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Jonathan Tovell
JonathanTovell@TheHN
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Jonathan Tovell is a freelance deputy managing editor of digital media for The Hockey News. He's a former longtime house league goalie whose best-ever game was in a 0-0 tie.
Joined at Apr 23, 2024Activity
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NHL Returns To Sweden: Penguins And Predators To Face Off In 2025 Global Series
Sweden will once again host NHL regular-season hockey in November – and Sidney Crosby could be part of the action.
The NHL announced the 2025 Global Series is scheduled to feature the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins facing off at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Nov. 14 and 16. This is the first time the Penguins will play in Europe since 2008. The Predators played in Czechia in 2022 and Japan in 2000, but this will be their first time playing in Sweden.
Stockholm last hosted four games in November 2023 featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild. The city’s hosted the most NHL regular-season contests of any city outside of North America with 16 games – next season’s Global Series will increase that total to 18.
As the rosters stand, there’s some high-profile Swedish talent on both teams. The Predators’ top scorer, Filip Forsberg, is from Ostervala, Sweden, and the team also has defensemen Andreas Englund (Stockholm) and Adam Wilsby (Stockholm).
“Every time we are selected to participate in one of the NHL’s marquee events, it’s a testament to Smashville’s passion for our team and our sport both at home and abroad,” Predators CEO Sean Henry said in a news release. “This event will be particularly special for Filip Forsberg, who adores his home country, and the other Sweden natives on our team and in our organization.”
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has defenseman Erik Karlsson (Landsbro) and right winger Rickard Rakell (Sundbyberg) who played on Sweden’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad. Center Emil Bemstrom (Nykoping) has played for Pittsburgh and the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. And while Sidney Crosby isn’t Swedish, Canada’s captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off could play in just his second and third NHL games overseas in the fall, months before the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy.
In total, 9.7 percent of NHL players this season were born in Sweden, the highest representation of players of any country outside North America. Rakell and Forsberg are tied for the fourth-most points of any Swede in the NHL this season, with 59. New Jersey Devils left winger Jesper Bratt leads the way with 80 points, while Maple Leafs right winger William Nylander (71) and Red Wings right winger Lucas Raymond (69) follow suit.
Raymond was at the last Global Series games at Avicii Arena before its renovation in 2024. The modernization project was meant to improve sightlines and bring seating closer to the action, according to the arena’s website. They also maintained the arena’s architecture, which includes the well-known dome that stands out in the city’s skyline.
The first opportunity for fans to buy tickets is at the first-ever Hockey Day In Sweden on March 21 and 22 in Linkoping. After that, ticket presales open on March 25 at 6 a.m. ET, and general sale begins on March 26 at 5 a.m. ET.
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'Oh My God, He's Such A Stud': Senators' Ullmark Makes Diving Save Against Former Team
Ottawa
Senators fans bowed to goaltender Linus Ullmark after he pulled off a
save-of-the-year candidate against his former team.
With the
Senators leading the Boston Bruins 5-3 late in the second period, Ullmark’s diving
catch led to a stellar third frame in net that helped extend the team’s win
streak to five games in a tight battle for the playoffs.
“Oh my God,
he’s such a stud,” Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven told reporters after the 6-3 win.
After Ottawa
led 4-1 after the first period, the Bruins scored twice in the second period to
reduce the deficit to two goals. Ullmark had a 0.786 save percentage up to that
point in the game with 11 saves on 14 shots.
Boston
controlled possession in the offensive zone with about 90 seconds to go in the
middle frame. As newly acquired center Marat Khusnutdinov and defenseman Andrew
Peeke passed the puck back and forth, blueliner Mason Lohrei found an open lane
to the net on the far side of the ice.
Khusnutdinov
turned toward the net, which led Ullmark to challenge him at the top right corner
of the crease. But Khusnutdinov found Lohrei all alone with the setup for a
one-timer.
Lohrei had
a wide-open net to shoot at from the faceoff dot. Ullmark was nearly out of the
crease when he saw the pass, and Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot could only
stick out his stick and skate to try to block the chance.
As Lohrei connected
with the puck, Ullmark pivoted to angle himself diagonally toward the left post
and swung over. He stretched out his glove hand quickly enough to get in front
of the biscuit right before it entered the crease.
By the time
Ullmark completed the grab, he was almost standing on his head, his left leg sticking
up over his body.
“I was laughing,” Ullmark told the media post-game, as reported by Graeme Nichols. “Sometimes
I wonder, how did that happen?”
Ullmark stopped all eight shots after that as the Bruins
outshot the Senators in the final 20 minutes. He even tried to score a goalie
goal on the empty net but missed wide.
“He’s such
a big part of this team, and he wins us a lot of games,” Kleven said. “I’m
honestly not even surprised that that happened – I see it all the time. He’s an
awesome guy off the ice and an even better teammate on the ice.”
It wasn’t a perfect game for the 31-year-old Ullmark, who finished
with a .880 save percentage and minus-1.24 goals saved above
expected, but the game’s second star beat the team that traded him last
June for the second time this season.
His former tandem-mate, meanwhile, only lasted one period in
net on Thursday.
Jeremy Swayman allowed four goals on 15 shots for a .733 SP
as Shane Pinto, Kleven, Drake Batherson and Ridly Greig got on the board. Bruins
interim coach Joe Sacco pulled him in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who went the
other way in the Ullmark trade with Ottawa. Korpisalo stopped 14 of 15 shots to
keep his team in the game, but it wasn’t enough for the Bruins to complete the comeback.
The Bruins still sit two points behind the Columbus Blue
Jackets for the second wild-card spot, while the Senators are now five points
ahead of Columbus for the first wild-card place.
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New Jersey Devils 'Just Have To Press On' Without Injured Hamilton, Hughes And Siegenthaler
The New
Jersey Devils face an added challenge in their quest for the Stanley Cup
playoffs and beyond.
New Jersey’s
top-scoring defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, is out for the rest of the regular
season with an injury he suffered on March 4 against the Dallas Stars.
Hamilton’s recovery
time may last into the second round of the playoffs, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald
told the Krackin’ Canuckleheads podcast on Thursday.
After losing
center Jack Hughes for the rest of the season and playoffs due to a shoulder
injury and blueliner Jonas Siegenthaler for at least the rest of the regular
season with a lower-body injury, New Jersey must move forward without Hamilton.
“We turned the page pretty quickly when the injury happened.
We just have to press on,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on
Thursday.
Hamilton was only one of six Devils players to appear in all
63 of New Jersey’s games before his injury, causing him to miss the following
three games. He recorded nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points, as well as 89
blocked shots, 74 hits and an average ice time of 19:48.
New Jersey played most of last season without Hamilton after
he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. The Devils finished 10 points out of a
playoff spot despite ranking third in the NHL in 2022-23, when Hamilton had 74
points in 82 games.
The Devils rebounded this season by currently ranking third
in the Metropolitan Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve
largely struggled since Dec. 28. They have the fourth-worst points percentage
in that span at .446, with an 11-14-3 record. That’s caused them to fall from a
tie for the most points in the NHL on Dec. 27 to 13th place.
What’s helped the Devils maintain third place in the
division is the Columbus Blue Jackets’ streaky results. Despite having a
four-game win streak from Feb. 22 to March 1, Columbus had a four-game winless
streak before that and three losses in four outings after that, including on
Tuesday against New Jersey.
Since Feb. 1, New Jersey and Columbus are nearly tied in
points percentage at .462 and .458, respectively.
But playing an extended stretch without Hughes, the team’s
top scorer before his injury, and defensemen Hamilton and Siegenthaler will
test the squad’s depth when it matters most.
It will especially test Luke Hughes, who’s averaged 22:29 in
ice time in Hamilton’s absence. The 21-year-old has a goal and three points in
those three games on the top pair with shutdown D-man Brett Pesce and on the
top power-play unit. Fellow 21-year-old blueliner Simon Nemec must also show what he can do in his call-up but has drawn criticism from Keefe about his inconsistency and missed assignments.
The team’s also pressed on with newly acquired center Cody
Glass, who’s playing with new leading scorer Jesper Bratt and Erik Haula. Glass
has a goal and two assists for three points since the Pittsburgh Penguins
traded him on deadline day. Whether he continues his strong start remains to be
seen, but he only has 18 points in 53 games this season, and his career-high 35
points came in 2022-23 with the Nashville Predators.
If the standings
remain the same, the Devils will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round.
Both teams rank near the top of the NHL in fewest goals against per game and in
the middle of the pack for goals-for per game.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad Suspended 20 Games: How NHL's Performance-Enhancing Substance Program Works
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is suspended for 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL and NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
Ekblad is suspended without pay for the rest of the regular season and the first two games of the playoffs if the Panthers make it – while they haven't clinched a playoff spot yet, they lead the Atlantic Division by four points.
The program oversees the administration of random testing for prohibited performance-enhancing substances, provides treatment following positive test results, educates all players about the health risks of using those substances and imposes penalties, among other responsibilities.
"Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the suspension is accompanied by a mandatory referral to the NHL and NHLPA Program for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) for evaluation and possible treatment," said the league's statement. "The National Hockey League will have no further comment on the matter."
Ekblad released a statement through the NHLPA.
"The news that I had failed a random drug test was a shock," he said. "Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel. I have let my teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans down. For that, I am truly sorry."
Article 47 of the NHL and NHLPA CBA explains the Performance Enhancing Substances Program, including its responsibilities, the testing process and what happens after positive test results.
During the regular season, each club is randomly selected for team-wide no-notice testing once during training camp and the regular season. Individual players will also be chosen randomly for no-notice testing during the regular season and playoffs, as long as they aren't on game days or days off. The program can also conduct up to 60 tests on individual players during the off-season.
When there's an "adverse" test result, the program doctors contact the player to notify them of the situation and their right to offer an alternative medical explanation for the result. If the player gives an explanation, the program doctors can request information and documents and collect other relevant evidence to decide on the validity of that explanation.
The first positive test carries a 20-game suspension without pay and mandatory referral to the SABH Program. The second positive test carries a 60-game suspension without pay and a referral. The third positive test leads to a "permanent" suspension, although the player can reapply for reinstatement after two years.
The NHLPA can appeal a positive test result on behalf of the player to an arbitrator. But the player can't be suspended – and identified – until the arbitrator decides on the grievance.
"I have accepted responsibility for my mistake and will be fully prepared to return to my team when my suspension is over," Ekblad said. "I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates."
Ekblad, 29, has three goals and 30 assists for 33 points in 56 games this season.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Mikko Rantanen Shoots For The (Dallas) Stars With Blockbuster Move, Extension
Mikko
Rantanen’s time with the Carolina Hurricanes ends after 42 days. His time with the Dallas Stars is expected to be much, much longer.
With hours
until the NHL trade deadline, the superstar right winger joins the Stars
in another blockbuster move after not signing a contract extension with the
Hurricanes. The Stars, however, signed Rantanen to an eight-year contract
extension worth $12-million annually with a full no-move clause.
Carolina
receives right winger Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round draft pick that's top 10 protected, a 2028 first-round pick that's also top 10 protected, a 2026 third rounder and a 2027 third-rounder. If the 2026 first-rounder falls in the top 10, it converts to an unprotected first-rounder in 2027. The 2028 first-rounder would become an unprotected 2029 first-rounder if it landed in the top 10 as well.
Dallas brings
one of the NHL’s top 10 scorers of the last eight years back to the Central
Division ahead of a potential playoff matchup against the club that sent him
away in January. Carolina moves forward in its pursuit of the Stanley Cup
without risking losing another star in free agency.
The
Hurricanes saw Rantanen as the game-breaking talent who can drive them past the
second and third rounds, where their Cup chases ended in the last three years.
They traded Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a second-round pick, third-round pick and
fourth-round pick to get Rantanen and left winger Taylor Hall from the Colorado
Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks in January’s three-team deal.
But Rantanen
was a pending UFA in the final year of a six-year contract worth $9.25 million
annually. His 70 points in 62 games are the second-most
among all pending free agents, trailing Toronto Maple Leafs right winger
Mitch Marner. His new contract with Dallas comes when the NHL salary cap is set
to rise to $95.5 million in 2025-26 and past the $100-million mark afterward.
The 28-year-old
from Finland couldn’t agree on a new deal with the Hurricanes. While he
averaged more than a point per game with the Avalanche this season – 64 points
in 49 games – Rantanen’s scoring also dropped in Carolina to six points in 13
games. He shot on net at a higher rate than he did with the Avalanche this season,
but his shooting percentage fell to five percent with Carolina from 18.5
percent with Colorado.
With the
trade deadline approaching, the Hurricanes decided to trade Rantanen instead of
keeping him as a potential rental.
Carolina
already dealt with last season’s big-ticket trade acquisition, Jake Guentzel, not
re-signing in Raleigh. That led the club to trade his signing rights to the
Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 third-round pick on the day before free agency
opened.
This time,
they get a rookie with a nice shot, speed and effective forechecking. Despite
being undersized at 5-foot-8, Stankoven burst onto the scene with 14 points in
24 games last season. He had nine goals and 29 points in 59 games for the Stars
ahead of the move, and at only 22 years old, he can develop in the Hurricanes’
core.
Rantanen,
on the other hand, is back in the Central Division where he played with the
Avalanche for the first parts of 10 seasons of his NHL career. He was an
instrumental part of the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, and he was
reportedly shocked when Colorado traded him.
Now,
Rantanen could face his former team in the first round.
The Stars
sit second in the Central with 84 points, six points behind the Winnipeg Jets
and eight ahead of the Minnesota Wild and Avalanche. The Wild sit third in the
Central, but the Avs have been better in the last 10 games and added Brock
Nelson at the deadline as well. If Colorado finishes third, the Stars and
Avalanche will face off in Round 1.
Buckle up
for a fierce Central Division battle for the rest of this season and years to come
now that Rantanen has a new eight-year deal. And back in the East, the
Hurricanes now hope their bold move to acquire Rantanen in the first place was
worth it.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Seth Jones Gets His Wish With Blackhawks And Panthers Deal
Seth Jones is headed to a Stanley Cup contender with less than a week to go until the NHL trade deadline.
Seth Jones (Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks traded Jones to the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick. If the Panthers don't end up having that pick by the 2026 NHL draft, Chicago will instead receive a 2027 first-round pick.
With the Blackhawks retaining $2.5 million of Jones' cap hit, the 30-year-old defenseman got what he wanted when a report by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times broke on Feb. 19, while Chicago gets a potential netminder of the future.
Pope reported that Jones hadn't formally requested a trade but wanted a chance to win in his career.
Jones later said he wanted to play for a team that competes in the playoffs every year and already has the pieces in place to go all the way.
"I've been here the last four years, through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen in a while," Jones said on Feb. 21. "Things are moving up and moving forward, but my timeline might be different than (Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson, associate GM Norm Maciver) and the Blackhawks'."
With a waive of the no-move clause, Jones now plays for the defending Stanley Cup champions. He's now part of the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers, with 77 points in 61 games heading into Saturday night's games. And Florida's on the hook for $7 million of Jones' cap hit through the 2027-28 season while the salary cap's upper limit is set to increase significantly.
Jones has seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 42 games this season. Only fellow right-handed blueliner Aaron Ekblad has more points than him on the Panthers, with 30. But the only other right-handed defenseman who played for Florida this season is Adam Boqvist, who had six points in 18 games and now plays for the New York Islanders.
Boqvist was part of the trade package the Blackhawks send to the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2021. That move came after the Blackhawks missed the playoffs for the third time in four years. Chicago then missed the post-season another three times and is on pace to do so again as its rebuild continues.
While the Blackhawks used their third and final retention slot on Jones' contract – the other two slots will free up this off-season when the contracts for Jake McCabe and Mikko Rantanen expire this summer – they got a return that aligns with their rebuild.
Knight, 23, has a 12-8-1 record with a 2.40 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 games this season. He spent the 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers but played 57 NHL games between 2020-21 and 2022-23.
Knight enrolled in the NHL and NHLPA player assistance program in February 2023 to deal with an ongoing case of obsessive compulsive disorder, a decision he said he believes will ultimately make him a better NHL goalie.
The Blackhawks' tandem in net is 33-year-old Petr Mrazek and 25-year-old Arvid Soderblom, and 22-year-old Drew Commesso has a 2.91 GAA and .897 SP in 24 games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Laurent Brossoit signed with Chicago last summer as well but had knee surgery before the season and a second procedure in November.
Knight has one more season on his contract after this one with a $4.5-million cap hit. He'll be an RFA with arbitration rights in the summer of 2027, when contracts for Mrazerk and Brossoit expire. Soderblom is an RFA after this season.
In the end, two teams got players who align with their plans. For Jones, who has 839 career regular-season games and 37 playoff games, he's likely to return to the post-season for the first time since 2019-20.
Things seem to be moving up and forward for Jones as the NHL trade front gets busier before the March 7 deadline. The New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche swapped had a five-player trade earlier on Saturday, while the Nashville Predators moved Gustav Nyquist to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick.
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130th Anniversary Of Colored Hockey League Of The Maritimes Honored In Nova Scotia, Ottawa
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the Colored Hockey
League of the Maritimes, which began 14 years before the precursor to the NHL was founded.
The CHLM was a competitive all-Black league in Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward Island, the only all-Black league in Canadian history. The
first recorded game occurred more than a decade before the founding of the National Hockey Association.
It took place on Feb. 27, 1895, between the Halifax Eurekas and
Dartmouth Jubilees, Hockey Nova Scotia Diversity and Inclusion Chair Dean
Smith told
CTV on Feb. 15 as organizations across Canada commemorate the
league's anniversary.
The initial local league included the Eurekas, Jubilees and
Halifax Stanleys. More teams included the Sea-Sides, Victorias,
Rangers, Royals and Moss Backs. The league reorganized in the late 1920s, and some clubs lasted into the 1930s. Multiracial crowds gathered to watch the games and journalists reported on the results, but the players and staff still endured racism on and off the ice, including limited access to indoor ice time and Black players being barred from other leagues.
In October 2024, the Government of Canada recognized
the CHLM as an event of historical significance, noting it
"exemplifies how African Canadian communities in the Maritimes fought for
equality in sports and used hockey to advance social change in Canada."
The league introduced fundamental techniques to hockey,
including butterfly-style goaltending and the slapshot, according
to Bob Dawson, a Black hockey historian, sports writer and former hockey
player.
Dartmouth, N.S., held
a panel discussion, a plaque ceremony by Parks Canada and a
commemorative game on Feb. 15, featuring all-Black rosters representing the
Eurekas and Jubilees. Bill Riley, the first African-Nova Scotian to play in the
NHL, dropped the puck in a pre-game ceremony.
Last Saturday in Ottawa, recognized the CHLM as part of
Black History Month Appreciation Night. George Fosty, author of Black
Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925,
did the ceremonial puck drop alongside Jean-Marie Guerrier of Black History
Ottawa and Lois Downey, the descendant of two players in the CHLM.
Like in Darmouth, Black History Ottawa organized a commemorative
game as well. Mark Fraser, former NHL player and director of culture and
inclusion with the Toronto Maple Leafs, took part in the game.
“For someone like myself, who is a racialized individual
(and) a member of the Black community, there may be other barriers that you
will have to navigate through challenges and certainly bias from opponents and
fans and certainly some of the decision makers,” Fraser told CTV
Ottawa. “This celebrates the multiculturalism and diversity that exists in
our cities, our spaces, our arenas, our workplaces and schools and
acknowledging our history.”
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Canada’s Anthem Booed In Boston At 4 Nations Face-Off Final
Fans in
Boston booed the Canadian national anthem ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off final
between Team Canada and Team USA – but there was singing heard in the crowd as well.
After fans
in Montreal booed the American national anthem ahead of Team USA’s games
against Finland last Thursday and Canada last Saturday, and despite P.A.
announcer Al Murdoch asking the crowd to respect the anthems for both countries
on Thursday, boos were audible during O Canada.
As the anthem continued, more fans were heard singing along with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk instead.
The 4 Nations Face-Off comes as U.S. president Donald Trump has repeatedly said Canada should be
the 51st state of the United States and repeatedly referred to Canadian prime
minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau.” Trudeau said there’s “not a
snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would become part of the United States.
The United States also announced tariffs on Canada on Feb. 1, which led to retaliatory
tariffs. Both countries’ tariffs are paused.
Kreviazuk posted to her Instagram story a photo of her hand with the words "that only us command," which she sang in Boston instead of the original lyrics "in all of us command." A representative for Kreviazuk said to CBC News in an email the switch was intentional in response to annexation comments coming from the United States.
Trump called
Team USA for roughly five minutes earlier Thursday, which players Brock Faber,
J.T. Miller and Noah Hanifin each described
as cool when talking to reporters.
“It was pretty cool. So awesome to hear the support,” Miller
told reporters. “It's a pretty big deal for him to take time out of his
schedule to talk to us for five minutes, and just another one of those things
where we're kind of pinching ourselves this tournament.”
Although the round-robin game between Canada and the USA began with three fights in nine seconds, no players dropped the gloves in the first period in Thursday night's championship game.
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4 Nations Face-Off: USA's Brady Tkachuk Leaves Game Vs. Sweden After Crashing Into Net
Team USA's Brady Tkachuk left Monday's game against Sweden. The Americans were already playing short on offense without Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews.
Team USA left winger Brady Tkachuk left Monday's 4 Nations Face-Off game after falling into the net, according to Sportsnet.
Tkachuk drove the net with the puck but appeared to lose an edge. He slid into Team Sweden netminder Samuel Ersson and the goalpost.
Tkachuk took a 10-second shift afterward but went to the dressing room. He returned for a 14-second shift about seven minutes later but did not return to the bench in the second period.
The Ottawa Senators captain had already logged three hits and three shots in 1:55 of ice time before leaving the game.
Before the game, Tkachuk said his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, will play in Thursday's championship game against Team Canada after being ruled out for Monday's game due to a lower-body injury. Chris Kreider suited up instead and scored the first goal of the game.
Team USA captain Auston Matthews also sat out Monday's game due to upper-body soreness but is expected to play on Thursday. The Americans played with 11 forwards to begin the game as a result.
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy also missed the game but is expected to play on Thursday, according to THN.com's Max Miller.
Center Vincent Trocheck briefly went to the dressing room in the first period after taking a puck to the hand but returned for the second period.
Brady Tkachuk, 25, has been a standout performer at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He and Matthew Tkachuk fought Sam Bennett and Brandon Hagel, respectively in the opening seconds of last Saturday's round-robin contest between the United States and Canada. Tkachuk also scored twice, including the 1-1 equalizer, against Team Finland on Thursday. He has 17 hits and 11 shots in three games.
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'Be Yourself, And Play For The Country': Canada Wins Do-Or-Die Game, Forces Finland To Change Goalies
Canada had a strong lead over Finland in the first half of Monday's matinee game and survived a comeback attempt to clinch a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final.
Team Canada had a commanding start to survive a late comeback attempt from Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Canada took a 4-0 lead over Finland in the first half of the do-or-die game. Finland scored three times in the final seven minutes of regulation, but Sidney Crosby sealed the deal with an empty-net goal.
The Canadians won in regulation to clinch a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final against the United States. Although they had leads in their previous two games in the tournament, this was Canada's first regulation win.
"Be yourself, and play for the country," Canada coach Jon Cooper told the players in the dressing room pre-game. "Play for the guys sitting in this room. That's all you got to do. Let's let everything unfold the way it is. It's all the little moments that will create one big huge moment. That's why we're here. Let's go make the country proud."
Connor McDavid kicked off the scoring for Canada for the second time in the past two games. He prevented Finland's clearance by stopping the puck at the blueline, and he walked in the zone, circled around and shot the puck past the glove side of goaltender Kevin Lankinen.
Less than a minute later, Brandon Hagel won a puck battle, and Sam Reinhart flipped the puck to MacKinnon for a mini-breakaway, scoring to make it 2-0. Finland called a timeout to reset.
Brayden Point then capitalized on a rebound off Mark Stone's shot to increase the lead to 3-0 at the 13-minute mark. MacKinnon added his second goal of the game on another assist from Sidney Crosby in the second period to make it 4-0.
That goal prompted Finland coach Antti Pennanen to pull Lankinen for Juuse Saros after four goals on 13 shots. Saros played Finland's first game against Team USA but allowed six goals on 32 shots, while Lankinen backstopped the team to an overtime win against Sweden.
Like Cooper said about little moments, little aspects of Canada's game led to the goals, which brought the team to a rematch with the Americans on Thursday.
"We're creating turnovers and jumping on them," Brayden Point told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas at the first intermission. "They're a super-structured team, really good defensively, so hopefully we can just keep using our legs and try to get more chances."
Finland had to come back against Sweden twice in Saturday's win after trailing 1-0 and 3-2. Overcoming this deficit would have been the biggest comeback of the tournament so far.
Defenseman Esa Lindell ended Canada goalie Jordan Binnington's shutout bid 13 minutes into the third period. He turned the puck over by chipping it toward Artturi Lehkonen. Lehkonen passed back to Lindell, who beat Binnington blocker side.
Mikael Granlund, who scored Finland's overtime-winner against Sweden, cut the deficit to two goals with less than two minutes to go in regulation. In a net-front scramble, Patrik Laine collected the puck and fed Granlund for a one-timer that beat Binnington in the five-hole.
Twenty-three seconds later, Granlund scored again by finding an open area in the slot, receiving a pass from Aleksander Barkov and firing the puck into the top-left corner.
Finland almost succeeded in tying the match, and they pulled Saros for the extra attacker once again with about a minute left. Granlund tried to receive a pass at center ice and dump the puck into Canada's zone, but Crosby bodychecked him and sent the biscuit into the empty net.
Canada held 2-0 and 3-1 leads against Sweden in the tournament opener last Wednesday, but Sweden tied the game at 3-3. Mitch Marner scored in overtime.
McDavid also scored first against Team USA, but the Americans scored twice and added an empty-netter.
This time, Canada held on.
Monday night's game between the United States and Sweden will finish the preliminary round, but the final is set. Team USA and Canada will face off again in Boston on Thursday.
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4 Nations Face-Off: Final-Clinching Scenarios For Canada, Finland And Sweden
Canada, Finland and Sweden still have a shot at facing Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off final. Here are the clinching scenarios.
Monday's 4 Nations Face-Off action in Boston will determine which squad faces Team USA in Thursday's final.
Ahead of the matchup between Canada and Finland at 1 p.m. ET, the other three participating countries can still qualify for a rematch against the Americans. However, at least one team will play its final game in the matinee.
Sweden's fate is in Canada and Finland's hands for now. If that game goes to overtime, the Swedes' destiny is back under their control when they play Team USA at 8 p.m. ET.
Here are the standings before Monday's games and the scenarios for who will face the Americans in the championship game.
Standings
Three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime/shootout win, one point for an overtime/shootout loss, no points for a regulation loss)
1. Team USA: six points (two regulation wins)
2. Team Canada: two points (one overtime win, one regulation loss)
3. Team Finland: two points (one overtime win, one regulation loss)
4. Team Sweden: two points (two overtime losses)
The tiebreaker is the head-to-head result. Canada and Finland have already beaten Sweden, so Sweden does not hold the tiebreaker against either team if they are tied in points.
Clinching Scenarios
Canada and Finland both need to win in regulation to guarantee a spot in the final before Sweden and the U.S. play. If Canada and Finland are tied after regulation, the winners will only receive two points in the standings. That makes it possible for Sweden to overtake them in the standings with a regulation win.
Canada will advance if:
- It beats Finland in regulation, or
- It beats Finland in overtime or a shootout, and Sweden does not beat Team USA in regulation
Finland will advance if:
- It beats Canada in regulation, or
- It beats Canada in overtime or a shootout, and Sweden does not beat Team USA in regulation
Sweden will advance if:
- The Canada and Finland game is decided in overtime or a shootout, and Sweden beats Team USA in regulation
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'Mayhem' At 4 Nations Face-Off, Followed By Precision From Team USA Vs. Canada
thehockeynews.com'Mayhem' At 4 Nations Face-Off, Followed By Precision From Team USA Vs. CanadaTeam USA beat Canada on an unforgettable night at the 4 Nations Face-Off. After the longest nine seconds ever, the Americans got the win by locking things down.
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Rivalry Reignited: U.S. Anthem Booed, Three Fights Begin Canada And USA 4 Nations Game
thehockeynews.comRivalry Reignited: U.S. Anthem Booed, Three Fights Begin Canada And USA 4 Nations GameThe Tkachuk brothers and J.T. Miller fought Brandon Hagel, Sam Bennett and Colton Parayko to start the USA and Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off game.
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Rivalry Reignited: U.S. Anthem Booed, Three Fights Begin Canada And USA 4 Nations Game
The Tkachuk brothers and J.T. Miller fought Brandon Hagel, Sam Bennett and Colton Parayko to start the USA and Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off game.
The 4 Nations Face-Off game between Team USA and Team Canada began with jeers, cheers and a lot of fighting.
Fans in Montreal's Bell Centre booed the American anthem for the second time in two games ahead of Saturday evening's 4 Nations Face-Off match between Team USA and Team Canada.
Like in earlier games, public address announcer Michel Lacroix asked the crowd to respect the national anthems of both countries.
However, boos were audible throughout the Star Spangled Banner.
For O Canada, fans were asked to sing along with David Grenon of the Royal Canadian Air Force Band in honor of the 60th anniversary of Canada's flag. They joined in with a loud rendition of the Canadian national anthem and cheers afterward.
But when the puck dropped, so did the gloves.
Team USA and Florida Panthers right winger Matthew Tkachuk fought Team Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel to start the game. Their Atlantic Division rivalry kicked up a notch on the best-on-best stage.
"I think I blacked out on it," Hagel told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas at the intermission. "Just trying to get some energy in the building. He asked, and I'm not backing down from him."
"Me and (Matthew Tkachuk) have a pretty good history, just going back and forth throughout the season, so I felt potentially if we start together, he was going to ask me, and long time coming."
The younger Tkachuk brother, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, then fought Team Canada and Florida Panthers winger Sam Bennett.
And moments later, USA and New York Rangers center J.T. Miller dropped the gloves with Canada and St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.
The referees handed out 32 penalty minutes in the first nine seconds of the game. The six fighters each received five-minute majors. Miller received an extra two-minute minor penalty for cross-checking Parayko.
"That was the greatest start to a hockey game ever," former NHL defenseman and Sportsnet panellist Kevin Bieksa said during the first intermission.
After Connor McDavid opened the scoring, Jake Guentzel scored for Team USA to tie the game heading into the second period. Dylan Larkin gave the Americans the lead, and Guentzel added an empty-netter to seal a 3-1 victory for the United States.
U.S. Anthem Booed Twice At 4 Nations Face-Off
Team USA and Team Canada members were asked about the boos heard during the Star Spangled Banner in USA's first game on Thursday, a 6-1 win over Finland.
"I think we like it," USA center J.T. Miller told reporters on Friday. "Not politically, but we just had a sense of, we know where we’re at in Canada, and I think that fires us up more than anything."
Added Matthew Tkachuk post-game on Thursday: "I didn't like it. That's all I got."
Canadian left winger Brad Marchand, who captains the Boston Bruins, said the fans shouldn't be booing the Americans during their anthem.
"They have nothing to do with the political things that are going on," Marchand told reporters on Friday. "I do feel bad for those guys in that moment. I don’t think it’s right."
Team Canada and Lightning coach Jon Cooper said on Friday he hoped it wouldn't happen again on Saturday. USA coach Mike Sullivan said they just want to represent their nation in the right way.
The boos come after United States president Donald Trump introduced tariffs on Canada on Feb. 1, which prompted the Canadian federal government to announce retaliatory tariffs. Both countries' tariffs were paused for at least 30 days.
Trump has also repeatedly said Canada should become the United States' 51st state, referring to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau as "Governor Trudeau."
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Screen Shots: Marner's 4 Nations Opportunity, L.A.'s Charity Game Lineup And Duclair's Rink In Florida
thehockeynews.comScreen Shots: Marner's 4 Nations Opportunity, L.A.'s Charity Game Lineup And Duclair's Rink In FloridaAdam Proteau discusses Mitch Marner's golden opportunity, the Los Angeles Kings' charity event to fundraise for fire aid and the Anthony Duclair Foundation's new synthetic ice rink.
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Crosby And MacKinnon Unite For Canada's First 4 Nations Face-Off Goal – Marchand Follows
Sidney Crosby dished a backhand cross-crease pass to Nathan MacKinnon to put Canada on the board at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
It took 56 seconds to see what Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon could do on the same team at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Canada waited 10 years for the Nova Scotia duo to play together again after Crosby and a then-19-year-old MacKinnon took the ice at the 2015 World Championship. Wednesday night was the chance to see their chemistry after many summers of training together.
After Sweden's William Nylander got called for high-sticking MacKinnon in the first game of the tournament, Canada's first power-play unit got to work.
With a helper from Connor McDavid, Crosby and MacKinnon connected.
McDavid and Crosby passed the puck back and forth to the left of Sweden's goalie, Filip Gustavsson. Crosby made quick looks over to MacKinnon.
After McDavid's second pass to Crosby, Canada's captain dished a backhand pass past Gustavsson and a sliding Mattias Ekholm. That was before turning toward MacKinnon.
MacKinnon stood uncovered across the crease and sent the puck past a sprawling Gustavsson into the net, bringing the Canadian fans in Montreal to their feet.
Canada's top power-play unit features three-time Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid and Stanley Cup champions Crosby, MacKinnon, Sam Reinhart and Cale Makar.
Team Canada has three Nova Scotians on the squad: Crosby, MacKinnon and Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.
Marchand scored Canada's second goal in the 14th minute off a rush with Brayden Point and Seth Jarvis.
"A Boston Bruin electrifies the crowd here in Montreal," said Sportsnet play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert.
Crosby added two more assists and was the game's first star in Canada's 4-3 overtime win over Sweden.
The 4 Nations Face-Off lasts until the final in Boston on Feb. 20.
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'He's A Leader': Can Marcus Pettersson Help Calm The Canucks' Room?
thehockeynews.com'He's A Leader': Can Marcus Pettersson Help Calm The Canucks' Room?"It's not just on the ice, it's off the ice" that made the Vancouver Canucks want Marcus Pettersson on their squad for a long time following the team's drama this season.
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Opinion: Despite Rumor About The Maple Leafs' Interest In Sabres' Cozens, It's Not The Right Fit
thehockeynews.comOpinion: Despite Rumor About The Maple Leafs' Interest In Sabres' Cozens, It's Not The Right FitThe Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly expressed interest in Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens. But Adam Proteau doesn't think a Toronto-Buffalo deal for Cozens would work.
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4 Nations Face-Off Fan Festivals In Montreal, Boston Include Photos With Tournament Trophy
Montreal's 4 Nations Face-Off fan festival is on Feb. 15, while Boston's 'Fan Village' runs from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17.
The NHL and NHLPA announced their plans for activity-filled 4 Nations Face-Off fan festivals in Montreal and Boston.
While the tournament begins in Montreal on Feb. 12 with a showdown between Canada and Sweden, each hub city has a fan festival planned that includes contests, virtual reality simulators, personalized hockey cards and more.
Montreal's festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 15 at Windsor Station. Boston's 'Fan Village' runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET from Feb. 15 through Monday, Feb. 17 at Boston City Hall Plaza.
There are also expected to be autograph sessions featuring NHL alumni, including former Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask and former U.S. goalie Mike Richter in Boston.
The Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit, in particular, is expected to have historic hockey artifacts from the four countries participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off – Canada, Sweden, Finland and the USA. But fans can also get a closer look at the trophy for this tournament. The trophy is scheduled to be in Montreal on Feb. 15 for photo opportunities and Feb. 16 and 17 in Boston.
Both festivals are expected to have broadcasts of the Finland and Sweden game at 1 p.m. ET on Feb. 15, while Boston also plans to show the Canada and Finland game at 1 p.m. ET on Feb. 17.
Visitors don't need tickets to attend the public festivals, but backpacks, hard-sided coolers and bags larger than four by six by one-and-a-half inches are not permitted, except for medical bags and diaper bags that accompany guests with young children. Fans will also be required to go through metal detectors before entry.
Hyundai, Rogers, and Tim Hortons will also have fun activations to engage fans at the Canadiens Plaza outside the Bell Centre from Feb. 12 to 15. Rogers and Upper Deck will also engage fans with activations on the Bell Centre concourse during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
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Vancouver Canucks' Marcus Pettersson Earns Praise As He Signs Six-Year Contract
The Vancouver Canucks liked what they saw out of Marcus Pettersson in the two games since trading for him from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In less than a week, the Vancouver Canucks traded for Marcus Pettersson and re-signed him for six years.
The team announced Wednesday it agreed to terms with the defenseman on a contract extension worth $5.5 million annually.
Pettersson was part of the trade that sent him and left winger Drew O'Connor to the Canucks, while forwards Danton Heinen and Melvin Fernstrom, D-man Vincent Desharnais and a conditional 2025 first-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pettersson's first look in Vancouver seemed to go well.
"In just a couple of games, Marcus has already shown us the type of leadership, poise and character that we want in a top-four defenseman," Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said in a news release. "He has a calming influence on the ice, uses his long reach and hockey smarts to break up plays and has a good first pass to help us create more offensively.
"We are extremely happy to get this deal done and look forward to working with him in both the short term and long term."
In two games with Vancouver, the 28-year-old is averaging 24:30 of ice time and has three hits and three blocked shots on a pairing with Tyler Myers. He also had a tough matchup against Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon's line on Tuesday but held him without a point.
Overall this season, Pettersson has three goals and 18 points in 49 games between the Canucks and Penguins. Pettersson had been with Pittsburgh since the 2018-19 campaign when the Anaheim Ducks traded him in exchange for Daniel Sprong. Current Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford was Pittsburgh's GM at the time.
In 493 career NHL games, Pettersson has 17 goals and 134 assists for 151 points. He also has four assists in 25 playoff games. The Ducks selected him 38th overall pick in the 2014 draft.
The Skelleftea, Sweden, native is finishing up a five-year contract worth $4,025,175 per season, meaning he gets a raise of nearly $1.475 million per campaign with this extension.
The new deal also comes after the NHL and NHLPA announced salary cap projections for the next three seasons. Next year's upper limit is set at $95.5 million, meaning the team still has $19.6 million in cap space with 17 NHLers under contract.
The Canucks have six pending UFAs remaining, including key right winger Brock Boeser, newly acquired O'Connor and goaltender Kevin Lankinen. There should be space to fit those three in with raises if there's a good fit for each player beyond this season.
As for the long term, Pettersson and Filip Hronek are now signed into the 2030s – Pettersson through 2031 and Hronek through 2032. Captain Quinn Hughes is signed through the 2027-28 season. And on offense, center Elias Pettersson and left winger Jake DeBrusk are also signed into the 2030s. Allvin, Rutherford and Canucks management are trying to lock in their key pieces for years to come as they pursue the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Right now, the team just needs to make the playoffs. They're tied with the Calgary Flames in points, with 59 each, and they have the same number of games played, regulation wins and games won without needing a shootout. But Calgary holds the fourth tie-breaker, which is total wins – 26 for the Flames and 24 for the Canucks.
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