7:00 AM ET For the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games, the NHL is allowing its players to participate in the Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament in Beijing next February. National pride and gold-medal glory are on the line for the best players in the world — provided they actually make it to China.
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8:58 PM ET Associated Press VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Vancouver Canucks president and interim general manager Jim Rutherford continued to fill out his front office Thursday, making Stan Smyl vice president of hockey operations. The 62-year-old Smyl, a star player for the Canucks from 1978-91, will work closely with Rutherford on all hockey operations matters,
5:51 PM ET The Carolina Hurricanes have been able to transport their COVID-19 positive players out of Canada and get them en route home, the team has confirmed. Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, along with massage therapist Mike Maresca, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday while Carolina was in Vancouver, British Columbia. In
5:24 PM ET ESPN News Services The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers were to play in an empty Bell Centre on Thursday night due to a “spiraling rise” of COVID-19 cases. The Canadiens announced about two hours before puck drop that Quebec public health officials had requested that no fans attend the game. “We have
1:26 PM ET Associated Press The Boston Bruins placed forwards Anton Blidh and Trent Frederic and goalie Jeremy Swayman in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Thursday. With the number of coronavirus cases and game postponements rising across the league, the additions of Blidh, Frederic and Swayman gave the Bruins six players in the protocol. One
9:00 AM ET Hearing someone say that the NHL’s 3-on-3 overtime has gotten boring is like hearing someone say, “Hey, remember when pizza was good?” It’s pizza. Even when it’s bad, it’s good. I’ve chanted the same mantra about the 3-on-3 overtime format, which the NHL implemented in 2015 to end games before they reached
7:43 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks have settled a lawsuit by a former player who said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach during the team’s 2010 Stanley Cup title run. After representatives for the Blackhawks and former first-round pick Kyle Beach met Wednesday with a mediator for the first
1:02 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — Nicklas Backstrom is in for the Washington Capitals. Evgeny Kuznetsov is out. Backstrom was activated Wednesday after missing the start of the season with a left hip injury. The center is expected to play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Washington also announced that defenseman Trevor van
4:34 PM ET ESPN News Services NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils have acquired goaltender Jon Gillies from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations. In announcing the deal Wednesday, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Gillies will report to New Jersey. The 27-year-old appeared in one game for the Blues this season. He
3:49 PM ET The NHL is implementing enhanced protocols through at least Jan. 7, sources told ESPN Wednesday. The decision comes after the NHL, NHLPA and their doctors held conference calls on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon, following a rash of COVID-19 cases across the league. Under the enhanced protocols — which NHL players experienced