NHL

12:25 PM ET Associated Press The Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association is forging ahead with its bid to establish an economically sustainable professional league in North America with or — for now — without the NHL’s full financial backing. In response to a Sportsnet report that the NHL was not in a position to operate

11:23 AM ET There won’t be any superstitious drama about NHL teams touching the conference championship trophies in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs — because they won’t be awarded this season. “We’re not handing them out,” said Steve Mayer, NHL Chief Content Officer, told ESPN on Friday. The Prince of Wales Trophy, established in 1925,

10:50 AM ET The NHL has told the Canadian government that it needs an answer on the Stanley Cup playoffs‘ border travel issue by June 1. “The conversations are ongoing. We’ve told them we really do need to know by the end of the first round, and that’s around June 1. That’s pretty much the

7:00 AM ET We’ve come a long way since the Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup in a bubble in Edmonton, Alberta. New protocols were agreed upon, and many surprises unfolded — both good and bad — as the NHL embarked on a season like no other. Playoff darlings from last year like

12:09 AM ET Associated Press DENVER — Tyson Jost scored two of Colorado’s five second-period goals as the Avalanche clinched the West Division and the top overall seed in the NHL playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Joonas Donskoi and Andre Burakovsky also scored in the

5:01 PM ET Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. — Missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in more than two decades hasn’t altered the course San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson wants to take. Wilson said there’s no need to tear down and rebuild a franchise that was a perennial contender

4:44 PM ET Associated Press EAST MEADOW. N.Y. — The New York Islanders have signed forward Reece Newkirk to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Islanders announced the signing of the 20-year-old Western Hockey League product on Thursday. Newkirk had nine goals and 18 assists in 24 games during his fourth season with the Portland Winterhawks.

7:00 AM ET Goaltenders are known as “the great equalizers” in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They give every underdog a chance at an upset. They give every favorite the cold sweats, knowing one bad round from their goalie could be their ultimate undoing. As the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs arrive, which teams are in the

7:00 AM ET After the NHL staged a 24-team, bubble-based tournament to determine the Stanley Cup winner in 2020, we’re back to a more traditional 16-team event in 2021 — with a significant twist. The first two rounds of the 2021 playoffs will be intradivisional. After a winner is crowned from the four divisions, the

7:00 AM ET After a bubble-encased 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, we’re back to a more traditional setup for the 2021 postseason. However, there are some tweaks. Thanks to a one-year realignment, the first two rounds will be intra-divisional. Then, the four Cup semifinalists will be re-bracketed based on regular season record, with No. 1 facing