12:37 PM ET Associated Press New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Devils’ game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday and was isolated from the team. The Devils made the announcement roughly 45 minutes after Ruff did not show up for a pregame news conference. When the news conference started,
NHL
7:40 AM ET The concept of “can’t” hasn’t really applied to the NHL during the COVID-19 pandemic. When faced with adversity, it has shown undeniable and admirable ingenuity. This is a league that halted its 2019-20 season, restarted it in two Canadian “bubble” cities and rewrote its postseason rules to allow 24 teams to participate
4:49 PM ET Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta — When Brigette Lacquette first heard from the Chicago Blackhawks, she didn’t think the message was real. It was, and it arrived at a perfect time. Lacquette became the first Indigenous woman to scout for an NHL team when she was hired by the Blackhawks this year. Making
10:24 AM ET Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minnesota — The Minnesota Wild signed coach Dean Evason and his staff to multiyear contract extensions Thursday, a reward for keeping them as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Evason, 57, is in his second full season as Minnesota’s coach after replacing Bruce Boudreau in
6:05 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Logan Mailloux will be reinstated to the Ontario Hockey League on Saturday. Mailloux was suspended indefinitely by the OHL on Sept. 2 because of an incident that took place while the London Knights’ defenseman was on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden in November
4:00 PM ET The IIHF announced on Wednesday that it has canceled the remainder of its 2022 World Juniors Championship because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases among players. IIHF officials held a meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to keep the tournament going despite COVID issues, but those present decided cancellation was the
12:26 PM ET The NHL is modifying its COVID-19 protocols, shortening the standard isolation period for players who test positive for the virus from 10 days to five days, according to a memo obtained by ESPN on Wednesday. The updated protocols align with new CDC recommendations. Players will be allowed to leave isolation after five
7:00 AM ET The Winter Classic has been the NHL’s signature outdoor event since 2008, when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres played through picturesque snow and launched an institution. The game between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild scheduled for Target Field on Jan. 1, 2022, will be the 13th edition of the
12:57 AM ET Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor Bedard became the youngest player to score four goals in a world junior hockey championship game, leading Canada to an 11-2 win over Austria on Tuesday night. The 16-year-old joined Mario Lemieux (1983), Simon Gagne (1999), Brayden Schenn (2010), Taylor Raddysh (2016) and Maxime Comtois (2018)
6:06 PM ET ESPN News Services Sixteen months after choosing Canada as the safest place to complete its season, the NHL now faces a series of hurdles north of the border that complicate its bid to power through the pandemic all over again. The league postponed nine more games Tuesday — all of them in