NHL

10:16 AM ET The NHL trade deadline is March 21. That’s a lot of runway for teams to fall out of playoff races, for general managers to lay the groundwork for deals and for rampant media conjecture about who stays and who goes. Here’s a look at the 10 most fascinating people at the trade

7:43 AM ET JEREMY SMITH REMEMBERS laughing. It was the 2018-19 season, and Smith was a goalie for the AHL Bridgeport Tigers, an affiliate of the New York Islanders. It was the ninth minor league team of his career. He was getting older. Outside of 10 games with the Colorado Avalanche, his NHL dream hadn’t

4:50 PM ET For the second straight Winter Olympics, the National Hockey League dashed hopes for a “best on best” men’s ice hockey tournament. The NHL opted out of the 2018 Pyeongchang Games because of a funding dispute with the IOC. That upset the players, who negotiated participation in the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics

9:30 AM ET The 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend has come and gone. Now the real work begins. Every team’s schedule is jam-packed to the finish of this regular season, and there’s no room for those who are just coming along for the ride. You already know who the superstars will be across the league. This

8:22 PM ET Comfortably in first place in the Western Conference, but chasing the NHL’s No. 1 overall seed, the Colorado Avalanche could soon be boosted the return of their best player. Nathan MacKinnon might return for the Avalanche on Sunday, when they take on the Dallas Stars, Colorado coach Jared Bednar said on Tuesday

6:52 PM ET Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer has joined the Anaheim Ducks‘ front office as a special adviser to the hockey operations department. New Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek on Tuesday announced the “enhanced role” in the front office for Niedermayer, the captain of Anaheim’s only Stanley Cup-winning

12:07 AM ET ESPN News Services TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews left a 4-3 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Monday night after a hard hit along the boards in the third period. With less than a minute remaining in the third, Matthews got tangled up with Carolina forward Nino Niederreiter

5:39 PM ET The most intense and storied rivalry in hockey returns to the ice during tonight’s Winter Olympics action (11:10 p.m. ET) when Team USA and Canada face off in their final women’s tournament preliminary round game. Both teams are 3-0 in group play. They have combined to outscore their opponents 47-5. They’re on

8:04 AM ET The NHL’s journey with the city of Las Vegas has been a fascinating one. In a span of five years, we’ve gone from the league discouraging its new expansion team from adopting a name associated with gambling to having NHL players shooting pucks at playing cards on The Strip in a blackjack-inspired

8:59 PM ET The Chicago Blackhawks fired the longtime head athletic trainer of their AHL affiliate following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, the team said in a statement to ESPN. When reached by ESPN on Sunday, the Blackhawks confirmed that Rockford IceHogs head athletic trainer D.J. Jones’ employment had been terminated in November.

8:11 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks have interviewed longtime NHL executive Peter Chiarelli for their general manager job. Chiarelli, 57, is the vice president of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues. He was the GM for the Boston Bruins from 2006-2015 and the Edmonton Oilers from 2015-2019. 2 Related The

5:28 PM ET ESPN News Services New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes has been placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list after participating in the league’s All-Star festivities in Las Vegas. The Devils announced the move on Sunday, a day after Hughes played for the Metropolitan Division. The 20-year-old Hughes has 12 goals and 15

9:41 PM ET LAS VEGAS — The NHL All-Star Game took over Las Vegas this weekend, producing memorable moments, incredible sights and in the biggest surprise, some close, compelling 3-on-3 hockey games. Here are 10 takeaways from Friday’s skills competitions and Saturday’s All-Star Game, which the Metropolitan Division won with Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux

6:42 AM ET LAS VEGAS — The NHL All-Star Skills Competition has its traditional events like hardest shot and fastest skater. But on Friday night in Las Vegas, Nevada, one of the oddest competitions in the event’s history was held for the first time since 2016: The Breakaway Challenge, a prop comedy trick shot event.

6:22 PM ET LAS VEGAS — The Metropolitan Division captured the 2022 NHL All-Star Game championship by defeating the Central Division 5-3 in the final round of the 3-on-3 tournament Saturday. Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux, the captain of the Metropolitan team, was named MVP and received a new Honda Passport for scoring three goals

8:00 AM ET NHL Insiders The NHL’s stars have descended upon Las Vegas for the 2022 All-Star Weekend. The festivities began with the skills competition on Friday night, and included some epic performances. On Saturday, the four divisional squads square off in a tournament to determine bragging rights… and a $1 million payday split between

10:00 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski stood 35 feet away from his target, staring into the cool air. He slapped the puck with his stick and took a shot. Not at a goalie. Not even at a goal. At a large playing card: the ace of diamonds, which the puck

8:53 PM ET Associated Press MONTREAL — Former NHL enforcer Chris Nilan says he was fired from a Montreal sports radio station for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine. In a letter posted to social media Thursday advising listeners of his departure from TSN 690, the 63-year-old Nilan said a request for an exemption was