NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2025

by | Apr 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2025

The Hurricanes move on to the second round, the Senators stave off elimination again, the Oilers and Golden Knights are on the verge of advancing, the Norris Trophy finalists are revealed, Rick Tocchet won’t return as Canucks coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes are the first team in this postseason to reach the second round following a 5-4 double-overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

Sebastian Aho scored twice (including the game-winner) and collected an assist. Seth Jarvis and Shayne Gostisbehere each collected two assists and Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves for the Hurricanes, who won the series four games to one.

Jacob Markstrom kicked out 49 shots for the Devils, who blew 3-0 and 4-3 leads in this game. Stefan Noesen and Brett Pesce each had two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Dawson Mercer got a double-minor for high-sticking Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi early in the second OT period. That was the turning point, setting the stage for Aho’s winning goal.

The Hurricanes had a horrible start to this game, but their poise and experience shone through as they rallied back. Their special teams made the difference in this game, as they had throughout the series, going two-for-six on the power play and killing off three penalties.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk each had a goal and two assists while Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Senators, who staved off elimination for the second straight game.

Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz gave up two goals on 17 shots. The Leafs hold a 3-2 series lead and can end it in Game 6 on Thursday, May 1, in Ottawa at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Collars are tightening for the Leafs and their fans. They are 1-13 in postseason elimination games since 2017.

The Edmonton Oilers took their first series lead in their first-round tilt with the Los Angeles Kings with a 3-1 win in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead after starting this series down 2-0.

Evander Kane, Mattias Janmark and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers while Calvin Pickard stopped 21 shots for his third straight win in this series. Darcy Kuemper made 43 saves for the Kings.

The series returns to Edmonton for Game 6 on May 1 at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no mystery who’ll be the Oilers’ starting goalie for Game 6. Pickard’s steady goaltending has made the difference since replacing Stuart Skinner late in Game 2.

An overtime goal by Brett Howden lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, giving them a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

William Karlsson and Mark Stone also scored, and Jack Eichel had two assists for the Golden Knights. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy replied for the Wild. Game 6 is back in Minnesota on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson left this game with an illness after the second period. Backup Marc-Andre Fleury stopped six of seven shots.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as this season’s top defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes and Makar are former Norris Trophy winners. This is the first time Werenski’s been a finalist for this award. He was the Jackets’ best player this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman broke the news yesterday that Rick Tocchet will not return as head coach of the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is another serious blow in a tumultuous season for the Canucks. They wanted to sign Tocchet to an extension, but he cited family reasons for his decision to move on and explore other options.

NHL.COM: The league announced the 2025 Draft Lottery will be on Monday, May 5. The San Jose Sharks have the best odds of winning the lottery for the second straight season, finishing last in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is no clear-cut potential superstar prospect in this year’s draft class compared to 2023 (Connor Bedard) and 2024 (Macklin Celebrini) and no clear favorite as the top pick. The front-runner is defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the OHL’s Erie Otters.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW/TAMPA BAY TIMES: Panthers defenseman Aaron Eklad received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a high hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel during Game 4 of their first-round series. Hagel has been ruled out for Game 5 between the two clubs.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Panthers, defenseman Niko Mikkola was fined $5,000.00 for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons in Game 4.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi will return to the lineup for Game 5 of his club’s first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. Vilardi had been sidelined since late March with an upper-body injury.

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss Game 5 against the Jets on Wednesday.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and isn’t expected to be in the lineup for Game 5 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Defenseman Alex Carrier (possible concussion) is also expected to miss that game. The Canadiens face elimination, down 3-1 in the series. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backup Jakub Dobes will get the start as he did in Game 4. Jayden Struble is expected to replace Carrier on the Canadiens’ blueline.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings announced that assistant coaches Alex Westlund and L.J. Scarpace won’t return.

Former Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula announced his retirement. He spent 16 seasons in the NHL from 2005-06 to 2020-21 with the Red Wings, Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, scoring 197 goals and 530 points in 1,056 regular-season games, and 86 points in 166 playoff games. Filppula spent the past four seasons playing in Switzerland and Finland. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2025

by | Apr 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2025

The Penguins part ways with head coach Mike Sullivan, Oilers and Blues tied their playoff series while the Capitals and Hurricanes took stranglehold leads in their respective postseason rounds. Check out the recaps and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

**BREAKING NEWS**

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas announced this morning that the club and head coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways. Sullivan took over as head coach in December 2015. He guided them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan had a year remaining on his contract and had intended to honor it. It’ll be interesting to learn what brought about this development and where Sullivan’s next coaching job will be. It’s rumored the New York Rangers could be interested if he became available. 

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl scored his first NHL playoff overtime goal as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in Game 4 of their opening-round series, tying it at two games apiece.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images).

The Kings opened a 2-0 lead on goals by Trevor Moore and Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala made it 3-1 after Corey Perry got Edmonton on the board. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard scored two unanswered third-period goals to set the stage for Draisaitl’s OT winner. Calvin Pickard made 38 saves for the Oilers while Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 44 shots.

Game 5 of this best-of-seven series is Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 10 pm ET in Los Angeles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard has been clutch for the Oilers in this series. The puck-moving blueliner had three assists in Game 1 as the Oilers’ rally fell short in a 6-5 loss. He also scored twice (including the winning goal) in Game 3.

The St. Louis Blues scored three unanswered second-period goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of their first-round series, tying it at two games apiece.

Jake Neighbours led the way with a goal and two assists and goaltender Jordan Binnington kicked out 30 shots for the Blues. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, who replaced Connor Hellebuyck with Eric Comrie early in the third period after Hellebuyck gave up five goals on 18 shots.

Game 5 of this series returns to Winnipeg on Wednesday, Apr. 30, at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second straight game Hellebuyck gave up five goals. Jets followers are worried that the two-time Vezina Trophy winner could suffer another meltdown like last year against the Colorado Avalanche and in 2023 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Blues are getting plenty of production from their defensemen in this series. Cam Fowler picked up an assist in Game 5 for his team-leading eighth point. Colton Parayko had two assists and Justin Faulk scored, giving them three points each in four games.

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker left this game after injuring his right leg (knee?) in the second period. There was no immediate postgame update, but he could miss the remainder of this series.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored his second NHL playoff hat trick to lead his club over the New Jersey Devils 5-2 in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for the Hurricanes, who took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Nico Hischier and Timo Meier replied for the Devils.

The Hurricanes can wrap this up in Game 4 on home ice in Raleigh on Tuesday, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov is the only player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to score hat tricks in the postseason.

Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen left this game in the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Meier. He was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov, who stopped 14 of 15 shots. Andersen will be evaluated on Monday and an update on his status should soon follow.

The Washington Capitals scored four unanswered third-period goals (two of them empty-netters) for a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their series.

Andrew Mangiapane snapped a 2-2 tie for Washington with 3:37 remaining in the third period. Forward Brandon Duhaime tallied twice for the Capitals. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored on the power play for the Canadiens while rookies Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov each collected two assists.

The series returns to Washington for Game 5 with the Capitals holding a 3-1 lead. They can wrap it up on Wednesday starting at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward Tom Wilson’s physical play made the difference in this contest. His thunderous (but clean) bodycheck on Montreal defenseman Alexandre Carrier in the third period resulted in a turnover that led to Duhaime’s tying goal. It also knocked Carrier out of the game with an undisclosed injury, leaving the Canadiens without their best all-around defenseman at a critical juncture in the game.

Capitals starting goaltender Logan Thompson returned to action in this contest after an injury forced him to leave Game 3 in the third period. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault remained sidelined by a lower-body injury suffered in Game 3 and is considered day-to-day. Jakub Dobes took his place in Game 4, stopping 21 shots.

One bright spot for the Canadiens was the performance of their top power-play unit of Slafkovsky, Hutson, Demidov, Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Those young guns continue to give their fans a tantalizing glimpse at a promising future for this club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

by | Apr 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

The Canadiens, Devils and Oilers pick up big wins in their first-round series. Check out the recaps plus the latest news in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Three unanswered third-period goals by Christian Dvorak, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook gave the Montreal Canadiens a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Newhook and Cole Caufield finished with a goal and an assist each. Connor McMichael, Jakub Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin replied for the Capitals, who hold a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, at 6:30 pm ET.

The two teams lost their starting goaltenders to injuries during this contest. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period and made way for Jakub Dobes. Capitals netminder Logan Thompson injured his left knee following a third-period collision with teammate Dylan Strome and was replaced by Charlie Lindgren. There were no post-game updates regarding their conditions.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game I’ve seen the Canadiens play this season. After being dominated in the first two games in Washington, they fed off the energy in the Bell Centre, outshooting the Capitals 40-19, winning 53.7 percent of the faceoffs, going two-for-five on the power play, and outhitting the Caps 45-26.

Winger Josh Anderson didn’t collect any points, but made his presence felt as Montreal’s physical leader, dishing out six hits and battling Washington winger Tom Wilson in a scrap at the end of the second period that spilled into the Capitals bench. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj made his playoff debut and led all blueliners with four hits.

Canadiens winger Patrik Laine missed this game with an upper-body injury. That might explain his subpar performances in the first two contests.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec scored in double-overtime as his club nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The Devils had a 2-0 lead on goals by Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, but the Hurricanes got two unanswered third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho to tie it. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 pm ET, with the Hurricanes holding a 2-1 series lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big win for New Jersey after two lifeless losses to the Hurricanes in Carolina. Nemec set the franchise record as the youngest player (21 years, 69 days) to score a playoff overtime goal.

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler returned to action after being sidelined by a lower-body injury in early February. However, blueliner Johnathan Kovecevic left the game with an undisclosed injury.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 in Game 3 of their series. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored the tying and winning goals 10 seconds apart in the third period.

Bouchard and Connor Brown each had two goals and Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who lead the series two games to one. Game 4 is Sunday in Edmonton at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s tying goal came under automatic review for a kicking motion. It was determined he did kick the puck, but then knocked it into the net with his stick, making it a good goal.

Kings head coach Jim Hiller challenged for goaltender interference but the call went against him, leading to a delay-of-game penalty with Bouchard’s winning goal on the subsequent power play.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights need more production from their top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbeshev if they hope to defeat the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series. The trio has yet to register a point in the series, with the Wild leading two games to one.

THE DENVER POST: Gabriel Landeskog has been promoted to the Colorado Avalanche’s second line and their top power-play unit. After being sidelined for the past three seasons by knee surgeries, the 32-year-old winger returned to action in Game 3 of their series with the Dallas Stars. The Stars have a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 of the series between the two clubs on Thursday.

Barkov left that game and remains questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The league also fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct and Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident during warm-ups for Game 3 of their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cousins’ offense was shooting a puck down the ice at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A mistrial was declared by the presiding judge in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. A new trial will begin once new jurors are selected, which was expected to occur on Friday.

Former NHL players Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote face one charge each of sexual assault for an alleged incident that occurred in 2018 while members of Canada’s World Junior team. McLeod faces an additional charge as a party to the offense.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2025

by | Apr 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2025

Recapping Thursday’s playoff action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich tallied a hat trick and an assist and defenseman Cam Fowler had a goal and four assists to thump the Winnipeg Jets 7-2 in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich (NHL Images)

Center Robert Thomas set up four goals for the Blues while David Gustafsson and Neal Pionk replied for Winnipeg. Jets backup goaltender Eric Comrie replaced starter Connor Hellebuyck after the latter gave up six goals on 25 shots. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, in St. Louis at 1 pm ET. The Jets lead the series two games to one.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues did a fine job smothering the Jets’ top offensive players with their physical plan. Mark Scheifele had five points in the first two games and Kyle Connor had four, but both were held scoreless in this contest. Winnipeg defenseman Dylan DeMelo was a late scratch due to an illness.

An overtime goal by Simon Benoit gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of their first-round series. Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto while Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators, who find themselves on the brink of elimination down 3-0 in this series. The Leafs can wrap things up in Game 4 on Saturday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight game the Senators suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime defeat. Their lopsided loss in Game 1 aside, they’ve played well against the Leafs, but the latter’s depth and experience have been the difference thus far. Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been terrific between the pipes throughout this series.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals for the second straight game to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 shots as the Wild took a 2-1 lead in the series. Alex Pietrangelo and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights. Game 4 is Saturday, starting at 4 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights are having difficulty containing the Wild’s two leading scorers. Kaprizov is tied for the postseason lead with seven points, while Boldy is right behind him with six points. The Wild probably wouldn’t have struggled down the stretch had “Dollar Bill Kirill” been healthy during that period.

The Florida Panthers blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 2 of their series. Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for the shutout while Nate Schmidt and Sam Bennett were the goal scorers as the Panthers took a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 is Saturday, starting at 1 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Panthers as team captain Aleksander Barkov left the game in the third period with a possible upper-body injury following a big hit from Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who received a five-minute major penalty for interference. There was no post-game update on Barkov’s condition.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen remains day-to-day with a knee injury. He participated in two-on-two drills during practice on Wednesday. Heiskanen’s been sidelined since suffering the injury on Jan. 28.

The Stars hold a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Colorado Avalanche. Game 4 is Saturday, starting at 9:30 pm ET.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Barring a last-minute change of heart, the Oilers will start backup goalie Calvin Pickard on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, who hold a 2-0 lead in their series. Pickard replaced struggling starter Stuart Skinner after he gave up five goals on 28 shots in Game 2. Skinner also allowed six goals on 30 shots in Game 1.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery on March 26 to repair a right tricep rupture. His recovery is six months, meaning he’ll likely miss training camp in September.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2025

by | Apr 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2025

Recaps of Wednesday’s playoff action, the Rangers sign GM Chris Drury to a contract extension, no front-office shakeup for the Bruins, the fallout from the Islanders firing Lou Lamoriello, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING WEDNESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Tyler Seguin lifted the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Valeri Nichushkin opened the scoring for the Avalanche early in the first period but Stars captain Jamie Benn tied it in the third period, setting the stage for Seguin’s game-winner. The Stars hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 on Saturday, Apr. 26, at 9:30 pm ET.

Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars’ win spoiled the return to action of Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog after nearly three years sidelined by knee surgeries. He saw 13:16 of ice time and led the Avs with six hits.

The Los Angeles Kings got four-point performances from Adrian Kempe (two goals, two assists) and Anze Kopitar (one goal, three assists) to beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 in Game 2 of their opening-round series. Oilers forwards Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson narrowed the Kings’ early 3-0 lead to 3-2 before the latter pulled away with three unanswered third-period goals, two of them from Kempe. The Kings hold a 2-0 lead in the series, which shifts to Edmonton with Game 3 on Friday, Apr. 25, starting at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Evander Kane and defenseman John Klingberg returned to action after missing time this season due to injuries. It was Kane’s first game after being sidelined for the entire regular season, while Klingberg played only 11 games.

However, their return couldn’t save the Oilers from being soundly beaten in this contest. Starting goalie Stuart Skinner gave way to backup Calvin Pickard after giving up five goals on 23 shots while the Kings went 3-for-5 on the power play.

Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael tallied twice in a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of their series. Logan Thompson stopped 25 shots as the Capitals overcame a 1-0 deficit in the second period with two quick goals by McMichael and Dylan Strome. Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens, who got a 29-save performance from Sam Montembeault. The series moves to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday, starting at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Game 2 was nearly identical to the opening contest, with the Capitals dominating the first two periods before the Canadiens rallied back in the third. The Habs pushed back hard for the equalizer in the final frame, but Thompson shut the door before McMichael sealed it with an empty-netter with two seconds left.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis sent an unsubtle message to underperforming forwards Patrik Laine and Joel Armia. Laine was benched for the third period while Armia saw only one shift in that frame.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers announced that general manager Chris Drury signed a multi-year contract extension. This move comes after the Blueshirts missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the top regular-season team in 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Rangers fans didn’t receive this news well, taking to social media to voice their displeasure. Nevertheless, Drury’s extension is ownership’s stamp of approval on his somewhat heavy-handed efforts to retool the roster since last summer.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: It appears Don Sweeney will return as general manager of the Bruins. Despite missing the playoffs this season, CEO and team chairman Charlie Jacobs praised Sweeney’s management of the club, citing their impressive winning percentage under his stewardship, including eight straight postseason appearances before 2024-25.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Russ Macias cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting the Islanders nearly fired Lou Lamoriello in December before finally relieving him of his duties as GM and team president earlier this week.

Friedman claimed Lamoriello was clashing with team minority owner and Business Operations Director John Collins. There was also friction between Lamoriello and head coach Patrick Roy, and unhappiness over the historically bad season for their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. A late-season blowout loss to the Rangers appeared to be the final straw.

Meanwhile, the Islanders also parted ways with long-time radio broadcasters Chris King and Greg Picker.

NEW YORK POST: Former Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck announced his retirement on social media yesterday. Clutterbuck spent 17 seasons in the NHL, beginning with the Minnesota Wild from 2007-08 to 2012-13 before being traded to the Isles, where he spent the remainder of his career to 2023-24.

A gritty checking-line forward, Clutterbuck played 1,065 NHL regular-season games, finishing with 143 goals and 150 assists for 293 points. He also had 12 goals and 20 points in 81 playoff contests.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues center Robert Thomas missed practice for maintenance reasons, but he will be ready for Game 3 against the Jets on Thursday.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Jets, sidelined forward Gabriel Vilardi (upper-body injury) traveled with the team to St. Louis. Meanwhile, winger Nikolaj Ehlers (lower body) remained in Winnipeg. The Jets hold a 2-0 lead in their series with the Blues.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers announced they are moving on from assistant coaches Rocky Thompson, Darryl Williams, and assistant/skills coach Angelo Ricci.

TSN: Czechia leaders are condemning apparent threats by former Russian prime minister and president Dmitry Medvedev against Hall-of-Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek for his critical comments about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2025

by | Apr 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2025

The Canadiens clinch the final Eastern Conference wild card, the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck wins his second straight Jennings Trophy, the Oilers’ Connor McDavid has his eighth 100-point season, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens doubled up the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 to clinch the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 91 points. Kaiden Guhle scored twice, Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist, and Lane Hutson collected an assist to tie Hall-of-Famer Larry Murphy for the single-season assist record for NHL rookies (60). Taylor Hall and Tyson Jost replied for the Hurricanes, who face the New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens defeated a Hurricanes squad that rested seven regulars, including Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Jaccob Slavin and Jordan Staal. Nevertheless, this was a well-deserved victory for a rebuilding club that rose from second-last in the overall standings on Dec. 1 to securing its first postseason berth since 2021.

Montreal will face the Washington Capitals in the first round, with their series expected to begin on Monday. The last time these two clubs met in the playoffs was in 2010, when the Canadiens upset the heavily-favored Capitals in seven games. Time will tell if history repeats itself.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves and Mark Scheifele scored in overtime to nip the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in the final game of the regular season for both clubs. Neal Pionk also scored for the league-leading Jets while Troy Terry replied for the Ducks.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck won the William M. Jennings Trophy for the second straight year as the Jets gave up the fewest goals this season (191). He becomes the fifth goalie to win this award in consecutive seasons since it was first presented in 1981-82, joining Martin Brodeur, Roman Turek, Patrick Roy and Brian Hayward.

Hellebuyck also picked up his 47th win of the season, tying Bernie Parent and Roberto Luongo for the second-most among NHL goalies. Braden Holtby and Martin Brodeur are tied with 48 wins.

The Jets also took care of some business before the game, announcing forward Alex Iafallo signed a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.666 million. It’s a slight pay cut from his current AAV of $4 million, but the 31-year-old accepted it to stay in Winnipeg, telling the media that he didn’t want to go anywhere else.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist for his eighth 100-point season in a 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks. Ty Emberson tallied twice and Stuart Skinner had an 18-save shutout for the Oilers, who concluded their season in third place in the Pacific Division with 101 points. The Sharks finished their season winless in their last 11 games (0-8-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joins Hall-of-Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Marcel Dionne as the only players to reach 100 points eight times. Meanwhile, Sharks goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was told by Sharks management that he won’t be signed to a contract extension, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Nashville Predators finished their season on a winning note, defeating the Dallas Stars 5-1. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists for the Predators while Mason Marchment replied for the Stars, who’ll face the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Tyler Seguin picked up an assist in his first game since Dec. 1. He underwent hip surgery on Dec. 5. Seguin’s teammate Jason Robertson left the game with a lower-body injury in the second period. There was no postgame update on Robertson’s condition, but he was seen after the game with a brace on his right knee.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev broke a 1-1 tie in a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Victor Olofsson had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, who’ll face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs. Pius Suter scored for the Canucks.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings. Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer replied for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton returned to action after missing 18 games with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs opening round begins Saturday with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the St. Louis Blues (6 pm ET start) while the Dallas Stars face off against the Colorado Avalanche starting at 8:30 pm ET.

The full playoff schedule will be released on Thursday.

THE ATHLETIC: Katie Strang reports New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Madison Square Garden Sports (which owns the Rangers) paid financial settlements to a former Rangers employee last year after she alleged Panarin sexually assaulted her.

Strang cited sources claiming the alleged assault occurred in December 2023 during a Rangers road trip. Neither Panarin nor his agent replied to a request for comment. An MSG spokesperson and the woman (whose identity has been protected) stated the matter has been resolved.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a small hole in his heart. He returned to the club’s practice facility on Wednesday but did not take part in practice. His teammates were relieved to see him.

Letang, 38, has a long history of injuries and medical problems, including two strokes. A small hole in his heart was discovered in 2014 following his first stroke.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Letang had no comment for reporters and isn’t expected to play in their season-closing game against the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

CBS SPORTS: Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann will undergo surgery on Monday for an undisclosed issue he’s dealt with throughout the season. He played in all 82 of his club’s games this season. He faces a six-week post-surgery recovery period.

TSN: Florida Panthers forward Jesse Puljujarvi has a hearing with the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee on Tuesday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals signed center Nic Dowd to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $3 million. Dowd, 34, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The checking-line forward tallied a career-high 27 points this season.

RG.ORG: Prospect winger Porter Martone is hoping to have a positive impact with whatever NHL club selects him in this year’s draft. The 6’3” power forward with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads said he wants to win Stanley Cups and create a winning culture, hoping to eventually take on a leadership role with that team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL Central Scouting has Martone at No. 6 among this year’s top North American prospects. TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Craig Button, The Hockey News’ Nick Ferrari and Ryan Kennedy, and McKeen’s Hockey have him among their top-five prospects.

NHLPA: recently released its annual poll of its membership. A surprising result was that Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers were polled higher than Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck in the top goalie category.