Latest National Hockey League News
Panthers, Rangers, Jets and Canucks back home for Game 2s, all seeking 2-0 NHL playoff series leads
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — A slew of big NHL names will be heading back onto NHL playoff ice on Tuesday night with 1-0 series leads. Among them: Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk in Florida, Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg and Brock Boeser in Vancouver. Matt Rempe, too. ...
Stars and Cup champion Golden Knights meet much earlier in NHL playoffs this time
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights are meeting much earlier in the NHL playoffs this time. Reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas opens defense of its title as a No. 8 seed in a first-round series that opens Monday night in Dallas, where the Knights last year...
Hurricanes get a quick boost from Evgeny Kuznetsov addition to start NHL playoffs
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Evgeny Kuznetsov wasted no time making a postseason impact for the Carolina Hurricanes. It's a promising sign for what could be ahead in the NHL playoffs. The trade-deadline acquisition bolstered a deep Carolina team trying to take the final step in a...
MacKinnon versus Hellebuyck highlight first-ever playoff meeting between Avalanche and Jets
DENVER (AP) — For the first time, Colorado and Winnipeg will clash in a playoff series. Still, the Central Division rivals know each other well. It’s a meeting of possible award winners, with super-fast Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon in the running for the...
Canucks know the Preds in the NHL playoffs not who they swept during season
Vancouver swept its three-game season series against Nashville. That doesn't count for very much going into their playoff matchup. The Canucks know all too well the NHL playoffs means a clean slate, especially with how well the Predators finished the regular season. ...
New NHL team marks coming-of-age moment for Salt Lake City as a pro sports hub
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — To casual sports fans and people outside northern Utah, it may look like an NHL team fell into Salt Lake City’s lap in the span of two weeks. But local organizers say the Arizona Coyotes ' relocation to Utah is the product of a yearslong effort to beckon...
WNBA moving date of its preseason game in Canada to avoid potential conflict with NHL playoffs
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The WNBA is moving its preseason game in Canada between the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm to May 4. The game was originally scheduled for May 5 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, but the NHL’s Oilers could potentially be hosting a Game 7 of their...
Canucks' Rick Tocchet among new coaches making an impact in leading teams to NHL playoffs
Rick Tocchet barely had a chance to get accustomed to the Pacific time zone when the newly hired Canucks coach wondered what exactly he had just gotten himself into in late January 2023. Four days and two games into his tenure, Tocchet recalled the feeling of dread he experienced...
At playoff time, NHL teams march to the beat of their goaltenders and count on them to save the day
DENVER (AP) — Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev went home after a recent shaky outing and immediately watched film — the car-racing thriller “The Fast and the Furious.” Anything to keep his own mind from racing. It's playoff time, where teams march to the...
Who will win the NHL's top awards this season? Here are AP's predictions
Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov, Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews are all in the running to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. MacKinnon has carried the top-heavy Avalanche into the playoffs, Kucherov has played a role in half the...
