NHL

12:25 PM ET Since their inception, the Seattle Kraken pushed back on comparisons to the Vegas Golden Knights, who rewrote the rules for NHL expansion teams by making the Stanley Cup Final in their first season. “From day one, we’ve said we’re not Vegas,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said on Monday. There’s no debating

2:48 PM ET Associated Press The NHL on Monday postponed the Seattle Kraken‘s home game scheduled for Thursday against Ottawa because of COVID-19 problems with the Senators. It’s the 92nd NHL game to be postponed for coronavirus-related reasons this season. Several of those are linked to attendance restrictions in Canada. The Senators have nine players,

7:00 AM ET The players’ association of the Premier Hockey Federation had high expectations for its next executive director. Fortunately for attorney Alex Sinatra, whom the PHF has tapped to fill that vacant post, its requirements didn’t include any actual hockey-related skills. “They assured me that not having played hockey and me not knowing how

8:45 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett was suspended three games without pay by the NHL on Sunday for an illegal check to the head of Montreal Canadiens forward Cedric Paquette during a game Saturday. Bennett, who scored twice during Florida’s 5-2 win, injured Paquette with his hit

5:44 PM ET ESPN News Services PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins enjoyed a strong six-goal start after a lengthy layoff. A third-period lull allowed the San Jose Sharks back into the game, but Evan Rodrigues and Bryan Rust came through when Pittsburgh needed it most. Rodrigues and Rust both finished off hat tricks in the

12:47 PM ET Associated Press Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols on Sunday. Fleury, 37, was added to the list on Monday. He is 9-10-1 with two shutouts, a .913 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average in his first season with the Blackhawks. Chicago also moved forward Josiah Slavin

11:20 PM ET ESPN News Services MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan Kyrou had two goals and two assists in a five-goal second period for St. Louis, and the Blues cruised through the coldest outdoor game in NHL history to beat the host Minnesota Wild 6-4 in the Winter Classic on Saturday night. The official faceoff temperature at

4:45 PM ET ESPN News Services COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Carolina Hurricanes, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference all season, have bigger plans for later in 2022, like perhaps competing for the franchise’s second Stanley Cup championship. For now, though, they’ll settle for any type of momentum builder they can get, and

8:25 PM ET The St. Louis Blues face the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night in the Winter Classic, the NHL’s annual New Year’s Day game played outdoors. Target Field, usually the home of the Minnesota Twins, is where the two teams will play. 1 Related Per the Weather Channel website, Saturday’s high in Minneapolis is

12:37 PM ET Associated Press New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Devils’ game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday and was isolated from the team. The Devils made the announcement roughly 45 minutes after Ruff did not show up for a pregame news conference. When the news conference started,

7:40 AM ET The concept of “can’t” hasn’t really applied to the NHL during the COVID-19 pandemic. When faced with adversity, it has shown undeniable and admirable ingenuity. This is a league that halted its 2019-20 season, restarted it in two Canadian “bubble” cities and rewrote its postseason rules to allow 24 teams to participate

10:14 PM ET Jamal Collier The Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs will begin hosting home games without selling tickets to fans for the next three weeks starting Friday following a decision by the province of Ontario to limit venue capacities. Ontario’s government capped attendance at concert venues, arenas and theaters to 1,000 people or 50%,

4:49 PM ET Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta — When Brigette Lacquette first heard from the Chicago Blackhawks, she didn’t think the message was real. It was, and it arrived at a perfect time. Lacquette became the first Indigenous woman to scout for an NHL team when she was hired by the Blackhawks this year. Making

10:24 AM ET Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minnesota — The Minnesota Wild signed coach Dean Evason and his staff to multiyear contract extensions Thursday, a reward for keeping them as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Evason, 57, is in his second full season as Minnesota’s coach after replacing Bruce Boudreau in

4:00 PM ET The IIHF announced on Wednesday that it has canceled the remainder of its 2022 World Juniors Championship because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases among players. IIHF officials held a meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to keep the tournament going despite COVID issues, but those present decided cancellation was the

6:05 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Logan Mailloux will be reinstated to the Ontario Hockey League on Saturday. Mailloux was suspended indefinitely by the OHL on Sept. 2 because of an incident that took place while the London Knights’ defenseman was on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden in November

12:26 PM ET The NHL is modifying its COVID-19 protocols, shortening the standard isolation period for players who test positive for the virus from 10 days to five days, according to a memo obtained by ESPN on Wednesday. The updated protocols align with new CDC recommendations. Players will be allowed to leave isolation after five

7:00 AM ET The Winter Classic has been the NHL’s signature outdoor event since 2008, when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres played through picturesque snow and launched an institution. The game between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild scheduled for Target Field on Jan. 1, 2022, will be the 13th edition of the