9:00 AM ET At the start of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, 29 out of 30 people on ESPN’s expert panel believed the Colorado Avalanche would get through the first round against the Nashville Predators. Whatever concerns they had about the Avs, they wouldn’t hinder Nathan MacKinnon and the boys from advancing. But those concerns
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7:00 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. Regular readers of the NHL Playoff Watch know that the race atop the Western Conference remains super close as teams enter their final 10 or so games. Unlike in the East — where
12:08 AM ET Associated Press DENVER — Sidney Crosby wasn’t even aware of reaching yet another milestone. He’s simply locked in on helping the Pittsburgh Penguins make a 17th straight postseason appearance. Jeff Carter had a pair of goals, Crosby scored on a nifty backhand shot in the second period to reach the 30-goal mark
8:44 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday’s Pride Night game against Vancouver because of security concerns involving a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country. The decision was made by the NHL organization following discussions with
12:56 PM ET Associated Press ZURICH — Russia and Belarus teams were excluded by the International Ice Hockey Federation on Wednesday from all its world championships next season, including the women’s event in the United States. The IIHF cited security concerns for players, competition staff and fans — because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine —
11:46 AM ET The NHL Players’ Association released its annual player poll Wednesday, and, unsurprisingly, Edmonton Oilers captain — and Hart Trophy front-runner — Connor McDavid earned plenty of peer praise. This is the eighth time a player poll has been conducted, with 626 participants covering 14 topics that include most complete player, most impactful
7:00 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. After winning the 2022 Stanley Cup, the Colorado Avalanche entered the 2022-23 NHL season ranked No. 1 in our preseason power rankings, and Caesars Sportsbook listed them at +400 to win it all
7:00 AM ET The 16-team field is set. The 2023 NCAA men’s hockey tournament will drop the puck on Thursday for opening-round games, with the national championship final set for April 8 in Tampa. It’s a chance to see yesterday’s draft picks, today’s amateur free agents and, in the case of Michigan center Adam Fantilli,
6:56 PM ET The Colorado Avalanche are set behind the bench for the foreseeable future following their announcement Tuesday of a three-year extension for Jared Bednar, the winningest head coach in franchise history. Financial terms of the deal, which kicks in once Bednar’s current contract runs out after the 2023-24 season, were not disclosed. “Jared
11:15 AM ET The NHL announced on Tuesday that Fanatics, its longtime e-commerce and fan apparel partner, will become its new outfitter of on-ice uniforms and authentic jerseys beginning in 2024-25. As fans, we’re accustomed to seeing the Nike swoosh or the Adidas stripes on sports uniforms. But this NHL deal will mark the first