NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2025

by | Jun 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 19, 2025

The league continues to examine the Oilers’ use of LTIR with Evander Kane, the Blackhawks re-sign Ryan Donato, the Devils trade Erik Haula to the Predators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli cited sources claiming the NHL plans to continue examining the Edmonton Oilers’ use of long-term injury reserve salary-cap relief (LTIR) with winger Evander Kane.

The league may require more information to confirm that Edmonton complied with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) when Kane returned for the second game of the Oilers’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. The 33-year-old winger missed the entire 2024-25 regular season due to injuries.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Seravalli indicated that no NHL team has been punished for LTIR usage. The Oilers could face retroactive punishment if the league finds they violated the spirit of the CBA. He indicated that sources say the Oilers have complied with the league’s requests for information and medical opinions.

Kane is under contract through 2025-26 with an average annual value (AAV) of $5.125 million.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples reports that Seravalli’s report sparked outrage in Edmonton, citing several local pundits and broadcasters questioning why this is happening now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It is puzzling why the league continues to monitor this nearly two months after Kane returned to action. They could simply be conducting due diligence and nothing further may come of it.

We saw a similar situation with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber in 2021, when the league kept an eye on his status after being placed on LTIR for 2021-22. In Weber’s case, the severity of his injuries ended his playing career.

THE SCORE: Speaking of the Oilers, they’re expected to sign forward Trent Frederic to an eight-year contract extension with an AAV of between $3.5 million and $4 million. John Matisz indicated the deal also comes with a modified no-movement clause.

Seravalli stated the deal isn’t expected to be officially announced just yet as they’re engaged in contract talks with other players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frederic, 27, is a checking line power forward who can play center or wing. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) coming off a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.3 million.

Frederic would likely get a similar AAV elsewhere in the free-agent market on July 1. However, inking him for eight years seems excessive. Given his style of play, that deal might not age well.

The Oilers currently have $11.9 million of salary-cap space for 2025-26. Frederic’s new contract would reduce it to between $8.4 million and $8.9 million. That leaves no room to re-sign or replace their other free agents.

That includes Evan Bouchard. The 25-year-old defenseman is slated to become a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights on July 1. It could cost over $9 million annually to re-sign him.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks re-signed forward Ryan Donato to a four-year, $16-million contract with an AAV of $4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Donato was among the few bright spots this season for the rebuilding Blackhawks. The versatile 29-year-old forward had a career-best performance with 31 goals and 31 assists for 62 points, putting him among their leading scorers. He’s coming off a two-year contract with an AAV of $2 million.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators acquired forward Erik Haula from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick and minor-league defenseman Jeremy Hanzel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now indicates this move cleared $3.15 million from the Devils’ salary-cap payroll for 2025-26. They now have over $14.3 million in cap space with RFAs Luke Hughes and Cody Glass and UFA Jake Allen to re-sign. This could also give them some flexibility to make an addition via trade or free agency.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed forward Matt Rempe to a two-year contract with an AAV of $975,000.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks re-signed winger Nikita Nesterenko to a two-year, one-way contract with an AAV of $775,000.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL forward Nick Bonino has ended his playing career and is joining the Penguins as an assistant coach.

Bonino, 37, spent 15 seasons in the NHL from 2009-10 to 2023-24 with the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins (helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017), Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. He had 159 goals and 199 points in 358 regular-season games and 19 goals and 48 points in 105 postseason contests.

SAN JOSE SHARKS: announced former TV and radio color analyst Chris Collins passed away. Collins covered the team from 1992 to 1997.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Collins’ family, friends, broadcast colleagues and the Sharks’ organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

by | Mar 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sets a notable offensive record, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with a four-point game, the Blues strengthen their hold on the final Western wild card, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game in a 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Jiri Kulich scored twice for the Sabres while Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Peyton Kreb had two points each.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 20 consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game. That’s an impressive display of offensive consistency, especially at this stage of his career on a team rebuilding its roster.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves to shut out the Utah Hockey Club 8-0. Victor Hedman had a goal and two assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for the Lightning (89 points), who moved within one point of the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers in points but the latter holds a game in hand.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they overcame a 5-3 deficit in regulation to the San Jose Sharks but fell 6-5 on shootout goals by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Tyler Toffoli scored twice and picked up an assist for the Sharks. William Nylander tallied twice and Mitch Marner collected three assists for the Leafs, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

The St. Louis Blues strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by nipping the Nashville Predators 3-2, picking up their eighth straight win. Dylan Holloway scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period. Robert Thomas had two assists for the Blues (85 points), opening a five-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks. Fedor Svechkov and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve been officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who remain two points ahead of the Blues for the first Western wild card. Matt Roy and Brandon Duhaime replied for the Capitals, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 103 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held off the score sheet and remains six goals from breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Following the game, Ovechkin led his teammates in a handshake lineup for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is expected to retire following this season.

The Dallas Stars got a 46-save performance by backup goalie Casey DeSmith to beat the Calgary Flames 5-2. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund and Mason Marchment each collected two points for the Stars, who picked up their fourth straight win to sit second in the Central Division with 98 points. Nazem Kadri scored both goals for the Flames (79 points), who sit six points back of the surging Blues in the Western wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames had two goals disallowed, leaving them feeling like the referees robbed them. They also lost forward Connor Zary as he left the game early in the third period favoring his left knee after colliding with Rantanen.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots as his club held off the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-3 victory. Michael Amadio scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Senators (81 points) opened a six-point cushion over the Montreal Canadiens in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who remain three points behind the Canadiens with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game featured two teams going in different directions. The Senators have won eight of their last 11 games while the Red Wings have only three wins in their last 14 contests.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens (75 points) blew a golden opportunity to expand their lead in the final Eastern wild-card spot by dropping a 6-4 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers, who had fired head coach John Tortorella earlier in the day. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers, who got their first win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists, becoming the first rookie defenseman since 1985-86 to have 50 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere spoke to the media about the decision to fire Tortorella. He claimed a number of reasons led to the decision, not just Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday expressing frustration over the club’s losing skid in recent weeks. He declined to get into the specifics, saying it wouldn’t be fair to his former coach.

Flyers defenseman Cam York was benched for the entire game against the Canadiens. Shaw claimed it was for disciplinary reasons but didn’t go into detail.

The last rookie defenseman to reach the 50-assist plateau was Gary Suter with the Calgary Flames. He went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy that season.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood had 22 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Martin Necas scored twice and picked up an assist while Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his home points streak to 23 games. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 93 points, while the Kings are second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (108 points) holds a three-point lead over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov atop the points race. Kings forwards Alex Turcotte and Tanner Jeannot missed this game as they’re day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A five-goal second period carried the Seattle Kraken to a 6-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Jaden Schwartz scored twice and Joey Daccord kicked out 36 shots for the Kraken. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Michael Callahan was fined over $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Anaheim Ducks forward Jansen Harkins on Wednesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Matt Rempe is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2024

by | Dec 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2024

The Avalanche and Oilers tie for the most wins in December, Sam Reinhart reaches a milestone for special-teams goals, Matt Rempe receives a lengthy suspension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta tallied a natural hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Cale Makar had a goal and two assists and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists for the Avalanche as they picked up their third straight win, Kappo Kakko scored his first goal as a member of the Kraken as they’ve lost five straight games.

Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have eight wins in December, tying them with the Edmonton Oilers for the most in this calendar month. MacKinnon sits first in the scoring race with 57 points, holding a five-point lead over Oilers center Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of the Oilers, they got their eighth victory by defeating the Ottawa Senators 3-1, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Draisaitl collected an assist while Viktor Arvidsson, Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique scored for the Oilers. Nick Cousins replied for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark left this game following the first period with an upper-body injury. Head coach Travis Green said Ullmark indicated his back had tightened up. Meanwhile, Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed this game due to illness.

The Florida Panthers got shorthanded goals by A.J. Greer and Eetu Luostarinen within 42 seconds in the second period to double up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart opened the scoring on the power play, tying Hall-of-Famer Dave Andreychuk for the fourth-most special team goals in a calendar year with 31. Nick Paul and Brayden Point scored for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andreychuk is also the all-time leader for most special-team goals in a calendar year with 38, followed by Mario Lemieux (37) and Pat Lafontaine (33). The Panthers have won four straight games while the Lightning’s four-game win streak ended.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 22 shots and collected two assists in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. William Carrier, Jack Roslovic, and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes. Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey scored his club’s only goal as they’ve lost four of their last five.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers played without enforcer Matt Rempe. He received an eight-game suspension from the league’s department of player safety for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

The Washington Capitals (48 points) regained first place in the Eastern Conference standings by downing the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Aliaksei Protas tallied twice and Pierre-Luc Dubois collected two assists against his former team. Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings dropped into third place in the Pacific Division with 43 points.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 win over the Utah Hockey Club. The Ducks overcame a 4-1 deficit to force overtime and the shootout. Robby Fabbri tallied two goals while Cutter Gauthier and Olen Zellweger each had two assists for the Ducks. Utah forward Clayton Keller had two goals and two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A disappointing finish for Utah (38 points) as their four-game win streak ended. However, their points streak extended to eight games (6-0-2) as they sit within one point of the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2024

by | Dec 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2024

Check out the recaps of Saturday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves for his league-leading fourth shutout of the season to blank the Minnesota Wild 5-0. Cole Perfetti had a goal and two assists as the Jets sat atop the overall standings with 49 points. It’s the fourth straight loss for the Wild.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck tied Jonathan Quick and Tim Thomas for the most shutouts in one calendar year by an American NHL goaltender.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. JJ Peterka replied for the Sabres, who are winless in 13 straight games (0-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the Sabres’ hopes of reaching the playoffs. Stick a fork in ’em, they’re done. What a waste.

The New York Islanders upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Bo Horvat led the way with a goal and two assists and Anthony Duclair had an assist in his return to action after missing 28 games with a leg injury. William Nylander scored twice for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed this game as his status remains uncertain after re-aggravating the upper-body injury that sidelined him for nine games in November. Meanwhile, the Leafs sent goaltender Matt Murray back to their AHL affiliate and recalled Dennis Hildeby to back up Joseph Woll.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Connor McDavid collected two assists as the Oilers have won seven of their last eight games. Rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov kicked out 38 shots for the Sharks as they’ve dropped seven of their last eight (1-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl moved into second place in the NHL scoring race with 51 points, four behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 in an entertaining back-and-forth contest. Shane Pinto scored twice and collected an assist for the Senators as they picked up their sixth straight victory, winning eight of their last nine games. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists and Brock Boeser tallied two goals for the Canucks, who’ve dropped three straight (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators (38 points) hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Canucks (39 points) hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Speaking of the Penguins, they were blanked 3-0 by the New Jersey Devils. Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom only had to make 12 saves for the shutout. Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots for the Penguins. The Devils sit first in the Eastern Conference with 47 points, two back of the league-leading Jets.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their seventh win in their last eight games with a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as his club sits in first place in the Pacific Division with 47 points, two behind the league-leading Jets.

Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored in overtime to nip the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Predators winger Filip Forsberg had two assists while captain Roman Josi collected an assist in his return to a lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere scored as the Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to force OT.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Blake Coleman, Matt Coronato and Connor Zary each had a goal and an assist to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4. The win pushed the Flames (39 points) into the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Blackhawks forwards Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi finished the night with three points each.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their third straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 to sweep their home-and-home series. Patrik Laine scored his eighth straight power-play goal while Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson each collected two assists. Joe Veleno tallied the Wings’ only goal as they dropped their third straight game.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett scored in overtime and collected three assists in regulation in a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Travis Konecny had three assists and Morgan Frost tallied two goals for the Flyers to snap their three-game losing skid. Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov collected two assists.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe was offered an in-person hearing by the league’s department of player safety for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

The hearing will take place over Zoom on Sunday. Rempe could face a suspension of six games or more.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL players Sam Gagner, Josh Jooris and Matt Irwin will be part of Canada’s roster for the upcoming Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. Canada has won the tournament a record 16 times but hasn’t taken home the title since 2019.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Christmas holidays are the most wonderful time of the year for international tournaments with the Spengler Cup and the World Junior Championships.

MLIVE.COM: Long-time Detroit sports broadcaster John Keating announced his intention to retire at the end of the Red Wings season. He’s covered the Red Wings and MLB’s Detroit Tigers since 1997.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

by | Oct 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

The Leafs end the Jets’ win streak, the Sharks long losing skid is over, the Lightning honor former captain Steven Stamkos, and Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffers an injury against the Blue Jackets. Get the details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, ending the latter’s season-opening win streak at eight games. John Tavares had a hat trick while William Nylander and Max Pacioretty each picked up three points for the Leafs. Jets winger Kyle Connor had two goals and two assists.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs outshot the Jets 36-23, including 19-6 in the first period. Winnipeg made it interesting as Mark Scheifele and Connor scored third-period goals to cut the Leafs lead to 5-4 before Tavares put it out of reach with an empty-net goal.

The Leafs announced defenseman Jake McCabe agreed to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.51 million. McCabe, 31, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s earning an AAV of $4 million on his current deal.

The cap hit is alright from the Leafs’ point of view. However, the concern is whether McCabe will still be worth that AAV in the latter years of the contract. He’ll be 32 when it goes into effect next season and will soon reach his mid-thirties when a player’s skills usually decline.

The San Jose Sharks snapped a nine-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on an overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg. They overcame a 4-1 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals by Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund and Tyler Toffoli to force the extra frame. Zetterlund finished with two goals and Granlund with three points. Matias Maccelli tallied twice for Utah.

An overtime goal by Nick Paul lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Nashville Predators 3-2. Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel each had two points and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots for the win. Predators forward Steven Stamkos picked up two assists against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was an emotional return to Tampa Bay for Stamkos. The Lightning honored his 16 seasons with the club with a three-minute video tribute as he took to the ice acknowledging the crowd, who greeted him with a lengthy standing ovation.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-1. Sean Monahan scored twice and Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the game after suffering a lower-body injury during the opening shift.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid injured his left foot falling awkwardly into the boards as he was tripped while chasing the puck. He skated off and was on the bench for several minutes before leaving. McDavid returned to Edmonton for treatment and will miss the remaining two games of the Oilers’ current road trip.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returned from a lower-body injury with a two-point performance in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also had two points in this contest for the Panthers. Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed forward Zach Benson (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Chicago Blackhawks ended a four-game losing skid by beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Ryan Donato led the way for the Blackhawks with two goals and an assist. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up a point to extend their season-opening points streaks to 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Ross Colton will miss some time recovering from a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the first period. He played through the second period before leaving this contest.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes took a 3-1 lead before the Canucks battled back to tie it on third-period goals by Quinn Hughes and Pius Suter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen missed this game dealing with an undisclosed injury. It is unrelated to the blood clots that sidelined him for most of last season.

The Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Calgary Flames 5-0. Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy each had three points and Adin Hill made 16 saves for the shutout. Dan Vladar turned aside 33 shots for the Flames, who’ve dropped three straight games after starting the season 5-0-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are mourning the passing of former equipment manager Gus Thorson, who died in Calgary on Saturday at age 65. Thorson was the Flames head equipment manager from 1999 to 2010. My condolences to Thorson’s family, friends and the Flames organization.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros and Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene are the league’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 27.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is preparing for his final game in front of Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Fleury, 39, intends to retire at the end of this season. He spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, helping them win three Stanley Cups. The Wild face the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Penguins, winger Bryan Rust was still be evaluated on Monday for an injured right leg suffered during Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

CBS SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens placed defenseman Kaiden Guhle (upper body) on injured reserve.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues will send forward Mathieu Joseph back to St. Louis to receive treatment for a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers recalled forward Matt Rempe from their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 27, 2024

by | Jul 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 27, 2024

Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine exits the player assistance program, Martin St. Louis talks about Steven Stamkos’ departure from the Lightning and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Patrik Laine was cleared by doctors to return from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

The 26-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets winger entered the program in January for mental health issues. He endured a difficult, injury-plagued season that limited him to six goals and nine points in 18 games.

Laine is still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered during last season. He reportedly requested a trade but interested teams couldn’t speak with him while he was in the program.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine is among the few notable names in this summer’s NHL trade rumors. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s NHL Rumors.

TSN: Martin St. Louis commented on former teammate Steven Stamkos’ departure from the Tampa Bay Lightning, occurring 10 years after St. Louis was traded from the Lightning to the New York Rangers.

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis (NHL Images).

St. Louis acknowledged it’s difficult to leave a team where you’ve played for a long time, but he doesn’t think it’ll be bad for Stamkos to experience something new.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be a different feeling for Stamkos playing with new teammates while he and his family adjust to a new city. However, it could be a positive experience for him. Many stars have made successful transitions to new teams.

THE SCORE: New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider was surprised by Barclay Goodrow’s departure last month. Goodrow was plucked off waivers by the San Jose Sharks, freeing the Rangers from the remaining three years of his contract.

“That’s the awful side of our business, I guess,” said Kreider. “That it is a business…It’s a friend for life, but it’s a guy you expected to be suiting up with again.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers general manager Chris Drury wasn’t afraid to attempt bold moves this summer. He also attempted to trade team captain Jacob Trouba to the Detroit Red Wings but the defenseman used his no-movement clause to block the trade.

NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Rangers, Matt Rempe is training with Kreider as he seeks a larger role with the club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rempe saw fourth-line minutes in an enforcer role during his call-up last season but he did see action in 11 playoff games. He garnered attention earlier this summer by training with former NHL enforcer George Laraque. Training with Kreider, however, suggests he wants to see more playing time as a power forward.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard underwent surgery to repair a broken leg suffered during a summer scrimmage session. The recovery time is four months.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed 2023 first-round pick Brayden Yager to an entry-level contract.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Dallas Stars prospect Emil Hemming will not be returning to Finland, signing with the OHL’s Barrie Colts for 2024-25. The 18-year-old right winger was chosen 29th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.

OTTAWA SUN: Former Senators assistant coach Bob Jones passed away on Friday following a battle with ALS. He was 54. Jones coached in the OHL and AHL before joining the Senators.

TORONTO SUN: Cindy Cherry, daughter of Don Cherry, passed away suddenly on July 15 at age 67. Her father co-hosted Hockey Night in Canada’s “Coach’s Corner” for 33 years following his NHL coaching career. Her brother, Tim, recalled that she saved his life when he was 18 by donating one of her kidneys when both of his failed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the families of Bob Jones and Cindy Cherry.