NHL

8:20 AM ET With holiday breaks and midseason tournaments in the rearview mirror, college hockey season is about to hit its stride. Focus turns to the conference races, and in the not-too-distant future, the NCAA tournament. A good number of the traditional powers sit at the top of the college hockey heap, including defending national

7:00 AM ET While the All-Star Weekend feels like the midpoint of the NHL regular season, in fact all teams will be well past their 41st game at that point. As teams hit that threshold this week, it’s time for our resident graders Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton to serve up their thoughts on

7:00 AM ET Nothing is wrong with Cale Douglas Makar. He’s still the same player. It’s just that he has to be a different version of the one who won the Conn Smythe, Norris Trophy and Stanley Cup all within a matter of weeks last season. These days, the Colorado Avalanche are more of an

7:39 PM ET Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim forward Justin Kirkland was hospitalized overnight after getting into a car accident on his way to the Ducks‘ game against the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. The Ducks announced Monday that Kirkland remains under evaluation, but has full mobility and is communicating with his family and

4:26 PM ET Edmonton Oilers star winger Evander Kane is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a lacerated left wrist and could rejoin their lineup before the NHL All-Star break, GM Ken Holland told ESPN on Monday. Kane hasn’t played since Nov. 11 after his left wrist was cut by the skate blade of

8:28 PM ET ESPN News Services WASHINGTON — Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson made their season debuts and the Washington Capitals blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 on Sunday night. It marked the first time Backstrom and Wilson took the ice at Capital One Arena since the first round of last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs

10:22 PM ET ESPN News Services BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres paid tribute to Bills safety Damar Hamlin with a moment of celebration before Saturday night’s 6-5 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild. Hamlin is on the long road to recovery after he went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the

12:28 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. — Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson are finally ready to return for the Washington Capitals. The team said Saturday that Backstrom and Wilson are being activated off injured reserve to make their respective season debuts. The playmaking center and power winger are expected to play Sunday when the

11:44 PM ET Associated Press WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Kyle Connor set a franchise record with his 41st game-winning goal, scoring on a power play at 5:38 of the third lead as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Friday night. Connor’s record-setting goal moved him past Ilya Kovalchuk for the most winners

7:00 AM ET The mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 NHL regular season is close at hand, and some teams have already played in their 41st game. Sounds like the perfect time to take the temperature of each club against their preseason over/under point projections from Caesars Sportsbook. How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey

9:00 AM ET The NHL Awards races had an upheaval since our last edition. (Well, except for the one where Patrice Bergeron is the leader. You know, like every year.) But the races for MVP, best defenseman, top rookie, most dominant goalie and coach of the year all have new favorites. Such are the unpredictable

Jan 6, 2023 The 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park set merchandise sales records for an NHL outdoor game, according to the league. Game-day concession merchandise sales for the Jan. 2 matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Boston Bruins were the highest ever recorded for an outdoor event. They rose 61% from the 2022

Jan 6, 2023 Shane Wright, who went fourth in last summer’s NHL draft, was sent to juniors by the Seattle Kraken on Friday. The move comes a day after Wright captained Canada to an overtime win against Czechia at the IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships. He scored in the win against Czechia while finishing the

2:51 AM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists in his return from a lower-body injury and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Thursday night. Vegas leads the Western Conference and is tied for second in the NHL at its midway point of the

8:40 PM ET ESPN staff The 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend will take place on Feb. 3 and 4, hosted by the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. The All-Star Skills competition is scheduled for Friday and will be broadcast on ESPN, with the All-Star Game slated for Saturday, broadcast on ABC with a simulcast on ESPN+.

8:15 AM ET Over the past two seasons, Nicklas Backstrom faced conversations that frankly, he had no interest in having. The Washington Capitals center’s nagging left hip had deteriorated to the point where he had a hard time putting on his socks and shoes. He struggled to play with his kids (ages 9, 6 and

9:28 PM ET ESPN News Services HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Connor Bedard scored in the second period, igniting a rally and electrifying a hungry home crowd, as Canada defeated the United States 6-2 in the semifinals of the world junior championship Wednesday. Team Canada will play host to the Czech Republic in the tournament’s title

7:39 PM ET Ottawa Senators goalie Cam Talbot decided to use his new mask to send a not-so-subtle message to actor Ryan Reynolds about his potential ownership stake in the team. Of course, a lack of subtlety is expected when it comes to Deadpool, the Marvel character Reynolds had embodied for two films. Latest mask