NHL Rumor Mill Update – March 5, 2026

by | Mar 5, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill Update – March 5, 2026

With the March 6 trade deadline fast approaching, check out the latest on Robert Thomas, Colton Parayko, Vincent Trocheck, Steven Stamkos, and more in this NHL Rumor Mill Update.

THE LATEST BLUES RUMORS AND NEWS

THE ATHLETIC: The trade that would’ve sent Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues to the Buffalo Sabres is dead after the 29-year-old defenseman refused to waive his no-trade clause, as is his right.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be interesting to see what other moves Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has in store after this one fell through. He’s signalled that he’s willing to be a major buyer in this year’s trade market.

Parayko has full no-trade protection until 2028-29, when it becomes a 15-team no-trade list.

ESPN: Kevin Weekes reports Parayko wants to remain in the Western Conference. He said the blueliner is open to being traded to the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are busy in the trade market looking for a scoring winger, and they need more help on defense. Meanwhile, the Ducks are my dark horse approaching this trade deadline, and they reportedly could use some shutdown depth on their blueline.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the Sabres aren’t the only potential trade destination for Robert Thomas. The Utah Mammoth has plenty of interest.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Mammoth are the best match for Thomas. The Detroit Red Wings are also interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are also believed to be still entertaining trade offers for defenseman Justin Faulk and winger Jordan Kyrou.

RANGERS ASKING PRICE FOR TROCHECK STILL TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SOME TEAMS

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the New York Rangers’ asking price for Vincent Trocheck remains a little too expensive for some clubs. The Minnesota Wild were considered the favorites to land the 32-year-old center, but they’ve reportedly stepped back a bit from negotiations.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Johnston noted there are other centers in the trade market drawing interest from clubs linked to Trocheck. They include Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues and Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames.

SPORTSNET: Elliote Friedman believes the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes have had conversations with the Rangers about Trocheck.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sounds like those teams are hoping the Rangers will reduce their asking price before tomorrow’s deadline. However, the Blueshirts aren’t facing real pressure to move Trocheck, who has three more years left on his contract. If they don’t find what they want by Friday, they can revisit the market in June, when better offers might be found.

TEAMS STILL CHECKING ON STEVEN STAMKOS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports there are three or four teams in the Eastern Conference that have reached out to the Nashville Predators about Steven Stamkos. LeBrun doesn’t think there’s a firm offer on the table for him.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman claims things are quiet around Stamkos right now. He also thinks the Predators are trying to move winger Jonathan Marchessault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Last week, Stamkos denied a report by LeBrun claiming his camp had made up a short preparatory list of destinations if management approached him about a trade. He said there was “zero chance” he was waiving his no-movement clause.

TEAMS ASKING ABOUT MATTHEW KNIES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports hearing some trade rumors about Matthew Knies. He believes that’s the Toronto Maple Leafs trying to see if there’s a massive offer they can’t refuse. Friedman believes that’s the only way it’ll happen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Knies isn’t going anywhere.

Friedman also believes the Maple Leafs might settle for two second-round picks for Bobby McMann if they can’t get a first-rounder.

LATEST FLAMES SPECULATION

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud is drawing “heavy interest” as the trade deadline approaches. Fifteen teams are reportedly circling, but the Flames would have to be blown away by an offer to move him, as he’s key in helping their young blueliners.

Dreger also indicated that there is “tons of interest” in winger Blake Coleman. However, the Flames haven’t received any offers that they consider good enough.

SPORTSNET Elliotte Friedman reports the Colorado Avalanche spoke to the Flames about Nazem Kadri before acquiring Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier today. It never got over the finish line. Meanwhile, Kadri continues to stick to his 13-team no-trade list.

DEVILS DANGLING MOST OF THEIR DEFENSEMEN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New Jersey Devils have made all of their defensemen other than Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce available. Simon Nemec recently changed agents, which is one reason why he’s come up in trade rumors.

KRAKEN INTERESTED IN MACKIE SAMOSKEVICH

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Seattle Kraken are interested in Mackie Samoskevich, but the Florida Panthers would set a high price. He also indicated that the Kraken continue to discuss moving Shane Wright for an elite scorer or a young talent that needs a change, but he wouldn’t be involved in a deal for Samoskevich.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2025

by | Dec 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2025

Recapping Saturday’s games, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler turned in a 31-save performance for his first NHL shutout to blank the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0. Josh Anderson scored two goals, Lane Hutson collected his 100th regular-season point, and rookie center Owen Beck tallied his first NHL goal as the Canadiens improved to 19-12-4. The Penguins are winless in their last eight games (0-4-4) and dropped to 14-11-9.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson returned to action after missing two games with an injury. Jayden Struble was a healthy scratch to make way for Matheson. The Canadiens placed defenseman Kaiden Guhle and center Kirby Dach on long-term injury reserve to free up salary-cap space for recently acquired center Phillip Danault, who will join the team for Tuesday’s game in Boston against the Bruins. Canadiens center Jake Evans won’t be traveling with the team on their road trip after leaving Saturday’s game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The New York Rangers overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on shootout goals by Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Panarin tallied twice in regulation, and Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist for the 18-15-4 Rangers. Rookie Denver Barkey collected two assists for their first two NHL points for the Flyers (17-10-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Rangers as team captain J.T. Miller left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury following a hit from Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler. Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar and center Christian Dvorak missed this contest with injuries and are listed as day-to-day.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel scored two third-period goals as his club overcame 3-0 and 4-3 deficits to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Ryan McDonagh had a goal and an assist as the Lightning (19-13-3) snapped a three-game losing skid. Hurricanes rookie Bradly Nadeau scored his second career NHL goal for the Hurricanes (22-10-3), who blew a three-goal lead for the second straight game. They remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nadeau was called up as Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least a week. Meanwhile, Lightning winger Brandon Hagel (upper body) was placed on IR.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2. Moritz Seider had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 20-13-3 (43 points). Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary replied for the Capitals (19-12-4), who’ve lost four of their last five contests.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle scored a shorthanded goal and picked up two assists in a 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Brady Tkachuk and David Perron each scored twice as the Senators have won three straight and improved to 17-13-4. Ilya Mikheyev tallied two goals for the Blackhawks (13-16-6), who dropped their fourth straight game and slipped into last place in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The news got worse for the Blackhawks as center Frank Nazar left the game in the first period after taking a puck to the face. After the game, head coach Jeff Blashill said Nazar will be sidelined for four weeks, joining superstar Connor Bedard on the sidelines.

Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with an oblique muscle injury. However, they lost blueliner Tyler Kleven day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy scored twice as the Minnesota Wild won their seventh straight game by downing the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 5-2. Mats Zuccarello and Vladimir Tarasenko each had two points for the surging Wild (22-9-5). Leon Draisaitl had two assists for the Oilers (17-13-6).

A shootout goal by Josh Norris lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to six games as the Sabres collected their fifth straight victory and improved to 16-14-4. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (19-13-4), who’ve dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Sabres announced they’ve parted company with assistant general manager Jason Karmanos. They also recalled forward Isak Rosen from their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas scored twice and set up another goal in a 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s win streak at four games. Jake Neighbours tallied two goals, and Jonatan Berggren had a goal and two assists for the Blues (14-15-8). A.J. Greer and Sam Reinhart replied for the 19-14-2 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Vancouver Canucks got a shootout goal from Liam Ohgren to upset the Boston Bruins 5-4. Linus Karlsson led the way for the Canucks with two goals and an assist as they picked up their fourth straight win and improved to 15-17-3. Morgan Geekie scored his 25th goal of the season and picked up an assist for the 20-15-1 Bruins.

Nashville Predators winger Luke Evangelista snapped a 3-3 tie as his club defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3, handing the latter their fourth loss in their last five games. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist for the 14-16-4 Predators. Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson each picked up two points for the Maple Leafs, who dropped to 15-14-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was a healthy scratch for this game. He’s mired in a 22-game goal drought and has a team-worst plus/minus of minus-13.

The Calgary Flames upset the Vegas Golden Knights 6-3. Mikael Backlund scored twice and had an assist while MacKenzie Weegar and Connor Zary each collected three assists for the 15-17-4 Flames. Mark Stone had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (16-7-10).

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov scored the tie-breaking goal with 3:29 remaining in the third period to lift his club to a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with a record of 21-13-2. Zach Werenski had two points, and Mason Marchment scored in his first game with the Blue Jackets, who dropped to 14-15-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski left the game with a leg injury late in the game. There was no postgame update on his status. Earlier in the day, the NHL’s department of player safety fined Ducks forward Frank Vatrano $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Dallas Stars on Friday.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord stopped 35 shots as his club doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Chandler Stephenson scored to extend his goal streak to four games and his points streak to eight as the Kraken (13-14-6) snapped a four-game losing skid. Adam Gaudette and Collin Graf scored for the Sharks (17-16-3) as they’ve dropped two straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren missed this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 11, 2025

by | Jul 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 11, 2025

The Stars trade Matt Dumba to the Penguins, the Avalanche re-sign Josh Manson, Ilya Sorokin’s agent reacts to recent trade rumors, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins acquired defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a salary dump by the Stars, who were sitting over the salary cap before this deal took place. It clears Dumba’s $3.75 million cap hit from their books, giving the Stars $1.955 million in cap space with 21 active roster players under contract for this season, with no notable players to re-sign.

The Dallas Stars trade Matt Dumba to the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL Images).

The Athletic’s Josh Yohe considers this move more about the second-round pick for the rebuilding Penguins, continuing management’s theme of taking on bad contracts in the short term to add solid future assets.

Dumba’s performance has declined in recent years, but he won’t make the Penguins’ defense corps any worse than it already is. He’s also in the final season of his two-year contract, and he could be dealt at the March trade deadline for another draft pick if he has a decent performance this season.

Yohe also suggests Dumba can provide depth on the right side of the Penguins’ blueline if they trade Erik Karlsson.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed defenseman Josh Manson to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.95 million beginning in 2026-27. It’s a slight discount from his current AAV of $4.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Manson, 33, has been plagued by injuries in recent years. When healthy, however, he provides the Avalanche with a physical, right-shot presence on their blueline. It would cost them much more to replace him had he gone to market next summer.

TSN: Player agent Dan Milstein, who represents Ilya Sorokin, took to social media on Thursday to swat down recent trade rumors swirling around the 29-year-old New York Islanders goaltender.

Milstein reminded everyone that his client has a full no-trade clause, claiming Sorokin “has never been part of any trade discussions – not at any point.” He went on to scold those who originated the rumors. “There’s a difference between reporting facts and creating buzz about yourself.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before Milstein’s comments appeared, NYI Hockey Now’s Russ Macias dismissed the Sorokin speculation, citing his no-movement clause and why the Islanders have no reason to move him.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers signed restricted free-agent forward Mackie Samoskevich to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal generated some buzz yesterday as some readers questioned why Samoskevich accepted less money than the AAV of his entry-level contract ($925,000).

The Panthers were already over the salary cap before re-signing Samoskevich, who had little leverage coming off his entry-level contract. Given their cap situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if management convinced the 22-year-old forward to accept this reduction with the promise of a more lucrative deal next summer, when the Panthers have over $23 million in cap space.

This signing leaves the Panthers sitting above the cap by $3.725 million. They’re allowed to exceed the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but must be cap compliant when they begin the regular season.

It’s been rumored that Matthew Tkachuk could miss the start of the season if he undergoes surgery this summer to repair a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia. In that case, the Panthers would place him on long-term injury reserve, enabling them to remain above the cap when the season begins. However, they’ll have to shed salary or find another way to become cap-compliant if he returns to action during the regular season.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW/TORONTO SUN: The Sharks traded defenseman Henry Thrun to the Toronto Maple Leafs for winger Ryan Reaves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks cleared a logjam on defense following their recent acquisitions of Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy. Reaves hasn’t fit within the Leafs’ roster for the past couple of years.

Thrun, 24, will be a decent depth addition to the Leafs’ blueline. Reaves could provide the Sharks with some muscle to ensure rival clubs don’t take liberties against their promising youngsters like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

SPORTSNET: The new NHL-NHLPA collective bargaining agreement (CBA) contains a provision that will allow NHL teams to place one CHL player in the AHL per season. This would enable teams to transition a promising young prospect into professional hockey sooner. Players who are 18 years old would be ineligible for the new rule, which begins in 2026-27.

DAILY FACEOFF: London Knights head coach Dale Hunter has been selected by Hockey Canada to coach its 2026 World Junior team. His brother, Mark Hunter, will be part of the management group.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston weighs in on Sportsnet’s recent announcement that it is hiking its fees for its subscription-only service from $75.00 (Canadian) to $324.99.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t use Sportsnet’s subscription-only service, but if I did, this significant rate increase would probably have me considering other options. Johnston believes fans aren’t currently getting their money’s worth, citing on-air quality and the degrading of the Hockey Night in Canada brand.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 20, 2025

by | Mar 20, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 20, 2025

The latest on the Penguins and some potential offer sheet targets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST PENGUINS SPECULATION

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski is on record suggesting the possibility of Penguins general manager (and former Toronto Maple Leafs GM) Kyle Dubas pursuing Mitch Marner if the latter goes to free agency this summer.

He believes it depends on how far and fast Dubas thinks his team hits rock bottom and bounces back. If the Penguins GM flips some draft picks for younger players and feels good about the direction, pursuing Marner could be on the table.

However, Kingerski doubted that Dubas could sell his picks as quickly or easily as he might hope. The rising salary cap means more teams will have cap space, making it difficult to weaponize the Penguins’ cap room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anything can happen, but Marner to the Penguins seems like a long shot. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe recently cited team sources claiming Dubas intends to wait until the 2026 offseason to take a swing at landing a big-ticket player.

Kingerski thinks Dubas could use his cap space and depth in draft picks to pursue a restricted free agent with an offer sheet. He considers Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka a prime target.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres have almost as much projected cap space for next season ($24.1 million) as the Penguins ($26.3), with Peterka and Bowen Byram as their notable RFAs. Nevertheless, they’re in a good position to match any offer sheet for Peterka unless it’s ridiculously expensive (over $10 million annually). Dubas will have to target clubs with much less cap room to make an offer sheet worthwhile.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Jason Mackey believes the Penguins should attempt to trade Erik Karlsson and Tristan Jarry this summer to free up as much salary-cap space as possible and recalibrate.

Mackey doesn’t see them trading Kris Letang if next season is the last one for center Evgeni Malkin. Karlsson, however, is a different story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Letang and Malkin have spent their entire NHL careers with the Penguins and want to finish their careers in Pittsburgh. Some observers aren’t sure Letang wouldn’t accept a trade, but that’s unlikely to happen with Malkin heading into his final season. And with Sidney Crosby signed for two more seasons, Letang could ride things out until his captain hangs up his skates.

Karlsson hasn’t worked out as the Penguins hoped when they acquired him two years ago. However, his puck-moving abilities and solid performance for Sweden during last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament saw him emerge in the rumor mill leading up to the recent trade deadline. Dubas could find a trade partner for the 34-year-old defenseman this summer if the Penguins are willing to retain some of his salary.

POTENTIAL OFFER SHEET TARGETS

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston was asked which players he felt were viable offer-sheet targets this summer.

Johnston believes mid-tier or emerging players to be the most vulnerable because contending teams are most worried about not overpaying those types of players. He cited the St. Louis Blues signing away Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers last summer as examples.

Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque could be a target. The Stars have already made some significant investments for next season.

Florida Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich could be another. Johnston’s colleague Peter Baugh suggested Will Cuylle and K’Andre Miller of the New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas has $5.33 million in cap space with Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund eligible for unrestricted free-agent status. Florida has $19 million in cap space but must re-sign or replace pending UFAs Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad. That could make Bourque or Samoskevich prime options for offer sheets.

The Rangers have $10.6 million available with Cuylle and Miller as their notable free agents. However, management is expected to attempt to shake up its roster via trades and free agency, which could make one or both players potential free-agent targets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2024

by | Jan 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2024

The Jets take over first place in the overall standings, Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard suffers an injury and Andrei Svechnikov ties a Hurricanes record. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets took over first place in the overall standings with 54 points as they downed the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Laurent Brossoit stopped 37 shots while third-period goals by Nate Schmidt and Cole Perfetti powered the 25-9-4 Jets to their fifth straight win, extending their points streak to 11 games. Mason McTavish scored for the Ducks (13-24-1), who’ve won just three of their last 10 games.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images).

Third-period goals by Simon Nemec, Michael McLeod and Tyler Toffoli lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nemec and Alexander Holtz each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (21-14-2) as they vaulted into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 44 points. Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard left the game in the first period following a clean hit by Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. The ‘Hawks dropped to 11-26-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard jumped up immediately following the hit and skated off holding his mouth. Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno also left this game with an injury. There was no postgame update as both players will be re-evaluated in Chicago on Saturday.

Bedard was recently named as his club’s representative for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. His fans will be hoping that his condition isn’t serious.

The Blackhawks have been decimated by injuries this season. Taylor Hall, Seth Jones, Anthony Beauvillier, Tyler Johnson and Andreas Athanasiou are among the notables currently sidelined, with Hall out of the season.

The Carolina Hurricanes tallied five unanswered third-period goals to thump the Washington Capitals 6-2. Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and two assists to tie the Hurricanes’ record with his sixth straight multi-point game. Brent Burns had two goals and an assist and Sebastian Aho collected three assists for the surging Hurricanes (22-13-4) as they’ve won five straight and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 48 points. Nic Dowd and Dylan Strome scored for the 18-13-6 Capitals (42 points) as they blew a 2-0 lead and dropped two points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

HEADLINES

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is listed as week-to-week with an apparent leg injury following an accidental collision with Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood during Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Head coach Pete DeBoer said Heiskanen would undergo further testing on Friday but the injury “doesn’t look terrible.” The blueliner isn’t out for the season and won’t require surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Heiskanen is the Stars’ top defenseman. Losing him for a significant period would be a big setback for their blueline.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello has come off the injured reserve list. He’d been sidelined since Dec. 16 with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zuccarello’s return might help the Wild snap out of their four-game losing skid that has sent them tumbling five points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes are close to announcing the location they will focus on for their new arena.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Coyotes, they placed forward Zach Sanford on waivers.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers called up forward Mackie Samoskevich and placed forward Nick Cousins (concussion) on injured reserve.

IIHF: Team USA defeated Sweden 6-2 to capture gold at the 2024 World Junior Championship. It’s the sixth WJC gold in the country’s history with their first coming in 2006 and the previous one in 2021.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki was named the most valuable player of the 2024 WJC. The 19-year-old winger had seven goals and 10 points in seven games to lead Sweden to a silver medal. Lekkerimaki was chosen by the Canucks in the first round (15th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft.