NHL clubs engaged in numerous international exhibitions and competitions alongside various European clubs, in addition to the Russian teams. As part of the agreement with ESPN, the league’s streaming package for out-of-market games was included in ESPN+ for U.S. viewers in 2021. Coverage by Turner Sports consists of up to 72 regular season games broadcast on TNT, with early playoff rounds shared between TNT and TBS. Between the NHL lockout of 2004–05 and 2021, NBC and OLN (later called Versus, then NBCSN) held the national rights in the U.S. After 1981, availability of the NHL was predominantly restricted to cable television, with broadcasts on USA Network, SportsChannel America, and ESPN at different intervals.
Blues lock up Connor McMichael with a six-year deal
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 sports betting in Australia 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. 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.
Expansion era
San Jose right now has $52.5MM open for business next summer and can totally fit Celebrini within that. A 5 year, $18MM AAV contract offered to the 21-year-old Swedish center will make him the NHL’s highest-paid player, beating out Kirill Kaprizov‘s $17MM AAV signed not long ago with the Wild. Unable to find a way to climb Calgary’s ranks, Grushnikov will now return to the club where his career began – with hopes of finding better pro footing in the KHL.
On January 12, the league and the Players’ Association signed a memorandum of understanding on the new deal, allowing teams to begin their training camps the next day, with a shortened 48-game season schedule that began on January 19. In 1945, Maurice “Rocket” Richard became the first player to score 50 goals, doing so in a 50-game season. In 1934, the first NHL All-Star Game was held, to benefit Ace Bailey, whose career ended on a vicious hit by Eddie Shore. 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.

Should GM Kyle Dubas be given greater credit for
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. The OHL’s London Knights have landed another big-time prospect, forward Luca Santala, who signed on an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Sometimes the biggest news in hockey isn’t a trade or a signing. The debut of the Winter Classic, an outdoor regular season NHL game held on New Year’s Day in 2008, was a significant success for the league. Unlike the Ice Hockey World Championships and the Olympic tournament, the World Cup of Hockey is played under NHL rules and not those of the IIHF.
As expected, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost their leading goal scorer, as Anthony Mantha agreed to a deal with the a Metropolitan division rival. Can the Capitals realistically chase another Stanley Cup while Alex Ovechkin chases 1,000 career goals? At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion, and the league’s overall leader is awarded the Presidents’ Trophy.
It’s awfully rare for a Norris Trophy-calibre defenceman to become available at the peak of his playing prime, Travis Yost writes. But the Senators legend — whose No. 11 hangs from the Canadian Tire Centre rafters — believes joining the Toronto Maple Leafs is a necessary step in his coaching career. Jim Tatti and Dave Feschuk are joined by Detroit Free Press Red Wings writer Helene St. James to discuss whether or not a General Manager change could entice Dylan Larkin to reconsider his trade request. TSN Hockey analyst Martin Biron shares his thoughts on the move and if it could change anything on the trade front for captain Dylan Larkin, who has a pending trade request.
The Detroit Red Wings are mired in the NHL’s longest playoff drought, have their captain demanding a trade and are now searching for a new head of hockey operations deep into the off-season. TSN Hockey analyst Martin Biron shares his early power rankings for the Pacific, and if the Oilers are strong enough in goal to be considered contenders. Gavin McKenna announced as Maple Leafs’ No. 1 overall draft pick
The Bedford, New York, native set career highs across the board with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games, then added six points in 10 playoff contests as the Flyers reached the postseason for the first time since 2020. The league’s regular season is typically held from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. He is coming off career bests of eight goals and 32 points and a strong two-way season. He finished the year with just 14 goals and 46 points, while posting a 43.0 faceoff percentage – exactly in-line with his career average. There is an argument to be made that many of the moves this summer have been overpays, particularly if you look at a deal like the Bowen Byram trade to Chicago.

Jason Robertson has quietly taken control of the Stars’ future
- He won the Stanley Cup in that deal’s first year, notably passing the 100-point threshold for the third time in his first four seasons, and scored 31 points in the ’09 playoffs.
- Coming along as a product of Kiekko-Espoo, Santala recorded 12 points in 25 games playing alongside skaters three years his senior, good for 12th best on the team.
- That scoring pace, 0.65 points-per-game, put Dach on pace for 20 goals and 54 points across 82 games.
- The NHL’s national French-language rights were owned by Quebecor Media, with all broadcasts taking place on its dedicated channel, TVA Sports.
- Martin Biron, a TSN Hockey analyst, presents his initial power rankings for the Pacific and discusses whether the Oilers have sufficient strength in goal to be seen as contenders.
- The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded the Presidents’ Trophy.
Originating from Kiekko-Espoo, Santala notched 12 points in 25 games while playing with teammates three years older than him, ranking him 12th on the team.
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. The moves did not go as planned, as Tkachuk took the Panthers to three straight Stanley Cup Finals, while Huberdeau signed arguably the worst contract in the NHL. 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. Hughes has talked about pursuing big trades in the past, but has walked away when the prices exceeded his comfort level.