12:50 PM ET Defenseman Jalen Smereck of HC Donbass said he won’t play another game in the Ukrainian Hockey League until Kremenchuk forward Andrei Deniskin is “removed from the league” for making a racist gesture to him on Sunday. In the second period of their game, Deniskin shouted at Smereck, who is Black, and then
NHL
7:00 AM ET Ranking the NHL’s goaltending tandems used to be a predictable process: Pencil in the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and whoever the Tampa Bay Lightning have playing with Andrei Vasilevskiy at the top, and then figure out the rest. Unfortunately for us, and fortunately for the rest of the NHL,
9:11 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen practiced Monday after he was removed from the COVID-19 protocol list. Lankinen had been held out since Friday. His absence doesn’t necessarily mean he tested positive for COVID-19. General manager Stan Bowman said last week that the team was 100% vaccinated. The 26-year-old
7:30 PM ET ESPN staff The 2021-22 season will see ESPN become the home of the National Hockey League (NHL) as part of a new long-term deal, continuing its commitment to be the premier destination for US sports fans. As the National Hockey League (NHL) prepares to drop the puck on the 2021-22 season, The
12:45 AM ET Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. — The concourses of the Spokane Arena were jammed. The merchandise lines snaked through the crowds, causing bottlenecks as fans filed in for their first glimpse of the Seattle Kraken. There seems to be little doubt about the popularity and reach of the NHL’s newest franchise, even when
4:40 PM ET HC Kremenchuk forward Andrei Deniskin is facing disciplinary action from the Ukrainian Hockey League after making a racist gesture toward American-born defenseman Jalen Smereck of HC Donbass, who is Black. In the second period of their game on Sunday, Deniskin shouted at Smereck and then pantomimed unpeeling a banana and eating it.
8:10 PM ET ESPN News Services ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues signed longtime president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong to a five-year contract extension Saturday. Armstrong, 57, was named the organization’s 11th general manager after the 2009-10 season after joining the Blues as assistant general manager in 2008. “When I
4:19 PM ET ESPN News Services OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators acquired Zach Sanford on Saturday, sending St. Louis native Logan Brown to the Blues in exchange for the veteran forward. St. Louis also received a conditional 2022 draft pick from Ottawa. Sanford had 10 goals and 16 points in 52 games for the
6:03 AM ET Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — French official Luc Tardif was elected president of the International Ice Hockey Federation on Saturday ahead of the return of NHL players to the Olympics in February. Tardif, who was born and raised in Canada, beat German candidate Franz Reindl by 67 votes to 39 in
6:10 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — An attorney who represents a former Chicago Blackhawks player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 says her client has been interviewed as part of the team’s review of the accusations. A former federal prosecutor has been hired by the Blackhawks to conduct
12:18 PM ET Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes admitted it was a conversation that he had been dreading, but on Friday he spoke for the first time about the death of his brother Jimmy Hayes last month. “My brother was a special person. He touched a lot of lives,” Kevin Hayes said in an emotional
11:57 AM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen and forward Mike Hardman were held out of practice Friday because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The announcement on the team’s second day of training camp doesn’t necessarily mean that either player tested positive. General manager Stan Bowman said Thursday that the team
9:33 AM ET The Washington Capitals are the first NHL team to sell advertising on its jerseys. Washington announced a multi-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment that will place a Caesars Sportsbook logo on Capitals home and third jerseys beginning in the 2022-23 season. It is a 3-x-3.5-inch patch positioned on the upper right chest area
7:54 PM ET The NHL anticipates 30 of its 32 arenas will open at 100% capacity for the 2021-22 season, according to a memo circulated to teams this week. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Montreal Canadiens are expected to open at 33% capacity, or around 7,500 fans. The Vancouver Canucks will open at less than
8:00 AM ET NEW YORK — Getting a photo with an NHL star would be on the short list of life goals for many hockey fans. At the league’s new retail space at One Manhattan West, that dream can become a reality. Well, an augmented reality, at least. When the NHL moved its corporate headquarters
7:00 AM ET Everyone has their favorite harbingers that a new NHL season is upon us. Fresh ice. Awkward player photos. Unsigned restricted free agents threatening to sit out of meaningless games. Optimism in Toronto. Mine? The preseason penalty crackdown. Every year, the NHL’s hockey operations department, egged on by disgruntled and aggrieved general managers,
7:22 PM ET The NHL completed its gambling investigation of Evander Kane and says it has found no evidence that the San Jose Sharks forward bet on his own games. The investigation, which was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, in conjunction with NHL Security, was spurred by allegations in social media posts
6:04 PM ET ESPN News Services ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues have promoted Peter Chiarelli to vice president of hockey operations. They are also bringing back former coach Ken Hitchock as consultant, refining the front office with some Stanley Cup experience. Chiarelli takes over for Dave Taylor, who is now a senior adviser