He scored 12 goals in his first 16 games of the season, flaunting a breakaway speed and heads-up playmaking that connected well with Washington’s veterans. That scoring pace (0.65 points-per-game), put Dach on pace for 20 goals and 54 points across 82 games. Just ask the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators, who both won the previous summer only to fall apart during the regular season.
The five best contracts signed in 2026 NHL free agency so far Can you name every player selected in the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft? Three-time Stanley Cup champion Steve Yzerman stepping down as GM marks needed leadership change for Red Wings Merchandise sales were up 22 percent, and the number of unique visitors on the NHL.com website was up 17 percent during the playoffs after rising 29 percent in the regular season.
Hughes has talked about pursuing big trades in the past, but has walked away when the prices exceeded his comfort level. This was a huge gamble for the Blackhawks, and it’s easy to see why Hughes didn’t have interest in these types of trades. Hughes has said the Canadiens have been in active trade discussions (as they were leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline), but much like early March, Montreal has been able to make any big moves. This summer has been a wild one thus far for many teams, as top-six forwards and top-four defensemen have been moved for massive hauls that are inflated returns compared to years past. Make no mistake (though), that indifference is patience, and Habs fans should be happy to see it from management at a time when most GMs would have made a move just to make one.
- Split squad games (in which parts of a team’s regular season roster play separate games on the same day), are occasionally played during the preseason.
- This summer has been a wild one thus far for many teams, as top-six forwards and top-four defensemen have been moved for massive hauls that are inflated returns compared to years past.
- The same could be said for the Predators (who signed Steven Stamkos), Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault to huge contracts in free agency, only for Nashville to fall apart and miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
- As expected, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost their leading goal scorer, as Anthony Mantha agreed to a deal with the a Metropolitan division rival.
Kyle Palmieri presents the NHL Summer Sizzle Workout Edition.
National French-language rights to the NHL were held by Quebecor Media (with coverage broadcast on its specialty channel), TVA Sports. NHL coverage produced by Rogers was maintained by CBC during both the regular season and the playoffs. In order to acquire more „skilled offensive players,” NHL teams drafted and signed various European players. Since the 1990s, a significant number of the league’s top players have originated from these European countries. The proportion of American players steadily rose, and by the 1987–88 season, 15% of NHL players were from the United States, for instance. Until the 1960s, nearly all NHL players were from Canada, right from the league’s beginning.
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The NHL consists of 32 teams—25 based in the United States and 7 in Canada. Rheaume returned to perform as a goaltender for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game’s Breakaway Challenge. The first female referees in the NHL were hired in a test-run during the league’s preseason prospect tournaments in September 2019. In 2016, Dawn Braid was hired as the Arizona Coyotes’ skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL. In 1992, Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play a game in any of the major professional North American sports leagues, as a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues, stopping seven of nine shots.
In 1958, Willie O’Ree became the first black player in the league’s history when he made his debut with the Boston Bruins. In 1948, Asian Canadian Larry Kwong became the first Asian player in https://ambassadorsevents.com the NHL by playing for the New York Rangers. The second was held in 1937, in support of Howie Morenz’s family when he died of a coronary embolism after breaking his leg during a game. The NHL embarked on a rapid expansion in the 1920s (adding the Montreal Maroons and the Boston Bruins in 1924), the latter being the first American team to join the league.
In 1926, Native American Taffy Abel became the first non-white player in the NHL and broke the league’s colour barrier by playing for the New York Rangers. The New Jersey Devils sign Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal. Three potential trade candidates for the Nashville Predators. Jamie Drysdale, Zegras’ close friend and former Anaheim teammate, whose presence eased his transition to Philadelphia, remains unsigned and carries his own arbitration hearing scheduled for July 20. Extensions for Matvei Michkov and 2025 first-rounder Porter Martone loom over the next two summers, making cost certainty on Zegras a meaningful piece of the longer roster puzzle. Even after locking up Zegras (the Flyers retain ample flexibility), with roughly $30MM in projected space before this deal.
The Flames underwent monumental roster changes in the summer of 2022, watching Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau head elsewhere while bringing in Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. As much as it might pain some Canadiens fans, Hughes has built up the credibility to be trusted in this situation based on his track record. It’s entirely possible that prices drop later in the summer or midway through the season — when teams are out of contention and may opt to move on from certain players.
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs saw the largest audience in the sport’s history „after a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled largely by the NHL’s strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings”. These improvements led NBC and the cable channel Versus to sign a 10-year broadcast deal, paying US$200 million per year for both American cable and broadcast rights; the deal will lead to further increases in television coverage on the NBC channels. The first exhibition game to feature an NHL team against a European-based team , aside from clubs based in the former Soviet Union, was in December 1977, when the New York Rangers faced Poldi Kladno of the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. In addition to the Russian clubs, NHL clubs had participated in several international club exhibitions and competitions with various European-based clubs. Under ESPN’s contract, the league’s out-of-market streaming package was incorporated into ESPN+ for those viewers in the United States in 2021. Turner Sports’ coverage includes up to 72 regular season games on TNT — with early round playoff coverage split between TNT and TBS.
Three-time Stanley Cup champion Steve Yzerman stepping down as GM marks needed leadership change for Red Wings
Some might disagree and point to the Noah Dobson trade as an example of the opposite, but at this time, it’s hard to call a winner in that move. Rather than stay home and vie for games in the Liiga (Luca should immediately be a top OHL scorer in London), linking up with Kings 2025 first rounder Henry Brzustewicz and forward Jaxon Cover, Ottawa’s 32nd overall pick this summer. Ranked 12th overall among 2027 prospects by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, the 6’2” forward has potential to play down the middle or the wing, scoring four goals in five games at the U18 World Championships.
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The current national television and digital rightsholder is Rogers Communications, which initially signed a 12-year deal that began in the 2014–15 season, then signed a 12-year renewal to extend its agreement to 2037–38. The NHL has made clear in the past that it only allows teams to recognize regular season division titles. Split squad games (in which parts of a team’s regular season roster play separate games on the same day), are occasionally played during the preseason. Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately.
The first mistake this summer for Leafs GM John Chayka might have been parting ways with Hayley Wickenheiser, while five possible trade destinations for Kraken center Shane Wright emerged, alongside the five worst contracts from the 2026 NHL free agency so far. Who would be the ideal defensive partner for Darren Raddysh on the Maple Leafs?
In all rounds (the higher-ranked team is awarded home-ice advantage), with four of the seven games played at this team’s home venue. Two points are awarded for a win (one point for losing in overtime or a shootout), and zero points for a loss in regulation. During the regular season, clubs play each other in a predefined schedule. Teams usually hold a summer showcase for prospects in July and participate in prospect tournaments (full games that do not feature any veterans), in September.
After the regular season ends (16 teams proceed to the Stanley Cup playoffs), a tournament consisting of four rounds that extends into June to crown the league champion. An expansion franchise was granted to Salt Lake City in 2024; it took over the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes — which had been deactivated, and formed the Utah Hockey Club (currently known as the Utah Mammoth), keeping the total number of teams at 32. The 1967 NHL expansion resulted in the addition of six new teams (effectively doubling the league’s size), followed by an increase to 18 teams by 1974, and then to 21 teams due to the 1979 NHL expansion. When it was founded (the NHL consisted of four teams), all situated in Canada, which is why the term „National” appears in the league’s name. Since 1989 (the league’s headquarters have been located in New York City), after relocating from Montreal; additionally, the league operates offices in both Toronto and Montreal. Last season (the Senators legend also served as an assistant coach), spending time on Ottawa’s bench.