NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2025

by | Oct 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2025

A milestone game for Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, a career-best performance by Avalanche winger Victor Olofsson, Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sets a franchise record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard tallied his first career NHL hat trick and added an assist in a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky, Nick Foligno, and Louis Crevier each had two points for the Blackhawks, who improved to 5-3-2. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson each had two points for the 5-5-1 Senators as their three-game win streak ended.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images)

Colorado Avalanche winger Victor Olofsson collected his first career hat trick in a career-high five-point performance as his club thumped the New Jersey Devils 8-4. Cale Makar had four assists and Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and set up another for the 6-1-4 Avalanche, snapping their four-game winless skid. Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist as the Devils’ eight-game win streak ended (8-2-0), but they remain atop the Metropolitan Division with 16 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a shaky performance for Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom, giving up eight goals on 42 shots in his first game since being injured two weeks ago. Devils defenseman Brett Pesce missed this game as he is expected to be sidelined for at least a month with an upper-body injury. They also placed forward Cody Glass (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Avalanche dropped struggling captain Gabriel Landeskog from the first line. He has three assists in 11 games.

An overtime goal by Cole Caufield gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory against the Seattle Kraken. The Canadiens blew a 3-0 lead until Caufield tallied his franchise-record 11th regular-season overtime goal. Caufield finished the night with two goals for the 8-3-0 Canadiens, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division. Brandon Montour scored twice and picked up an assist for the 5-2-3 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki collected three assists to extend his points streak to a league-leading 10 games.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger turned in a 24-save shutout performance for a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals. Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars (6-3-1) as they picked up their third straight win. Logan Thompson turned aside 18 shots for the 6-4-0 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Stars announced the signing of defenseman Thomas Harley to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $10.587 million. The 24-year-old blueliner is in the second season of a two-year contract with a cap hit of $4 million, but his emergence as a top-four rearguard over the last two years earned him this lucrative new deal.

A 23-save shutout by Jonathan Quick carried the New York Rangers over the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Mika Zibanejad and Sam Carrick scored for the 4-5-2 Rangers. Thatcher Demko stopped 23 of 24 shots for the Canucks, who dropped to 5-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was J.T. Miller’s first game in Vancouver since his trade to the Rangers in January. While he was booed by Canucks fans the first time he touched the puck, he received a standing ovation minutes later during a video tribute honoring his years with the Canucks.

Earlier in the day, the Rangers announced forward Matt Rempe is out “longer term” with an upper-body injury suffered during a recent fight with San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves.

The Philadelphia Flyers nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on a shootout goal by Bobby Brink, who also had a goal and an assist in regulation. Flyers winger Travis Konecny netted his 200th career NHL regular-season goal as his club improved to 5-3-1. Jonathan Brazeau and Sidney Crosby replied for the Penguins (7-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A brawl erupted at the end of overtime, resulting in eight players receiving misconducts, including Crosby, Trevor Zegras, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett, leaving them ineligible to participate in the shootout.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi scored twice, including the game-winning goal, to lift his club over the Calgary Flames 4-3. Matthew Knies tallied two goals and picked up an assist as the Maple Leafs improved to 5-4-1. Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Samuel Honzek scored for the Flames, who are 2-8-0 on the season.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two late goals from Jack Eichel in a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Eichel finished the night with three points, and Pavel Dorofeyev also had two goals for the 6-1-3 Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 15 points. Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook, and Logan Stankoven scored for the 6-3-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere left this game with a lower-body injury. This comes a day after being activated from injured reserve.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Miles Wood scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Jet Greaves turned aside 35 shots for the Blue Jackets as they improved to 5-4-2. Alex Tuch had two assists for the 4-4-2 Sabres.

The Anaheim Ducks squeaked past the Florida Panthers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Mason McTavish. Leo Carlsson had a shorthanded goal and an assist as the 5-3-1 Ducks took a 2-0 lead until the Panthers (5-5-1) rallied on goals by Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Ducks announced center Mikael Granlund is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 shots as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the New York Islanders 5-2. David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, and Michael Eyssimont each had a goal and an assist for the 5-7-0 Bruins. Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri tallied for the 4-4-1 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins activated defenseman Hampus Lindholm off injured reserve and made blueliner Mason Lohrei a healthy scratch for this game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their third straight by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Zemgus Girgensons scored two goals, and Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist as the Lightning improved to 4-4-2. Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg replied for the Predators, who slipped to 4-5-2.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the 7-3-0 Jets. Brock Faber and Marco Rossi each had two points for the 3-5-3 Wild, who have one win in their last eight games (1-4-3).

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored twice and collected an assist to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-2. Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond each had two points for the 7-3-0 Red Wings. Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou replied for the Blues (3-6-0), who are 0-4-1 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Jake Neighbours is out for five weeks with an injured right leg.

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 6-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Connor McDavid scored twice, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Evan Bouchard collected three assists to improve their record to 5-4-2. Logan Cooley, JJ Peterka, and Barrett Hayton scored for the 8-3-0 Mammoth, who remain in first place in the Central Division with 16 points.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke snapped a 3-3 tie as his club downed the San Jose Sharks 4-3. The Kings had blown a 3-0 lead before Clarke’s game-winner. Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper got the win with a 37-save performance as his club improved to 5-3-3. Philipp Kurashev and Alex Wennberg each had a goal and an assist for the 2-6-2 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Warren Foegele missed this game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss some time. Meanwhile, the Sharks placed defenseman Nick Leddy (upper body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 28, 2025

by | Oct 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 28, 2025

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reaches more milestones, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to surpass the 1,700-point milestone in a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Bryan Rust tallied twice and picked up an assist for the 7-2-1 Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 15 points. Nick Bjugstad had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who dropped to 3-5-1.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 1,701 points, Crosby is the ninth player to reach 1,700 career regular-season points. He needs 23 points to overtake Mario Lemieux for eighth overall and the franchise points lead. He surpassed Lemieux for the franchise record for multi-point games (498).

Blues forwards Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours missed this game, listed as day-to-day with injuries.

Early in the first period, a Penguins fan fell from the upper deck in section 234 at PPG Paints Arena and is in critical condition at Mercy Hospital. Another fan also suffered injuries.

The Ottawa Senators got their third straight win by thumping the Boston Bruins 7-2. Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle each scored twice and collected an assist as the Senators improved to 5-4-1. Morgan Geekie and Viktor Arvidsson replied for the 4-7-0 Bruins.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley, and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes are the three stars for the week ending Oct. 26.

THE PROVINCE: Former NHL forward Ryan Kesler has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual misconduct in Michigan. He has pleaded not guilty to both misdemeanour charges.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Dallas Stars recently placed defenseman Nils Lundkvist (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed minor-league forward Tristen Nielsen to a two-year contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2024

by | Oct 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2024

Recapping Tuesday’s 16-game “Frozen Frenzy” sees the Jets remain undefeated, the Panthers sign Paul Maurice to an extension, the Blues re-sign Jake Neighbours, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets are this season’s only undefeated team, holding off the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Kyle Connor scored the winning goal and Cole Perfetti had three assists as the Jets extended their season-opening win streak to 6-0-0. Blues winger Brandon Saad scored both of his club’s goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues announced before the game that forward Jake Neighbours signed a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.75 million. It’s an affordable bridge deal for the Blues but it could lead to a more lucrative contract for the 22-year-old Neighbours, who tallied 27 goals and 38 points last season.

The Blues also announced before this game that they placed defenseman Nick Leddy (lower body) on injured reserve. It’s believed he suffered the injury blocking a shot last Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota Wild forwards Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist to beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Jake Middleton picked up three assists for the Wild. Sam Bennett replied for the Panthers, who pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after he gave up five goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers announced yesterday that head coach Paul Maurice had signed a contract extension. Details were not released. He’s in the final season of a three-year deal worth just under $4 million annually. Maurice guided the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024, winning the Cup last season.

Speaking of the Panthers, forward Sam Reinhart was the NHL’s first star for the week ending Oct. 20. New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson were the second and third stars.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a natural hat trick and collected an assist in an 8-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Victor Hedman scored two goals, Anthony Cirelli collected four assists and J.J. Moser had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Timo Meier tallied twice and Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists for the Devils.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl scored two goals and collected two assists to lead his club over the Los Angeles Kings 6-1. Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and Alex Pietrangelo had three helpers for Vegas. Warren Foegele scored the Kings’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore missed this game due to an illness.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the Dallas Stars 4-2. Owen Power collected three assists, including setting up Tage Thompson’s game-winning goal. Thompson and Alex Tuch each finished with a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Thomas Harley and Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres coach Lindy Ruff gave forward Zach Benson the night off to rest. He’s been playing through a lower-body injury suffered earlier this month in Prague.

A four-goal first period powered the New York Rangers to a 7-2 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Filip Chytil scored two goals and picked up an assist and Kaapo Kakko had a goal and two assists for the Rangers. Nick Suzuki scored both Canadiens goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba injured Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron with a high hit in the third period. Barron left the game and didn’t return. There was no penalty on the play. The Canadiens also played without winger Juraj Slafkovsky, who is out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren made his season debut after suffering an injured jaw during the preseason.

The Columbus Blue Jackets stunned the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2. Mathieu Olivier tallied two goals, Justin Danforth had a goal and two assists, and goalie Daniil Tarasov stopped 26 shots for the Blue Jackets. Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left this game after the second period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson $5,000.00 for interference on Lightning winger Jake Guentzel on Monday.

Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson underwent shoulder surgery and is sidelined indefinitely.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Danton Heinen scored twice for the Canucks. Ryan Donato, Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall’s goal was his 700th career NHL point.

Washington Capitals forwards Nic Dowd and Andrew Mangiapane each scored shorthanded goals in the first period to lead their team to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals have won four straight games. Travis Sanheim scored for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler made his season debut after being activated off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined by a knee injury during a preseason game against the Boston Bruins.

The Detroit Red Wings got a 29-save shutout from Alex Lyon to blank the New York Islanders 1-0. Patrick Kane scored the only goal as the Wings were limited to 11 shots by the Islanders.

Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon netted the game-winner, and Cale Makar collected two assists as they held on for a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Makar and MacKinnon extended their point streaks to seven games. Jared McCann and Ryker Evans scored for the Kraken.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros turned aside 33 shots to shut out the Boston Bruins 4-0, snapping their season-opening losing skid at five games. Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Evangelista and Roman Josi each had two points. Jeremy Swayman made 38 saves for the Bruins.

An overtime goal by Sebastian Aho lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Martin Necas had a goal and two assists as the Hurricanes overcame a 2-0 deficit. Connor McDavid scored both goals for the Oilers, who got a 30-save performance from Stuart Skinner.

The Ottawa Senators blanked the Utah Hockey Club 4-0. Anton Forsberg kicked out 31 shots for the shutout while Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig and Brady Tkachuk scored in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark missed his fourth straight game with a muscle strain, forcing the club to call up Leevi Merilainen. Forward David Perron is away from the team for personal reasons.

Calgary Flames forward Justin Kirkland scored the deciding goal in a shootout to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman collected two points, Dustin Wolf stopped 35 shots and Nazem Kadri scored the tying goal in the dying seconds of the third period as the Flames extended their points streak to six games (5-0-1). Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Noel Aciari scored for the Penguins.

The Anaheim Ducks got their first power-play goals of the season from Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Mikael Granlund scored for the Sharks, the only winless team with a record of 0-5-2.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2024

by | Jul 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2024

An early look at this season’s Calder Trophy candidates, the Blue Jackets hire Dean Evason as head coach, plus the latest on Ducks forward Mason McTavish, Blues forward Jake Neighbours, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN.COM: Ryan S. Clark listed several rookies (in alphabetical order) to watch in his way-too-early at this season’s Calder Trophy candidates.

San Jose Sharks prospect Macklin Celebrini (NHL.com).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini is the notable name on this list given his stature as the top pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He could face challenges from a dynamic field that includes Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, Dallas Stars forward Logan Stankoven and fellow Sharks center Will Smith.

Other noteworthy rookies to watch include Stars center Mavrik Bourque, Utah hockey club winger Josh Doan, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, Minnesota Wild center Marat Khusnutdinov, Colorado Avalanche winger Nikolai Kovalenko, New York Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov, and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of these players could struggle to adjust to the NHL pace. Several could end up in the minors this season.

Celebrini will be considered the favorite but he’s not a certainty to win Rookie of the Year honors. Stankoven has a significant advantage having played 24 regular-season games and 19 postseason contests in 2023-24. Doan played in 11 games and Wolf had 11 starts last season. Tsyplakov, 25, could also have an edge due to his age and KHL experience.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets announced they hired Dean Evason as their new head coach. Evason was the former head coach of the Minnesota Wild, sporting a record of 147-77-27 in 251 games, including four trips to the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the report, Evason is the 11th head coach (not counting interim coaches) in the Blue Jackets’ 24-year history. He faces the daunting challenge of molding a team that has struggled through a rebuilding process over the past four years into a playoff contender.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A strong performance by Mason McTavish this season could earn the Anaheim Ducks winger a significant raise on his next contract. It could be comparable to Quinton Byfield’s new deal with the Los Angeles Kings. Byfield recently signed a five-year deal with an average annual value of $6.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report noted that McTavish is among the most competitive players on the Ducks. He had 17 goals and 43 points in 80 games in 2022-23 and 19 goals and 42 points in 64 games during an injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign. This season, a healthy and productive effort by the 21-year-old McTavish could put him in the same contract range as Byfield.

THE ATHLETIC: St. Louis Blues forward Jake Neighbours hopes to build on his solid sophomore campaign. The 22-year-old winger began last season on the fourth line and finished on the top line with 27 goals and 38 points in 77 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Neighbours was the Blues’ most improved player last season. Their fans are excited by his potential. A full season on the first line with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou would cement Neighbours’ place among their core players, potentially propelling the Blues into playoff contention.

TSN.CA: Construction has officially begun on the new $800-million arena for the Flames. The 18,000-seat venue will be named Scotia Place and is expected to open in September 2027.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m all for the Flames building a new arena but couldn’t they have come up with a better name? As Global Calgary’s Michael King observed, there’s already a Scotia Place building in Edmonton, a Scotia Centre building in Calgary, Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

Corporations pay for naming rights for arenas, but I miss the days when NHL arenas had iconic names like the Montreal Forum, Maple Leafs Gardens, The Spectrum, The Igloo, and The Olympia. At least we still have Madison Square Garden and, for a few more years, the Saddledome.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024

by | Apr 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024

Recapping Sunday’s games, the latest on the Coyotes’ potential relocation to Salt Lake City, and updates on Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Tomas Hertl completed a four-goal comeback as the Vegas Golden Knights rallied to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. William Karlsson scored twice (including his 30th of the season) for the playoff-bound Golden Knights (44-28-8). With 96 points, they’re one point behind the third-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Cale Makar had a goal and an assist for the 49-25-7 Avalanche, who sit eighth overall with 105 points.

Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche are stumbling toward the end of the season with a record of 3-5-2.

The Carolina Hurricanes doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Seth Jarvis tallied twice in the third period for the 55-22-7 Hurricanes (111 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers in second place in the overall standings. Blackhawks rookie Frank Nazar scored his first NHL goal on his first shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nazar signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on Friday following the completion of his sophomore year with the NCAA’s Michigan Wolverines. He’s one of their top prospects and could become invaluable to the Blackhawks’ rebuilding program.

A three-goal third period lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Jordan Kyrou broke a 1-1 tie with his 31st goal of the season and Nathan Walker had a goal and an assist. Jared McCann netted his 29th goal for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Jake Neighbours missed this game and is expected to be sidelined for his club’s final game of the season on Wednesday. He’s missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old sophomore winger is tied for second with Pavel Buchenich among Blues scorers with 27 goals.

Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri scored twice in the third period to lift his club over the Arizona Coyotes 6-5. Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist for the Flames. Dylan Guenther tallied two goals for the Coyotes.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Coyotes, Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that the NHL hopes to officially announce the sale of the club to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith on Thursday or Friday.

Current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will have five years to prove he can build a new arena, and then he’ll be granted an expansion franchise. Friedman said Meruelo is determined to do that. He will bid for a parcel of land in a June 27 auction he intends to use for an arena and entertainment complex.

The Coyotes are expected to be sold to Smith for $1.2 billion with the league facilitating the sale.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Meruelo will receive $1 billion from the league for the sale of the Coyotes to Smith. The remaining $200 million will be retained by the league as a relocation fee and distributed equally among the 31 other NHL owners.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman convinced Meruelo to sell because of the indefinite timeline for a new arena. Meruelo agreed after the league gave him that five-year window to be granted an expansion franchise provided a new arena is built within that timeframe.

Meruelo will also retain ownership of the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He will negotiate to be an affiliate of the new team in Salt Lake City and will explore moving the Roadrunners to Tempe so it can play its games at Mullett Arena.

AZCENTRAL.COM: The Phoenix mayor’s office sent a letter to the Coyotes seeking a meeting with Meruelo regarding his proposed plan for a new arena and entertainment complex in northeast Phoenix.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Meruelo will remain part of the NHL Board of Governors in an observer role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the last season for the Coyotes in Arizona barring any unforeseen issues. Whether there will be a Coyotes 2.0 depends on Meruelo winning the land auction in June and getting an arena built by 2029.

If the NHL does return to Arizona, and if the league also expands to Houston and Atlanta as rumored before the end of this decade, it will create an imbalance with the Western Conference having one more franchise than the Eastern Conference.

Could that finally bring about the return of the NHL to Quebec City? Does it mean a second franchise in Toronto? An expansion team in Cleveland? Let me know what you think in the comments section.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is dealing with a nagging injury that forced him to miss Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. It remains to be seen if he’ll remain sidelined for the club’s final two regular-season games.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson missed Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders and Sunday’s practice with an upper-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. It’s uncertain if he’ll rejoin his teammates for their final two regular-season games.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was fined over $2,700.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed winger Cutter Gauthier to a three-year entry-level contract. He’s expected to play in his club’s final regular-season game on Thursday. Gauthier completed his second season with the NCAA’s Boston College and led all American Division 1 collegians this season with 38 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Philadelphia Flyers selected Gauthier with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Ducks acquired him in January after he refused to sign with the Flyers.

SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens are expected to sign prospect Luke Tuch to an entry-level contract. The younger brother of Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch, Luke completed his fourth year with Boston University.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2023

by | Feb 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2023

A hat-trick performance for Patrick Kane while Jonathan Toews steps away for health reasons, the Senators ship Tyler Motte to the Rangers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Patrick Kane powered the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-3 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kane also collected an assist as he and Max Domi each finished the game with four points as the Blackhawks improved to 18-32-5 on the season. John Tavares and Mitch Marner were among the scorers for the Leafs (34-15-8) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane received a standing ovation from the fans at Chicago’s United Center as there is a sense that game could be among his last in a Blackhawks jersey. He could be playing for another club by the March 3 trade deadline.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews (NHL Images).

Before the game, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews released a statement indicating he was stepping away from the team as he deals with the effects of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome which sidelined him for the entire 2020-21 season. He’s been sidelined since Jan. 28 but indicated he’d been struggling with symptoms for several weeks.

Toews’ condition effectively ends any talk of the Blackhawks shopping him before the March 3 trade deadline. General manager Kyle Davidson said the team will do all it can to help their captain regain his health and perhaps return to action at some point before the end of the season.

The Colorado Avalanche overcame a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on an overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen. J.T. Compher had a goal and three assists while Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as the 31-19-5 Avalanche (67 points) moved to within two points of the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division. Warren Foegele tallied twice for the Oilers (30-19-8) hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar missed this game with an upper-body injury after taking incidental contact to the head during Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. It was his first game after being sidelined since Feb. 7 with a similar injury. The Avs also announced that defenseman Erik Johnson will be sidelined for multiple weeks recovering from a broken ankle.

The Oilers played with Evander Kane as the winger is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Jets, they dropped a 4-2 decision to the New Jersey Devils. Dawson Mercer scored two goals as the Devils improved to 37-14-5 (79 points) to move within three points of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Mark Scheifele and Neil Pionk each had two points for the Jets (34-21-1) as they remain three points behind the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division with 69 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers left the game with an undisclosed injury in the third period.

The Minnesota Wild nipped the Nashville Predators 4-3 on a goal by Ryan Hartman with 21 seconds remaining in the third period. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice as the Wild (30-21-5) sit in the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 65 points. Tommy Novak had a goal and two assists for the 26-22-6 Predators (58 points) as they sit seven points behind the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators announced they will be unveiling a statue of Pekka Rinne on March 10 outside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Rinne spent his entire NHL career with the Predators and is the only player on the team to have his number retired.

Ottawa Senators forwards Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk and Alex DeBrincat each had three points to thump the St. Louis Blues 7-2. With 58 points, the Senators (27-24-4) are five points behind the New York Islanders, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Blues dropped to 26-27-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Jake Neighbours suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of this game. Head coach Craig Berube believes Neighbours will be sidelined for a while.

An overtime goal by Barrett Hayton lifted the Arizona Coyotes to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Connor Ingram made 34 saves as the Coyotes (20-28-4) have gone 5-0-4 in their last nine games. The Blue Jackets slipped to 18-34-5 as Johnny Gaudreau missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shayne Gostisbehere returned to the Coyotes lineup for the first time since being sidelined on Jan. 24.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Prior to yesterday’s game against the Blues, the Ottawa Senators traded left wing Tyler Motte to the New York Rangers in exchange for right wing Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Motte returns to the Rangers after spending part of last season with the Blueshirts.

The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch speculates Gauthier could be a potential replacement for winger Austin Watson if he’s moved at the March 3 trade deadline. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple believes the Rangers have sufficient salary-cap space to add a fourth-line center at the trade deadline.

Speaking of the Senators, Garrioch also reports NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the sale price of the franchise could reach $1 billion. Former owner Eugene Melnyk bought the franchise 20 years ago for $130 million.

More than 15 groups were granted permission to review the Senators’ financial statements and a copy of the memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission for a new rink at LeBreton Flats.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks winger Timo Meier is questionable for today’s game against the Seattle Kraken with an upper-body injury.