NHL

9:12 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL on Thursday for an illegal check to the head of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews. Blais received a minor penalty for elbowing in the first-period incident in the Blues’ 4-1 victory

1:13 PM ET The Chicago Blackhawks have placed captain Jonathan Toews and young center Kirby Dach on long-term injured reserve. The move means that each player must miss at least 10 games and 24 days. The Blackhawks also gain some financial flexibility to go over the salary cap while the players are out. Toews announced

9:43 AM ET Everything you’re about to read can change in a cough. That’s the reality of the 2021 NHL season, which is being played inside (mostly) empty arenas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The league released the names of 27 players who began the season with a “COVID Protocol Related Absence,” and that’s not including

7:15 AM ET The 2021 NHL rookie class is really fun — but also really complicated. The introduction of taxi squads and delayed starts to Canadian junior hockey has given NHL teams more roster flexibility than they often have at this stage of the season. And the rollout of the flat salary cap has placed

6:47 PM ET Philadelphia Flyers center Nolan Patrick scored a goal on Wednesday in the first period of his first NHL game in 652 days. The No. 2 pick of the 2017 draft missed all of last season as he dealt with a debilitating migraine disorder and hadn’t played since April 2, 2019. Patrick’s goal,

3:53 PM ET The NHL and the Carolina Hurricanes deny that they pressured a private airline company to fire a former campaign staffer for President Donald Trump. Dawson Buchanan, a travel coordinator for Trump’s reelection campaign, claimed in a Twitter thread on Tuesday that he was fired by Private Jet Services when “the NHL found

7:00 AM ET NHL Insiders The puck drops on the 2020-21 NHL season this week, a season that will be unique in a great many ways: new divisions, a new playoff format, ads on helmets and much more. But we’re looking way ahead, answering the big questions: Who will win the Stanley Cup? Who are

7:00 AM ET The 2021 NHL season is here! After awarding the Stanley Cup in September following a most unusual 2019-20 season, we’re back on the ice again. Four new divisions, 56-game schedules and, most importantly, 116 consecutive nights of NHL games, beginning Wednesday. For our first week of power rankings, we offer a reason

7:21 PM ET The NHL announced that 27 players had confirmed positive COVID-19 tests during training camps, which concluded Tuesday. Of those players, 17 were members of the Dallas Stars, who shut down their training facilities last Friday after an outbreak. Dallas’ first three games — at Florida on Thursday and Friday and at Tampa

9:40 AM ET It’s challenging to keep up with the news during a typical NHL offseason. It’s doubly challenging to do so when that offseason begins in late September, ends in mid-January and every day in between presents another focus-devouring distraction from pressing issues like which team signed Radko Gudas. (Spoiler: It was the Florida

10:20 PM ET ESPN News Services The Dallas Stars will resume practicing on Tuesday, four days after six players and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Dallas had its first three games — at Florida on Thursday and Friday, and at Tampa Bay on Sunday — postponed. The defending Western Conference champions are now

6:05 PM ET NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league and its clubs will lose billions of dollars to stage an abridged 2021 season largely without fans, but he felt it was critical to play through the pandemic anyway. “Let me make something really clear: We’re coming back to play this season because we think

9:00 AM ET NHL Insiders The 2021 NHL season is set to start on Wednesday, with the Tampa Bay Lightning beginning their Stanley Cup defense. Senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski, NHL writer Emily Kaplan and ESPN’s Arda Ocal are here with their best futures bets before the pucks drop. Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook by

7:08 PM ET ESPN News Services NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils have re-signed restricted free agent forward Jesper Bratt to a $5.5 million, two-year contract. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald announced the deal on Sunday, four days before the season opener at home against the Boston Bruins. The 22-year-old Bratt will make just

7:46 PM ET Associated Press DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings claimed defenseman Christian Djoos off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. The Red Wings announced the move. The 26-year-old Djoos played 11 games for Anaheim and Washington last season, finishing with a goal and two assists. He has five goals and 22 assists

12:42 PM ET Associated Press Mathew Barzal joined the New York Islanders on the ice Saturday for his first practice of training camp after agreeing to a three-year, $21 million contract. “I love the game, and I was anxious,” Barzal said. “I wanted to get out with the boys.” The 23-year-old star forward missed the

2:16 PM ET Associated Press The NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning won’t have fans at home games in Tampa, Florida, until at least Feb. 5. Vinik Sports Group, which owns the Lightning and Amalie Arena, announced Saturday that the organization wouldn’t admit fans because coronavirus cases in the area have “risen

12:45 PM ET New Jersey Devils goaltender Corey Crawford, after taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team Friday for personal reasons, announced his retirement on Saturday. “I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I’ve given all