Blue Jackets center Mikko Koivu retires during his 16th NHL seasonVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets center Mikko Koivu said Tuesday he decided to retire in the midst of his 16th NHL season. The 37-year-old Koivu signed a free-agent contract with Columbus before this season after 15 years in Minnesota as the Blue Jackets sought more depth at center ice....
Maple Leafs winger Wayne Simmonds out 6 weeks with broken wristVideo
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Wayne Simmonds until mid-March. The team announced Monday the bruising winger is set to miss six weeks after suffering a broken wrist in Saturday’s 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Simmonds, 32, scored twice in the game but took a clearing...
NHL revises virus protocols with 40 players on covid-19 list
The NHL has followed the NBA in revising its virus protocols early in the season as a response to covid-19 problems cropping up around the league. Glass panels have been removed from behind benches for better air flow, players and coaches are not allowed at the arena until 1 hour...
Most NHL teams using 2 goalies to get through pandemic play
Most NHL teams are keeping two goaltenders busy, trying to keep them fresh as the frequency of games picks up with the league shooting to squeeze 56 games into less than four months. Montreal, Boston, Carolina, Florida and Vegas are off to strong starts while essentially alternating starts between their...
Hurricanes set to return from covid-19 pause, postponementsVideo
The Carolina Hurricanes played just three games this season before having to shut down workouts and postpone four games because of covid-19 concerns. They returned to practice this week and are set to play Thursday against Tampa Bay in what amounts to a second try at starting the season, although...
‘Sloppy’ hockey is the name of the game early in NHL season
With an outbreak delaying the Dallas Stars opener, Rick Bowness got to watch a lot of hockey in the first couple of nights of the NHL season. It wasn’t a coach’s dream. “It was entertaining hockey, but it was a little sloppy,” Bowness said. “And that’s to be expected.” Sloppy...
Blue Jackets deal unhappy star center Pierre-Luc Dubois to JetsVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After Pierre-Luc Dubois was benched for lack of effort two days ago, the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday traded the unhappy star center to the Winnipeg Jets for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. Dubois, Columbus’ top-line center, made it clear when he signed a two-year contract before...
Alexander Ovechkin on covid list; Capitals fined $100K
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin and three other Washington Capitals players were added to the NHL’s covid-19 list Wednesday, and the team was fined $100,000 by the league for violating coronavirus protocols. In addition to three-time MVP Ovechkin — one of just eight players in NHL history with more than 700...
Florida Panthers 1 of 3 NHL teams allowing fans into arenasVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida coach Joel Quenneville already has a raspier-than-usual voice after the Panthers’ first two games of the season. Screaming over crowd noise isn’t easy. Florida is one only three NHL teams that is permitting fans back into arenas for the start of this season. The Panthers averaged...
Flat salary cap makes NHL teams get creative
In the 16 years since the salary cap has been a reality in the NHL, it has never been this much of a challenge to maneuver. Teams that made moves in 2019 and right up to the 2020 trade deadline expected the cap to increase substantially from the current $81.5...
Avalanche send ex-Penguins defenseman Ian Cole to WildVideo
DENVER — Colorado and Minnesota swapped veteran defensemen Tuesday, with the Avalanche acquiring Greg Pateryn and the Wild receiving former Pittsburgh Penguin Ian Cole. The trade represents a significant salary-cap savings for Colorado from Cole’s $4.25 million hit to Pateryn’s $2.25 million. It also frees up a spot on the...
Hurricanes-Predators game becomes 1st postponed NHL contest
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NHL has postponed its first game since the league’s season began, calling off Tuesday night’s game between the Hurricanes and the Predators hours after Carolina won the first of a two-game set in Nashville. “The decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure...
Virus limits NHL vet-rookie time away from rink
Colorado defenseman Ian Cole has taken a young kid under his wing as he starts his 11th season in the NHL, dining with him often and going the extra mile to make sure his needs are met. Of course, this is Cole’s infant son, who was born over the summer....
Blackhawks place Jonathan Toews on long-term injured reserveVideo
CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will miss at least 10 games and 24 days after the team placed him on long-term injured reserve Thursday because of an unspecified illness. The 32-year-old Toews announced before the start of training camp last month he was experiencing symptoms that left him...
Bruins retiring jersey of NHL barrier breaker Willie O’ReeVideo
BOSTON — More than 60 years after he broke the NHL’s color barrier, Willie O’Ree soon will add another milestone to his career. The Boston Bruins announced Tuesday that O’Ree will have his No. 22 jersey retired before the team’s Feb. 18 game against the New Jersey Devils. It will...
NHL to host 2 outdoor games in Lake Tahoe this season
The NHL played outdoors in the shadow of the Green Monster at Fenway Park, on consecutive days at Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium, and at Chicago’s Soldier Field. This year’s outdoor games will be in a unique, picturesque setting: along the shores of Lake Tahoe. The NHL announced Monday it...
NHL offseason moves influenced by coronavirus’ impact on cap
Jeff Skinner was enjoying an afternoon in his parents’ backyard when suddenly the Buffalo Sabres forward thought his father was pulling an April Fools’ joke on him in mid-September. “My dad came out and told me that Eric Staal is on our team,” Skinner said upon learning Buffalo acquired his...
Commissioner Gary Bettman says NHL will lose more than $1 billion by playing this season
The NHL will lose more than a billion dollars by staging the 2020-21 season in largely empty arenas, commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday, but owners and players are intent on playing a 56-game schedule to provide diversion for fans and keep hockey on the sports map. The delayed and shortened...
Mike Milbury out as NHL analyst with NBC Sports
NBC Sports is moving on from long-time hockey analyst Mike Milbury. As the NHL season gets ready to start on Wednesday, NBC Sports announced their game and studio commentators. Milbury was not on the list. “We are grateful to Mike for all of his contributions to our coverage for 14...
NHL taxi squads to help teams stay on ice in pandemic
The NHL is bracing for bumps as it aims to pull off a season during the covid-19 pandemic, and they’re hoping taxi squads will help teams overcome outbreaks to stay on the ice. Alas, the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Stars have already had to postpone their season-opening game later...
NHL embarks on season that will be like ’56 playoff games’
The NHL has started seasons of fewer than 82 games in January and played into the summer to award the Stanley Cup. Just not like this. When the puck drops on the regular season in five rinks Jan. 13, it will be the start of a 56-game sprint to the...
Virus concerns hit Dallas, Columbus as NHL season looms
The NHL said Friday that six Dallas Stars players and two staff members have tested positive for covid-19 in a development that will push back the opener for the defending Western Conference champions by nearly a week. The Columbus Blue Jackets also held a number of players off the ice...
NHL training camps open with sense of urgencyVideo
Peter Laviolette pulled the mask away from his face to bark out instructions while pointing every which way with his stick, then put the mask back on and skated around to show his new players what to do. It was the first day of training camp for Laviolette and the...
Canada approves NHL camps; decisions on games up to provincesVideo
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government, citing “national interest grounds,” gave its approval Thursday for the start of NHL training camps. It issued an exemption to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period for NHL players and team staff to return to the country. The five provinces with NHL franchises, however, must...
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews sidelined indefinitely by illness
CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will miss the start of training camp because of an illness, and there is no timetable for his return. The 32-year-old Toews said Tuesday he has been experiencing symptoms that have left him feeling “drained and lethargic.” “I am extremely disappointed, but it...
