Most Recent
Dallas Stars into their 2nd West final in a row after knocking out last two Cup champions
Stephen Hawkins, Associated Press | Posted May 18 - 12:04 p.m. | Save Story
The Dallas Stars finally get a little bit of a breather after avoiding another Game 7 on the way to their second Western Conference Final in a row. The top-seeded Stars knocked out the last two Stanley Cup champions while playing 13 games in 26 nights. The last one stretched past midnight into early Saturday, when Matt Duchene's game-winning goal in double overtime ended Game 6 at 2022 champion Colorado. Dallas began these playoffs with a seven-game series over Vegas, which last year beat the Stars in the West final and then won the Stanley Cup. Dallas will host Games 1 and 2 against Edmonton or Vancouver next week.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Mike Sullivan named U.S. men's hockey coach for 2026 Milan Olympics
Stephen Whyno, Associated Press | Posted May 18 - 8:40 a.m. | Save Story
Mike Sullivan has been selected U.S. coach for the 2026 Milan Olympics. USA Hockey announced the long-expected decision Saturday while also saying the Pittsburgh Penguins coach will be behind the bench for the NHL's Four Nations Face-Off tournament next year. Sullivan won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and '17 and is considered among the best American coaches in the sport. Milan marks the return of NHL players to the Olympics after missing the past two. The U.S. lost to eventual champion Canada in the semifinals of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, then to Finland in the bronze-medal game.
Panthers reach Eastern Conference final for second straight year, eliminating Bruins in 6 games
Jimmy Golen, Associated Press | Posted May 18 - 7:54 a.m. | Save Story
The Florida Panthers will play the New York Rangers for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final is on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Florida beat Boston 2-1 on Friday night to win their second-round series in six games. Gustav Forsling scored the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 1:33 left. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 22 shots for the Panthers. Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers and set up the game winner. Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 shots for the Bruins. Pavel Zacha scored for Boston.
Duchene scores winner in 2nd OT, Stars advance to Western Conference final with 2-1 win over Avs
Pat Graham, Associated Press | Updated May 18 - 1:51 a.m. | Save Story
Matt Duchene scored at 11:42 of the second overtime after being involved in a play that led to a goal disallowed for goaltender interference in the first OT and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6. Duchene, a former draft pick of the Avalanche, secured a loose puck in front of the net and sent it over a sprawled out Alexandar Georgiev. Duchene took off down the ice and slid on his knees in celebration. Dallas advances to face either Edmonton or Vancouver. It's the second straight trip to the conference final for the Stars, who lost last season to eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas. Jake Oettinger was stellar all night in making 29 saves.
Panthers beat Bruins with late game-winner, advance to Eastern Conference final
Jimmy Golen, Associated Press | Updated May 17 - 10:32 p.m. | Save Story
Gustav Forsling scored the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 1:33 left to lead the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 victory and eliminate the Boston Bruins from their second-round playoff series in six games. Bobrovsky stopped 22 shots for the Panthers. They advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where they will face the New York Rangers. Game 1 is on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers and also set up the game-winner. The Panthers also knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs after their record-setting regular-season last year. Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 shots for the Bruins. Pavel Zacha scored Boston's only goal.
Boston captain Brad Marchand returns for must-win Game 6 against Panthers
The Associated Press | Posted May 17 - 4:45 p.m. | Save Story
Bruins captain Brad Marchand was dressed and back in the lineup for Boston in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Florida Panthers. Marchand missed two games with an undisclosed injury after getting hit in the head by Panthers forward Sam Bennett. The team's longest-tenured player and No. 2 scorer this season returned to practice on Friday morning and was deemed a game-time decision. Marchand had 29 goals and 38 assists in the regular season and 10 points in the first 10 games of the playoffs. The Panthers led the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Oilers thinking 'one game at a time' ahead of must-win Game 6 against Canucks
The Associated Press | Posted May 17 - 4:38 p.m. | Save Story
The Edmonton Oilers have been here before, heading back home with their season on the line. They're hoping for a different result this time around. Last year, the Oilers fell behind Vegas 3-2 before returning to Edmonton for Game 6. The Golden Knights wrapped up the series with a 5-2 victory in that game and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers are in a must-win situation again after a 3-2 loss to Vancouver in Game 6 of their second-round Stanley playoff series. The Canucks hold a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven matchup and can advance to the Western Conference final with a win in Saturday's Game 6 in Edmonton.
Toronto Maple Leafs hire Craig Berube as coach, hoping veteran can turn around longtime playoff woes
The Associated Press | Updated May 17 - 3:42 p.m. | Save Story
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Craig Berube as coach. Berube replaces Sheldon Keefe who was fired after another early playoff exit. Berube brings championship experience to the NHL's most intense market after coaching the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019. The Leafs have the longest Cup drought in the league having not won it since 1967 when there were just six teams. This is Berube's third stint as an NHL head coach. He's also the third coach who will lead the Maple Leafs' core group of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares.
Stars center Roope Hintz out for Game 6 with upper-body injury; Avs without center Yakov Trenin
The Associated Press | Posted May 17 - 12:40 p.m. | Save Story
The Dallas Stars will be without center Roope Hintz for a second straight game because of an upper-body injury. Hintz will miss Game 6 of their second-round series with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. The Stars can advance to the Western Conference Final for the second year in a row with a win. Hintz left Monday's 5-1 victory at Colorado after blocking a shot in the first period. Earlier in the game, he went down hard when he was cross-checked by Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado will be without center Yakov Trenin because of an upper-body injury.
Kreider pushes Rangers to the NHL's Eastern Conference Final for the 2nd time in 3 postseasons
Aaron Beard, Associated Press | Posted May 17 - 4:00 a.m. | Save Story
The New York Rangers are in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons after a big performance from Chris Kreider. The 33-year-old forward who has spent his entire 12-year career with the Rangers had a third-period hat trick for the Rangers to rally past Carolina and close out that second-round playoff series in six games. Kreider leads the team with seven postseason goals and has 10 points. He has scored at least one point in seven of 10 playoff games. Kreider played in the Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers in 2014.
J.T. Miller's late goal lifts Canucks past Oilers to take a 3-2 series lead
The Associated Press | Updated May 17 - 1:04 a.m. | Save Story
J.T. Miller scored with 33 seconds remaining to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers that put them a win away from the Western Conference Final. Carson Soucy and Phillip Di Giuseppe both scored in their returns to the lineup for Vancouver, which will try to wrap up the series in Game 6 on Saturday in Edmonton. Rookie Arturs Silovs made 21 saves for the Canucks. Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark scored for the Oilers, who got 32 saves from Calvin Pickard.
Kreider's 3rd-period hat trick lifts Rangers into Eastern Conference Final with win over Hurricanes
Aaron Beard, Associated Press | Updated May 16 - 10:11 p.m. | Save Story
Chris Kreider had a third-period hat trick to help the New York Rangers erase a two-goal deficit and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 to close out the second-round playoff series in six games and advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Kreider single-handedly erased the Hurricanes' 3-1 lead entering the final period. He had the winner when he tipped in Ryan Lindgren's pass to make it 4-3 at the 15:41 mark. Barclay Goodrow added an empty-netter. Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho scored for Carolina, which had won two straight after falling into a 3-0 hole.
Marchand may return from injury for Game 6, says part of playoff hockey is 'trying to hurt someone'
Pat Graham, Associated Press | Posted May 16 - 2:00 p.m. | Save Story
Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand wasn't too outraged over the disputed hit he took that's sidelined him for the past two games. Because in his view, hurting players comes with the territory in the postseason. He says "every time you step on the ice, someone's trying to hurt someone." Marchand may be back on the ice for Game 6 against Florida on Friday. He's been out since being staggered on a hit to his head from Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 3. Like Boston, the Colorado Avalanche have a chance to avoid elimination when they host Dallas on Friday.
Makar scores 2 goals and Avalanche beat Stars 5-3 in Game 5 to stay alive in playoffs
Stephen Hawkins, Associated Press | Updated May 15 - 10:53 p.m. | Save Story
Colorado defenseman Cale Makar scored two goals, the second after Casey Mittelstadt's go-ahead tally in the third period and the Avalanche beat top-seeded Dallas 5-3 in Game 5. The Avs snapped their three-game losing streak and extended the second-round Western Conference Series. Game 6 is Friday night in Colorado. Mittelstadt scored just 1:12 into the third period to make it 3-2. Maker added an unassisted goal about three minutes later. Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev had 23 saves. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots. Joe Pavelski had his first goal of these playoffs for the Stars. Miro Heiskanen and rookie Logan Stankoven scored the other Dallas goals, and Jason Robertson had two assists.
Utah's Connor Ingram wins major NHL perseverance award
Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted May 15 - 9:48 p.m. | Save Story
Utah goaltender Connor Ingram is being honored by the National Hockey League for his perseverance through mental health struggles.
Connor Ingram wins the Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey
Stephen Whyno, Associated Press | Posted May 15 - 6:00 p.m. | Save Story
Goaltender Connor Ingram has won the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Ingram had a breakout season for the Arizona Coyotes years after seeking and receiving help from the player assistance program for an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder that led him to drink to cope with anxiety. The 27-year-old, now with Utah where the franchise moved to begin play in Salt Lake City in the fall, hopes sharing his story helps others with similar problems.
Tony Finau's agent reportedly tapped for top hockey position with Utah's NHL franchise
Sean Walker, KSL.com | Posted May 15 - 5:55 p.m. | Save Story
Utah's new NHL franchise reportedly has its first hire since relocating from the Valley of the Sun, and he has plenty of connections to Ryan Smith.
The New York Rangers were headed for another sweep. Now they're fighting to close out Carolina
Aaron Beard, Associated Press | Posted May 15 - 2:13 p.m. | Save Story
The New York Rangers have gone from being on the verge of sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes to battling to close them out. The Hurricanes have won two straight games after falling behind 3-0 in the series. They have home-ice advantage for Thursday's Game 6 with a chance to even the series and force Game 7 in their second-round series in the NHL playoffs. The schedule also includes Edmonton and Vancouver playing Game 5 in a 2-2 series in the Western Conference.
Participation in the NHL's player assistance program is up this season. That may not be a bad thing
Stephen Whyno And Pat Graham, Associated Press | Updated May 15 - 1:46 p.m. | Save Story
Five NHL players left their teams this season to receive care from an off-ice assistance program run by the league and union. That's the same number that entered the program the previous three seasons combined. Officials believe the increase can be credited to a growing trust in the program that has been around since 1996 and also mirrors the general population getting help since the pandemic. The venture offers assistance for drug and alcohol use as well as mental health issues. Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard says it changed his life.
