NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 9, 2025

by | Sep 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 9, 2025

The latest on Canucks forwards Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE PROVINCE: After a solid offseason of training, a healthy Elias Pettersson has returned to Vancouver eager to reunite with his Canucks teammates and keen to start the upcoming season.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

The 26-year-old center is coming off the worst season of his NHL career, managing 45 points in 64 games in a tumultuous, injury-shortened 2024-25 campaign. He said he and his teammates have put last season’s woes behind them and are focusing on bouncing back in 2025-26.

Winger Brock Boeser is among the Canucks hoping to rebound from a disappointing performance. The 28-year-old has contract stability after signing a long-term deal in July, and is happy that he won’t have to face trade rumors that dogged him last season.

Boeser seems likely to skate alongside Pettersson on the Canucks’ top line this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks need Pettersson and Boeser to regain their high-scoring ways if they hope to contend for a playoff berth this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis said the offseason rehab for his shoulder injury went well, leaving him confident for the coming season. “I can rip out some pushups right now if you want,” he told reporters.

The 23-year-old decided not to undergo surgery on his right shoulder for the second straight year, saying it wasn’t an injury that inhibited his play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarvis’ versatile play has moved him up the Hurricanes’ depth chart. A healthy, productive performance this season will be crucial to their Stanley Cup hopes.

SPORTSNET: Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf was passed over for selection to Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp. The 23-year-old Calder Trophy finalist is using the snub as motivation for the upcoming season.

“You want to prove people wrong,” Wolf said. “Myself, our group, are continuing to prove people wrong on a daily basis in Calgary. That’s just another side of it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Team USA has considerable goaltending depth with Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, Boston’s Jeremy Swayman, and Seattle’s Joey Daccord. However, a strong performance by Wolf in the first half of this season could earn him a nod if Swayman or Daccord struggle.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers announced they have hired former player Blake Wheeler as hockey operations advisor and Ryane Clowe as assistant general manager.

Wheeler, 38, retired in July after 16 NHL seasons, spending his final season (2023-24) with the Rangers. Clowe recently resigned as assistant GM of the San Jose Sharks.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Nashville Predators signed forward Dylan Gambrell to a professional tryout offer. Gambrell, 29, spent last season on a one-year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, spending the season with their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: The Utah Grizzlies will relocate to Trenton, New Jersey, after this season. They are the Colorado Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 24, 2025

by | Aug 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 24, 2025

The top remaining unrestricted free agents, plus the latest on Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Forward Jack Roslovic, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, and winger Max Pacioretty are among the notable players still available in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market.

Goaltenders James Reimer, Ilya Samsonov, and Alexandar Georgiev, and center Evgeny Kuznetsov are among the other noteworthy UFAs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Roslovic was linked to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this summer, but recent reports indicate he’s no longer on their radar. It’s also rumored that the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in signing him once they free up sufficient cap space.

The Leafs have reportedly left the door open for Pacioretty’s return, but that could depend on whether they land Roslovic.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports a source claims Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was excluded from Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp partly because he skipped playing in the 2025 World Championships. However, the 21-year-old Calder Trophy winner could still make their Olympic roster if he has a strong start to this season.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s rumored that Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was passed over for Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off team for the same reason.

The main reason why Hutson didn’t get an invite is likely the depth of the USA’s defense. Zach Werenski, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Sanderson were on their 4 Nations team. Quinn Hughes was also part of that roster, but was sidelined by an injury.

All seven have more NHL experience and international experience involving pro talent. That matters more. If healthy, all of them will likely be part of their Olympic roster.

THE ATHLETIC: Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson is open to contract extension talks with management. The two sides have yet to begin those discussions, but that could change once the calendar flips to September and training camp draws near.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gustavsson is entering the final season of his three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.75 million. The Athletic’s Michael Russo noted that promising netminder Jesper Wallstedt’s future is murky following a disappointing 2024-25 performance. He speculated that might prompt Wild management to get a jump on re-signing the 27-year-old Gustavsson.

TSN: Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong recently indicated there will be an open competition to fill the goaltending positions for their Olympic squad.

Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens were the only goalies invited to Canada’s orientation camp. The trio served as Canada’s netminders in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.

Other potential goalie options include Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings, and Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington appears to be a lock for the starter’s role after backstopping Canada to gold in the 4 Nations tournament. However, strong early-season performances by Thompson, Kuemper, or Skinner could earn them a place on Canada’s Olympic team if Hill or Montembeault struggle.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: With the Red Wings finally retiring Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91, Bob Duff looked at other Wings greats who could receive a similar honor by the club.

Hall-of-Famer Pavel Datsyuk (No. 13) tops the list. He won two Stanley Cups (2002, 2008) with the Red Wings, along with multiple Selke and Lady Byng trophies.

Henrik Zetterberg (No. 40) could be another. He had 960 points in 1,082 games with the Wings and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008, leading them to their last Stanley Cup.

Chris Osgood (No. 30) was a three-time Cup champion with the Wings. The underappreciated goaltender was twice their go-to starter for two Cup runs. He’s 13th all-time in regular-season wins with 401, ninth in playoff wins (74), and tied for fifth in postseason shutouts with 15.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Datsyuk is the favorite among those three, given his Hall-of-Fame credentials. He was the top defensive forward in the league from 2007-08 to 2009-10 and one of the dazzling puckhandlers in NHL history.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2025

by | Aug 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2025

The 2025 preseason schedule was released, the Red Wings will retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91, USA Hockey lists the 44 players invited to their 2026 Winter Olympics orientation camp, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The league announced its 2026-26 preseason schedule. The 15-day, 104-game slate begins on Saturday, Sept. 20, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link above for the complete preseason schedule.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings will retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 as part of their centennial season celebrations. The ceremony will take place on Jan. 12, 2026, before Detroit’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Little Caesars Arena.

Hall-of-Famer Sergei Fedorov. (NHL.com).

Red Wings governor and CEO Chris Ilitch released a statement on Tuesday announcing the club’s plan to honor Fedorov, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. “His exceptional skill, relentless drive, and last impact, playing a pivotal role in bringing three Stanley Cup championships to Detroit, make him the perfect embodiment of the qualities deserving of our franchise’s most prestigious honor.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fedorov was among the greatest players in Red Wings history, spending 13 of his 18 NHL seasons in Detroit from 1990-91 to 2002-03. He won the Selke Trophy twice and is the last Red Wing to win the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.

Fedorov sits fourth among the Red Wings’ franchise leaders with 400 goals. He’s also sixth with 954 points and seventh with 554 assists.

Interestingly, the Wings chose a home game against Carolina to honor Fedorov. As a restricted free agent in 1997, he staged a contract holdout before signing with the Hurricanes in 1998, a deal that the Wings were forced to match. This changed the relationship between the gifted two-way forward and Wings management, ultimately leading to his departure as an unrestricted free agent in 2003.

USA HOCKEY: Unveiled the 44 players who will attend their 2026 Winter Olympics orientation camp.

The notable stars include goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman, defensemen Quinn and Luke Hughes, Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, Brock Faber, Adam Fox and Jake Sanderson, and forwards Auston Matthews, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Patrick Kane, J.T. Miller, Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the complete list. Like Canada’s orientation camp, most of the USA players who participated in February’s 4 Nations Face Off are part of this camp and will likely be part of their Olympic roster.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: The Blues have signed forward Milan Lucic to a professional tryout offer (PTO).

Lucic, 37, has not played in the NHL since Oct. 2023 with the Boston Bruins. He played only four games that season until he was sidelined by an ankle injury and placed on indefinite leave following a charge of assault and battery against a family member. The charge was dropped when his wife declined to testify against him.

A rugged power forward with the Bruins earlier in his career, Lucic was seeing fourth-line minutes during his last full season in 2022-23 with the Calgary Flames. He hasn’t had more than 23 points in a season since 2017-18.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford pointed out that Lucic will be jockeying for a roster spot with Mathieu Joseph (28 years old) and Alexandre Texier (25), who are considerably younger and faster. If he plays well enough but fails to earn a roster spot with the Blues, he could draw the interest of another NHL team.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: cited PuckPedia indicating the Avalanche could sign unrestricted free agent forward Victor Olofsson to a one-year contract. The deal has not been officially announced.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Olofsson scored 20-or-more goals three times in six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres from 2018-19 to 2023-24. He had 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets have signed Brendan Smith to a PTO contract. A 14-season NHL veteran, the 36-year-old defenseman played a depth role with the Dallas Stars last season, collecting six points in 32 games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2025

by | Feb 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2025

Team USA defeats Canada, Finland upsets Sweden in 4 Nations Face-Off action. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TEAM USA DEFEATS CANADA, SECURES SPOT IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

NHL.COM: The United States got two goals by Jake Guentzel while Dylan Larkin tallied the game-winner to defeat Canada 3-1 before a sellout crowd of 21, 015 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Team USA winger Jake Guentzel (NHL.com).

Guentzel was named Player of the Game while teammate Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the Americans. They have six points in the tournament, earning a spot in the Championship Game on Feb. 20 in Boston.

Connor McDavid opened the scoring in the first period for Canada, who outshot the Americans 26-23. This was the first game the Canadians have lost to the United States in a tournament featuring NHL players since the round-robin of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

TSN: The game got off to a raucous start with the Bell Centre crowd booing the American anthem, followed by three fights within the first 10 seconds of the game. The first tilt featured USA forward Matthew Tkachuk and Canadian winger Brandon Hagel, followed by Brady Tkachuk tangling with Sam Bennett, and American forward J.T. Miller scrapping with Canadian defenseman Colton Parayko.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Tkachuk brothers later said they and Miller engaged in those fights to “send a message” to the Canadians. It was something they planned during a group chat before the game.

NHL.COM: Matthew Tkachuk suffered a lower-body injury that forced him to sit out the final 12:36 of the third period. He later downplayed the injury but Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said Tkachuk was still being evaluated by team doctors, leaving his status uncertain for Monday’s game against Sweden.

SPORTSNET: Canadian defenseman Cale Makar missed this game due to illness. He was replaced by Dallas Stars blueliner Thomas Harley.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a well-deserved victory for the Americans. Matthew Tkachuk said postgame that he and his teammates wanted to send the message to the Canadians that “it’s our time right now.” It was received loud and clear.

McDavid’s goal aside, Team USA did a masterful job shutting down Canada’s vaunted offense with their physical defensive play. They took away the middle of the ice and the shooting lanes and cleared traffic in front of Hellebuyck, who was superb between the pipes.

Following the game, McDavid said he and his Canadian teammates are determined for a rematch with the United States. That will depend on the outcome of Monday’s game against the Finns.

Makar could return to action for that game. Canada missed his offensive presence and puck-moving skills against the Americans.

The biggest question for Canada will be whether Binnington, Adin Hill, or Sam Montembault gets the start against the Finns. Binnington looked shaky at times during Canada’s win over Sweden. He didn’t play badly against Team USA but Guentzel’s game-tying goal was a softie that even he knew he should’ve stopped.

The tournament shifts to Boston with Canada facing Finland and the USA taking on Sweden on Monday, Feb. 17. The championship game will be held on Thursday, Feb. 20.

If Canada or Finland wins in regulation on Monday, they’ll face the Americans on Thursday. If either team wins in overtime or a shootout, Sweden can advance to the final with a regulation win over the Americans.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Mikael Granlund lifted Finland to a 4-3 victory over Sweden during their afternoon game.

Anton Lundell, Mikko Rantanen and Aleksandar Barkov scored in regulation, Patrik Laine collected two assists and Kevin Lankinen turned aside 21 shots for Finland. Mika Zibanejad, Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson replied for Sweden. Filip Gustavsson left the Swedish net after the first period due to an illness, with Linus Ullmark stopping 15 of 17 shots the rest of the way.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canada-USA game overshadowed an entertaining back-and-forth contest between these long-time Nordic rivals.

The Swedes know their chances of reaching the championship game aren’t good. Karlsson praised the Finns’ game while lamenting his team’s inability to reach the standards they’d set for themselves.

Before the game, Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman spoke about the sporting rivalry between the two countries. “I think if you ask them, they say they’re the big brother. If you ask us, we’re the big brother.” Following the game, Laine replied, We’re the big brother now.”

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: Hall-of-Fame winger Pavel Bure criticized the Vancouver Canucks’ handling of J.T. Miller during a discussion of his former club’s recent struggles. “If you’ve got a talented player who doesn’t fit into the team, that’s a failure of management,” said Bure. “If it gets to the point where you have to trade him, something has already gone wrong.”

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, season tickets will be rising by 11 percent for next season. Seats in the upper bowl of Rogers Arena will cost $6,900.00 CDN. The team said the increase covers ongoing renovations to the arena and their intention to keep pace with the rising salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The article notes the rising cap has little to do with the price increase and more to do with ownership’s belief they’re selling a luxury good, “a thing that their season ticket members value as a symbol, not as much as an experience.”

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher is close to returning from a knee injury suffered during preseason. The promising blueliner could start playing with their AHL affiliate in Laval by the end of February.