Jake DeBrusk tallied the winning goal in his first game against his former club since signing with the Canucks this summer. Connor Garland had a goal and an assist for the Canucks. Jeremy Swayman made 13 saves for the Bruins as they suffered their first loss under interim coach Joe Sacco.

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have tightened up defensively in their three games under Sacco (2-1-0) but they’ve managed only three goals during that stretch. Meanwhile, Canucks winger Brock Boeser was held scoreless in his return to action after missing seven games with a concussion.

An overtime goal by Mikhail Sergachev lifted the Utah Hockey Club to a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain scored in regulation for Utah while Jayden Struble and Alex Newhook tallied for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. The Habs also announced Patrik Laine will accompany them on their upcoming three-game road trip as he works his way back from a sprained knee.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was a full-practice participant on Tuesday. He’s been sidelined since Nov. 3 with an upper-body injury.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres center Tage Thompson is expected to be in the lineup when his club faces off against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. He missed the last five games with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier received a one-game suspension for cross-checking Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux on Monday.

SPORTSNET: The Ottawa Senators placed defenseman Artem Zub (fractured foot) on long-term injury reserve and called up defenseman Donovan Sebrango from their AHL affiliate in Belleville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The move enables the Senators to exceed the $88 million salary cap by over $3.7 million. They could use that space to pursue a replacement for Zub via the trade market, but if he returns to the lineup before the end of this season, they would have to be cap-compliant.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is listed as day-to-day with a concussion. He won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers but could return during the weekend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina netminder Frederik Andersen is sidelined for eight to 12 weeks recovering from knee surgery. There’s speculation the Hurricanes are shopping around for goaltending depth. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger will miss Wednesday’s game against the Canadiens with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The San Jose Sharks assigned goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to their AHL affiliate as veteran netminder Vitek Vanecek returns from an upper-body injury.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed winger Valtteri Puustinen on waivers. He was a healthy scratch in 13 of the Penguins’ 23 games this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2024

by | Apr 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2024

The Coyotes win their final game in Arizona, Nikita Kucherov reaches 100 assists, the Stars clinch first in the Western Conference, the Canucks will face the Predators in the first round, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Arizona Coyotes won their final game before relocating to Salt Lake City by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist and Connor Ingram made 28 saves as the Coyotes received a standing ovation at the end of the game from 4,600 fans at the sold-out Mullett Arena in Tempe. Warren Foegele tallied his 20th goal of the season for the Oilers, who are still waiting to find out who their opponent will be in the first round of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a bittersweet game for the Coyotes and their fans as plans to relocate to Salt Lake City could be officially announced as early as today. Former Coyotes captain Shane Doan attended the game and received his retirement banner from a fan who recovered it from the club’s former arena, now called the Desert Diamond Arena.

The Oilers will face the Los Angeles Kings or the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Both teams are playoff bound with the Golden Knights (98 points) holding a one-point lead over the Kings. They’re playing their final games of the regular season on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists in a season in a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kucherov also tallied his 44th goal of the season. Leafs center Auston Matthews was held off the score sheet and finished the season with 69 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning will meet the Florida Panthers in the first round while the Leafs face the Boston Bruins.

With 144 points, Kucherov has practically sewn up the Art Ross Trophy as this season’s points leader. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is six points behind as he and his teammates face off against the Edmonton Oilers in their final game of the regular season.

Kucherov is also the second player this season to reach the 100-assist plateau, joining Oilers captain Connor McDavid. It’s the first time two players have collected that many assists in a season since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux each had 114 in 1988-89.

A shootout goal by Jason Robertson lifted the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Stars clinched first place in the Western Conference with a record of 52-21-9 (113 points). Their win also means the Vancouver Canucks will face the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like the Oilers, the Stars are waiting to find out if they’ll face the Golden Knights or Kings.

The New York Islanders won their final game of the season by holding off the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Ilya Sorokin kicked out 40 shots while Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby collected two assists to finish the season with 94 points. Following the game, Penguins forward Jeff Carter announced his retirement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round. Isles forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau suffered a lower-body injury in the first period and didn’t return.

Carter, 39, played 19 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and the Penguins. In 1,321 regular season games, he tallied 442 goals and 409 assists for 851 points, including 11 seasons with at least 20 goals. Carter also had 47 goals and 84 points in 133 playoff games, helping the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The schedule for the first games of the Eastern Conference clubs in the opening round of the 2024 playoffs was released on Wednesday.

The Islanders and Hurricanes face off on Saturday, Apr. 20 at 5 pm ET followed by the Maple Leafs and Bruins at 8 pm ET.

Sunday sees the Lightning and Florida Panthers face off at 12:30 pm ET. The Washington Capitals square off against the New York Rangers at 3 pm ET.

NHL.COM: The King Clancy Trophy nominees were released on Wednesday. The award honors the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.

The 32 nominees include Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canuck defenseman Quinn Hughes, Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the 32 nominees. You can see the complete list by following the link provided above.

SPORTSNET: The Minnesota Wild signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. It will be Fleury’s 21st NHL season and he confirmed it will be his last.

ROTOBALLER: New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier said he dealt with a double MCL injury in his knee early in the season. He also suffered an oblique injury later in the campaign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those injuries might explain why Meier’s production dropped from 68 points in 78 games in 2022-23 to 52 points in 69 games this season.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens have exercised their two-year option on head coach Martin St. Louis’ contract. He has a season remaining on his current deal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2024

by | Jan 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2024

The Red Wings upset the Panthers, the Canadiens down the Devils, the Sharks will retire Joe Thornton’s No. 19, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime power-play goal by Dylan Larkin lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon made 32 saves for the win while Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (23-16-5), who vaulted over the idle Toronto Maple Leafs into third place in the Atlantic Division with 51 points. Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to a franchise-record eight games for the 27-13-4 Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 58 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov missed this game with a minor lower-body injury. Head coach Paul Maurice said he could hold Barkov out of Friday’s game against the Minnesota Wild as a precaution if he’s not fully healthy by then.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored the winning goal and collected an assist as his club nipped the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Sam Montembault stopped 28 shots while Sean Monahan collected two assists for the 19-18-7 Canadiens (45 points) as they sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Luke Hughes and Alexander Holtz scored for the Devils (22-17-3) as they sit two points ahead of the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Timo Meier collected an assist in his return to action after missing six games with a mid-body injury. Teammate Brendan Smith missed this game with a sprained knee. He should be considered day-to-day for the time being.

HEADLINES

TSN: The San Jose Sharks intend to retire Joe Thornton’s No. 19 during a game next season. It will be the second jersey retirement in franchise history as Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 was hoisted to the rafter of the SAP Center last year.

Thornton spent 15 of his 24 NHL seasons with the Sharks. He’s their single-season leader in assists (92) and points (114) and their franchise leader with 804 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thornton officially announced his retirement last October. He’s a certain first-ballot inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

TSN: Wednesday’s game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres was postponed due to severe weather in Buffalo. The game was rescheduled to Thursday, Jan. 18.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner will return to action on Friday against the Devils. He’s been sidelined by a fractured jaw since Dec. 8.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen is out for four weeks with a lower-body injury.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks winger Mikael Granlund is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury but does not require surgery. He suffered the injury during Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks following a hard hit by Mackenzie Entwistle.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders forward Casey Cizikas (lower body )has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 9.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Cody Hodgson’s comeback continues as he signed a professional tryout offer with the Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. Hodgson, 33, last played in 2015-16 and retired due to malignant hypothermia. He resumed skating last summer after receiving a clean bill of health.

THE GLOBE & MAIL: Former NHL forward Tyler Ennis has announced his retirement at age 34. He played 700 games over 13 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, netting 143 goals and 345 points. Ennis spent the last two seasons in Europe.