NHL

7:21 PM ET Associated Press NOVI, Mich. — No criminal charges will be filed in the fireworks-related death of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks at a Detroit-area home during a July 4 celebration, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday. The death has officially been ruled accidental, and the case is now closed, the

7:00 AM ET December is upon us in the 2021-22 NHL season — and with it the annual tradition of predicting which teams will make the playoffs based on their spot in the standings after American Thanksgiving. There were some eye-opening performances over the past week that produced some notable changes in our Power Rankings.

10:57 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Kings forward Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for five games for biting Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk last weekend. The NHL announced the discipline Tuesday night for Lemieux, who will forfeit $38,750 in salary while under suspension. The league posted video and a release on the

12:55 PM ET Jack Hughes is returning to the New Jersey Devils lineup on Tuesday night — and will be with them much longer thanks to a rich, new contract extension. The Devils on Tuesday rewarded their 2019 No. 1 draft pick with an eight-year, $64 million deal, announcing the move hours before the young

5:53 PM ET Evander Kane says there’s a “good plan in place” for his return to the NHL, following his first practice with the San Jose Sharks’ minor league affiliate on Tuesday. Kane, 30, completed a 21-game suspension for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. According to multiple sources, the suspension was due to Kane’s submission

12:41 PM ET Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was placed in the COVID-19 protocol ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the visiting Detroit Red Wings. The team did not say whether Cassidy tested positive or not, so it’s not yet clear how much time he will miss. The 56-year-old Cassidy is in his sixth season

10:38 AM ET Jake DeBrusk has requested a trade from the Boston Bruins, his agent confirmed to ESPN. DeBrusk, 25, has played all five of his NHL seasons with the Bruins, tallying 70 goals and 70 assists in 261 games. Boston selected the left winger 14th overall in the 2015 NHL draft. He’s in the

7:00 AM ET The 2021-22 NHL season is well underway, and the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup has players across hockey begging to see their rivals go belly up. While the action heats up in this dog-eat-dog league, it’s time for a different kind of ranking: a countdown of the best NHL team dogs.

5:43 PM ET Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand has been suspended three games for slew-footing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Sunday. Marchand will be eligible to return on Dec. 8, when the Bruins face the Canucks again. This marks the seventh suspension for Marchand in his 13-year NHL career. His most recent suspension came

1:41 PM ET Owner Geoff Molson believes that fixing the Montreal Canadiens is a two-person job. The Canadiens have stumbled to a 6-15-2 start after making the Stanley Cup Final last season. Marc Bergevin was dismissed Sunday after having served as Montreal’s general manager since 2012. It was a total housecleaning that saw assistant GMs