NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2026

by | May 15, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 15, 2026

The Golden Knights advance to the Western Conference Final, the Canadiens rally to push the Sabres to the brink of elimination, reaction to the Oilers firing Kris Knoblauch, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series. Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals, and Mitch Marner had two points (including a highlight-reel game-opening goal) for the Golden Knights, who took the series in six games. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks.

The Golden Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final starting on Wednesday, May 20, in Denver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights’ experience and defensive play made the difference in this series. Marner played a key role during this series, playing his way into early Conn Smythe Trophy contention with his playoff-leading 18 points. Dorofeyev has come into his own as a postseason sniper with nine goals to lead all scorers thus far.

The Ducks’ season is over, but they exceeded expectations this season by ending their seven-year playoff drought and upsetting the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Their young roster has a bright future and will be better in the coming years.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of their second-round series. Ivan Demidov scored his first career NHL playoff goal, Cole Caufield extended his goal streak to three games, and Juraj Slafkovsky collected three assists as the Canadiens overcame 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 deficits. Jason Zucker, Josh Doan, and Konsta Helenius scored for the Sabres.

The Canadiens hold a 3-2 series lead and can wrap it up in Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That first period was a wild one, with Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes giving up three goals on four shots. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis asked goalie coach Marco Marciano if he felt Dobes should be pulled, but Marciano said no. Dobes settled down, stopping the next 32 shots for the win. Habs defenseman Lane Hutson set up two goals, tying him with Suzuki for the team’s points lead with 12.

Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave up five goals on 23 shots and was replaced by Alex Lyon for the third period. Neither goalie was helped by their teammates’ poor defense, especially in the second period, when Montreal tallied three unanswered goals to take control of the game. Meanwhile, Sabres power forward Alex Tuch has been held scoreless in this series after tallying seven points in six games against the Boston Bruins in the first round.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday. He’d been in the position for three seasons, coaching the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2023-24 and 2024-25. However, the Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of this year’s playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks. He was about to start a three-year contract extension worth $7.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were roasted on social media for their bungled handling of this situation. Everyone knew earlier this week that Knoblauch was a goner after it emerged that they sought permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with their former bench boss, Bruce Cassidy.

David Staples of the Edmonton Journal listed 13 factors behind Knoblauch’s dismissal. In my opinion, he’s paying the price for the mistakes of Oilers management over the last two years.

The question now is who becomes Knobluach’s replacement. It’s believed they’re still zeroed in on Cassidy despite the Golden Knights’ denying them permission to speak with him.

The hiring will be consequential, given superstar Connor McDavid’s two-year contract extension begins on July 1. If the Oilers fail to improve next season, it could lead to the latter’s departure as early as next summer.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks officially named Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents and promoted assistant general manager Ryan Johnson as their general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprises here, as these hirings have been expected for days. While all three are well-respected within the organization and among Canucks fans, they have a big job ahead of them.

The Canucks are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, culminating in the departure of superstar Quinn Hughes in a trade with Minnesota in December. It will take several seasons to build this club back into a playoff contender.

Their first decision could be whether to replace head coach Adam Foote, who’s been in the job for one season.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere revealed 10 players were dealing with significant injuries during their playoff run.

Emile Andrae played with a fractured wrist that requires surgery. Noah Cates fractured his foot but doesn’t need surgery. Christian Dvorak suffered a fractured rib and a separated shoulder. Garnet Hathaway played through a fractured fibula. Travis Konecny had a fractured rib and a nasal fracture. Owen Tippett dealt with internal bleeding and a sports hernia, and Cam York played through a fractured rib.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve singled out the most serious of the injuries suffered by Flyers players. One wonders how much better they might’ve fared against the Carolina Hurricanes if they had been healthier for that second-round series.

NESN: The Boston Bruins announced that assistant general manager Jamie Langenbrunner is departing to pursue other opportunities.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Langenbrunner is rumored to be heading to Vancouver to join the Canucks’ front office.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, they signed winger Lukas Reichel to a one-year, $950,000 contract extension.

TSN: The Chicago Blackhawks signed prospect forward Roman Kantserov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL defenseman Paul Boutilier has passed away at age 63. No cause of death was announced.

Boutilier spent eight seasons in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets from 1981-82 to 1988-89. In 288 regular-season games, he had 27 goals and 83 assists for 110 points, and 10 points in 41 playoff games. Boutilier won the Stanley Cup with the Islanders in 1982-83.

Following his playing career, Boutilier served as an assistant coach and head coach for Saint Mary’s University in Halifax from 1991 to 1997. He was an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs from 2015 to 2017, helping them win the league championship in 2016-17. In 2024, he joined the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats as a defensive consultant, helping them win the league championship in 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Boutilier’s family, friends, and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 12, 2026

by | May 12, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 12, 2026

The Avalanche take a commanding series lead over the Wild, Shane Doan parts ways with the Maple Leafs, the Sedins to move up in the Canucks’ front office, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche have taken a 3-1 lead in their second-round series with the Minnesota Wild following a 5-2 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. Parker Kelly broke a 2-2 tie, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start in this postseason, and Nazem Kadri scored to extend his points streak to five games.

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

Danila Yurov and Nico Sturm scored while Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 of 32 shots for the Wild.

The Avalanche can wrap up this series in Game 5 on Wednesday in Colorado.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was an ugly moment during the first period when Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson butt-ended Wild forward Michael McCarron in the left side of his face as the two scuffled on the ice. Manson received a double-minor, resulting in Yurov’s game-opening goal.

McCarron was still furious about the incident during his between-period interview with ESPN’s P.K. Subban, calling Manson a dirty player. After the game, Manson claimed he wasn’t trying to butt-end McCarron but was attempting to punch him.

Manson had returned to action after missing several games with an upper-body injury. He and forward Joel Kiviranta’s return couldn’t have come at a better time for the Avalanche, as forward Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski missed this game with upper-body injuries.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Shane Doan and the Toronto Maple Leafs have mutually agreed to part company. Doan joined the Maple Leafs in 2023 as a special advisor to the general manager. With John Chayka taking over that role, Doan’s contract will not be renewed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doan and Chayka have an unpleasant history from their days when the former was captain of the Arizona Coyotes and the latter was the club’s GM. In 2017, Chayka told Doan that the Coyotes no longer required his services, giving the club’s long-time star no proper send-off or ceremony to honor his tenure.

Doan has been connected to the Vancouver Canucks as they reshape their front office. He could also land with the Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, franchise icons Daniel and Henrik Sedin have reportedly accepted larger roles within the club’s hockey operations department. They’ve spent the past five seasons with the Canucks in a player development role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen what the Sedins’ new roles will be, but it won’t be as general managers. The Canucks are reportedly narrowing down their list of prospective candidates for that job.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard may have suffered a concussion during Game 1 of the first-round series with the Anaheim Ducks. Bouchard finished that game and played in the remainder of that series, which the Ducks won in six games.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York Islanders rookie star Matthew Schaefer is teaming up with Northwell Health to create a child support center in honor of his mother, Jennifer, who passed away from breast cancer in 2024.

TSN: Buffalo Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj were fined by the league for their actions in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Sunday.

Malenstyn was fined over $3,500 for goaltender interference when he deliberately ran Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes. Xhekaj was fined over $3,300 for roughing Sabres forward Sam Carrick when he sucker-punched the latter in the dying seconds of the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ll see if those fines serve as a warning to both teams to dial back the chippy play and after-the-whistle antics that were prevalent in Game 3.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Despite two ugly losses in Games 2 and 3, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff remains confident in his group as they attempt to reset for Game 4 in Montreal on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens dominated the Sabres in those two contests. Another lopsided loss in Game 4 could be demoralizing for the Sabres while giving the Habs a commanding lead in the series.

TVA SPORTS: The Canadiens have recalled forwards Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj and defensemen David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom after their AHL affiliate in Laval was eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs. The foursome will skate with the Canadiens in practice and will be available as reserve players.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights’ head coach John Tortorella hopes Tomas Hertl’s late goal in Game 4 of their series against the Anaheim Ducks helps the veteran forward regain his scoring touch. It was his first goal since March 4.

TSN: The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Mark Jankowski to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.85 million.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils general manager Sunny Mehta hired Braden Birch as his new assistant general manager. Birch is the former Florida Panthers director of hockey operations and salary cap management.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 25, 2021

by | Aug 25, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 25, 2021

More legal trouble for Evander Kane, Kevin Hayes pays tribute to his late brother Jimmy, more Canadian teams require proof of vaccination to attend games, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane faces more legal troubles. Daniel Kaplan reports a federal bankruptcy judge has approved for discovery in a lawsuit filed against Kane alleging he reneged on a promise to pay at least $2 million for an abortion.

San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaplan also pointed out Kane filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, endured a very public, messy, ongoing divorce from his wife and learned several of his teammates want him traded. He’s also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the league regarding allegations made by his estranged wife that he bet on NHL games.

SPORTSNET: Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes made a heartfelt tribute on Instagram to his brother Jimmy, who died suddenly on Monday. He said he lost his best friend, crediting his older brother with paving the way for his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Hayes family. Tributes poured in following Jimmy’s passing from around the hockey world.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are the latest teams to require fans to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend their games this season. The Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs announced similar rules earlier this month. The Edmonton Oilers are expected to follow suit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ottawa Senators are also expected to implement similar rules and I daresay the Montreal Canadiens will do the same.

THE PROVINCE: Daniel Sedin is enjoying the active role he and brother Henrik have taken in management decisions this offseason with the Vancouver Canucks. The twins were hired as senior advisors to general manager Jim Benning earlier this year. 

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens announced France Margaret Belanger has been named president (sports and entertainment) of Groupe CH. She becomes the first woman to serve on the Canadiens executive committee in its 104-year history. She also serves, alongside team owner Geoff Molson, as an alternate governor for the team.

MLIVE.COM: Former Detroit Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula is returning to Europe after 16 NHL seasons. He signed a one-year contract with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss Hockey League.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers announced Gord Murphy and Mike Kelly will serve as assistant coaches under head coach Gerard Gallant. Murphy is being promoted from the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack. Steve Smith joins the Wolfpack as an assistant.

WINDSOR SPITFIRES: Announced former NHL player Marc Savard as their new head coach.