Following the Red Wings’ 3-1 win over the Canucks on Saturday, Filip Zadina spoke to the media. Asked about a hit he took in the third period, he used a derogatory slur to describe the player who hit him, Conor Garland. “I’m OK. I chased the puck and was reaching for the puck and just, I dunno, reverse hit me I guess. I mean, you know, like the m—t like he is. It’s pretty normal he does reverse hit because […]
Read moreTonight is the first game of the 2021-22 NHL season that will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu, and it should be a great one. We’ve got a captivating early-season matchup as reigning Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild head out west to take on the feisty Anaheim Ducks at 10 p.m. ET. To help get you ready for the matchup, we’ve put together a guide on all the key players to watch for both teams, […]
Read moreIt’s October. The leaves are falling. The weather is getting getting chillier and when you flip on the TV there will be hockey on it. Yes, the NHL is back and the 2021-22 season is officially here. Beginning on Oct. 12 with the Lightning raising their latest Stanley Cup banner to the rafters and the Golden Knights hosting the league’s 32nd — and newest — franchise the Kraken, there will be jam-packed action between now and the end of June 2022. […]
Read moreGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. The Florida Panthers have secured their franchise center with a blockbuster contract. Aleksander Barkov has agreed to an eight-year, $80 million contract with the Panthers, a source told ESPN on Friday. The majority of the contract consists of signing-bonus money. It’s the largest contract in total dollars ever handed out by the Panthers. His $10 million cap hit would be tied for the 10th highest in the league this season. The 26-year-old from […]
Read moreThe 2021-22 NHL season is just around the corner and, while the awards won’t be handed out for a handful of months, the debate is already raging regarding who will take home the hardware. Last year saw a few expected names in Connor McDavid (Hart Trophy), Auston Matthews (Rocket Richard Trophy) and Aleksander Barkov (Selke Trophy). There were a bunch of surprises, such as Marc-Andre Fleury winning his first Vezina (and then, um, being traded) and sophomore defenseman Adam Fox […]
Read moreThe leaves are falling. The weather is getting chillier. Yes, the NHL season is just around the corner. So, of course, it’s only apropos to look all the way to June and see who oddsmakers think will lift the Stanley Cup. While it may be a new season, the usual suspects are still atop the list, with the high-octane offense of the Avalanche leading the charge. Not too far behind sit the two-time defending champion Lightning, then the Golden Knights […]
Read moreEmily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter. Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin will miss at least the first two months of the 2021-22 NHL season as he recovers from knee surgery, general manager Ron Hextall announced on Thursday. Pittsburgh will begin its season without its two biggest stars; captain Sidney Crosby is sidelined as he recovers from wrist surgery he underwent on Sept. 8. The 35-year-old Malkin is entering his 16th NHL season and the final year of an eight-year, […]
Read moreGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Montreal Canadiens center Jonathan Drouin said he left the team last April due to insomnia caused by his anxiety. Drouin, 26, told TSN/RDS in an interview Monday that he’s been dealing with the issue for many years, and his breaking point came during a road trip last season. The Canadiens played two games in Edmonton, and Drouin appeared in both. He took part in the pregame skate before their game at the Calgary […]
Read moreESPN will open its first season of a new NHL TV contract with an Oct. 12 doubleheader, including the first-ever game for the new Seattle Kraken. The season opens with Pittsburgh visiting defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay at 7:30, followed by the Kraken at the Vegas Golden Knights at 10 p.m. The Kraken will play their first home game Oct. 23 against Vancouver on ESPN+ and Hulu. ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC will feature 103 exclusive broadcasts during the […]
Read moreMontreal Canadiens first-round pick Logan Mailloux has been suspended indefinitely by the Ontario Hockey League stemming from a 2020 incident in which the defenseman was fined for an offense of a sexual nature in Sweden. The Ontario Hockey League announced Thursday that Mailloux could apply for reinstatement starting Jan. 1 and that his conduct “violated the League’s expectation of the appropriate conduct of an OHL player.” The Canadiens drafted Mailloux with the 31st overall pick in July’s draft after he […]
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