10:32 PM ET The nightmare is over for the Buffalo Sabres, who snapped their 18-game winless streak with a 6-1 victory at home over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Sam Reinhart and Curtis Lazar scored in the first period to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. Steven Fogarty and Casey Mittelstadt added goals in the
NHL
8:06 PM ET ESPN News Services BUFFALO, N.Y. — Cam York is foregoing his final two years at Michigan after the defenseman signed a three-year entry level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The contract comes into effect this season, the team said in announcing the move shortly before the Flyers played at Buffalo.
9:32 PM ET Associated Press VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks have signed goaltender Thatcher Demko to a five-year contract extension. Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini confirmed the deal on Twitter on Wednesday. No financial terms have been released. Demko took over as the No. 1 goaltender for the Canucks after Jacob Markstrom went to
2:55 PM ET Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman was named GM for the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Games. Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin will serve as Bowman’s assistant GM. “The combination of a Stanley Cup-winning GM [Bowman] and a Hall of Fame player [Guerin] who has competed
7:00 AM ET The Buffalo Sabres are 0-15-3 since Feb. 25. They own the record for the longest winless streak of the shootout era (since 2005-06) and have tied the 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins for the most consecutive losses — including overtime and shootout losses — in the 21st century. How did they get here and
7:00 AM ET With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, it’s a good time to take stock. We’ve hit on reasons for optimism for every team in the past. For this week’s power rankings, we identified a reason for concern for all 31 teams. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff
11:27 PM ET ESPN News Services MONTREAL — The wait was worth it for the Montreal Canadiens. Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen each had a goal and an assist as Montreal returned from a lengthy break due to COVID-19 protocols and blanked the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 on Tuesday night. Montreal was playing for the first
1:22 PM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Flyers placed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on waivers Tuesday, a surprising move that comes as Philadelphia is attempting to stay in the playoff hunt. Gostisbehere has five goals and six assists for 11 points in 25 games, and he was benched for a three-game stretch two weeks
7:00 AM ET Evaluating the top 10 defensemen in ESPN’s 2021 NHL position-by-position rankings is a study in competing philosophies on how to properly evaluate the position. What metrics best define value for scoring defensemen or “defensive” defensemen? Do the elite have to do both well, or can one aspect compensate for the other? I
10:59 PM ET The Buffalo Sabres‘ misery continues. The franchise’s winless streak has now reached 18 games (0-15-3) which is the longest by an NHL team in 17 years. Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers was especially brutal, as Buffalo blew a 3-0 lead in the third period. “It’s embarrassing,” defenseman Brandon Montour said.
7:00 AM ET On the back of Marc-Andre Fleury‘s goalie mask this season is a quote: “Mets ton oeil dessus. Tu joues comme tu pratiques. Amuse-toi.” Translated from French: “Keep your eye on it. You practice as you play. Have fun.” The quote is signed “Pa,” which is what Fleury called his father, Andre. “He’s
7:47 PM ET Associated Press DALLAS — Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a left leg injury midway through the second period against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. An aircast was applied to Ekblad’s left leg. Minutes earlier, Ekblad got caught up with Stars defenseman Esa Lindell
11:51 PM ET Associated Press BOSTON — Lexie Laing and Taylor Wenczkowski scored power-play goals, and the Boston Pride became the first two-time winners of the Isobel Cup with a 4-3 win over the defending champion Minnesota Whitecaps on Saturday night. It was an NWHL championship the Pride, who were regular-season champions, had hoped to
4:06 PM ET The Buffalo Sabres traded center Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks on Friday, ending a brief and disappointing run for the veteran star in Buffalo. The Canadiens sent 2021 third- and fifth-round draft picks to Buffalo for Staal. The Sabres retained 50% of Staal’s salary: $1.625 million of
8:50 AM ET The NHL trade deadline owes a debt of gratitude to the Canadian government. On Thursday, a league source confirmed to ESPN that the 14-day quarantine for NHL players traded from U.S. teams to Canadian teams would be reduced to seven days, with additional COVID-19 testing. This removes a roadblock for North Division
2:19 PM ET Associated Press Buffalo Sabres interim coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis are headed back to work after being cleared from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The Sabres announced Granato and Ellis are traveling to join the team in Boston after spending a night in self-isolation in Pittsburgh. Both were placed in the
12:18 PM ET Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager likely died of a “cardiac event,” not injuries from a highway accident, the St. Louis medical examiner said Friday. Plager, 78, an original member of the Blues whose long association with the team continued until his death, was alone in
12:03 PM ET Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk is the first NHL player to release his own official non-fungible token, auctioning the digital sports memorabilia to help raise money for two children’s hospitals. “I thought this was a new way to show digital art. To play a tiny, tiny part in bringing in donations, it’s