Blogs

In a stunning move, the fired president and chief executive officer John McDonough on Monday. The club announced the decision in an official release from owner Rocky Wirtz. "Thirteen years ago, I recruited John to the Blackhawks because of his leadership, direction and vision," Wirtz wrote. "John brought all of that to the table Matthew Boyd Jersey and more. His contributions went well beyond leading the team to three Stanley Cup championships. He rebuilt the front office and helped guide the organization toward a winning vision. As difficult as this is, we believe it was the right decision for the future of the organization and its fans." "His contributions went well beyond leading the team to three Stanley Cup Championships. He rebuilt the front office and helped guide the organization toward a winning vision," said Wirtz. Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) The Blackhawks have been one of the most succe sful NHL teams since McDonough took office in 2007, winning the Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015) and restoring pride to an Original Six franchise that had been through a major drought prior to his tenure. McDonough was also instrumental in getting the Blackhawks to thrive on the busine s side of operations, turning the franchise into a sustainable and succe sful operation. The organization ranked as the NHL's fourth-most valuable franchise with a $1.085 billion valuation from Forbes in 2019, trailing only the , and . The team has sold out their last 531 consecutive home games. Despite the revitalization under McDonough's leadership, the club's decision to go in a different direction comes in the midst of a rough patch for the franchise's on-ice product. The Blackhawks haven't made the playoffs since 2017 and haven't won a playoff series since their 2015 Cup run. They've undergone significant changes since their run of three titles in six seasons; The front office has needed to maneuver around cap constraints and beloved head coach Joel Quenneville was fired in 2018. Wirtz seems to believe that parting ways with McDonough is a nece sary step to get the franchise back on track. If nothing else, it sends a strong me sage about what is expected of the team now. "While we can rea sure our fans there will be hockey again, no one knows what that will look like," Wirtz said. "What we do know is that it will take a new mindset to succe sfully transition the organization to win both on and off the ice." George Valera Jersey

After a disappointing 2023-24 season, when they finished sixth in the Atlantic Division, the Sabres are hoping for a change in fortunes under coach Lindy Ruff. This will be Ruff's second stint with the Bufallo Sabres. The 64-year-old is expected to work some magic, especially with the young defensive duo of Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. Ruffs first run (1997-2012) with the Sabres saw him rack up a 571-432-84 record (78 ties) over 16 seasons, guiding Buffalo to the playoffs eight times. His resume includes a trip to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final and back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Final in 2006 and 2007. After showing his knack for developing young talent with the New Jersey Devils over the past four years, the Sabres are hoping Ruff can give this emerging squad the spark they need to finally break their playoff droughtone thats been dragging on since 2011. Here is everything you need to know in order to listen to Buffalo Sabres NHL games on the radio this season. Buffalo Sabres 2024 NHL radio station Radio station: WGR 550 AM, You can listen to every Sabres game on WGR 550 AM the team's flagship station.You can also listen to Sabres games anywhere in the U.S. and Canada with a subscription. . Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels. Buffalo Sabres NHL 2024 radio announcers Dan Dunleavy is an American sports broadcaster, best known as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League. He calls the action on WGR along with former Sabres player Rob Ray . Buffalo Sabres NHL 2024 schedule No. Date Opponent Time (ET) 1 Oct. 4 vs. Devils 1:00 p.m. 2 Oct. 5 at. Devils 10:00 a.m. 3 Oct. 11 vs. Kings 7:00 a.m. 4 Oct. 13 vs. Panthers 7:00 a.m. 5 Oct. 17 at. Penguins 7:00 a.m. 6 Oct. 18 at. Blue Jackets 7:00 a.m. 7 Oct. 20 at. Blackhawks 8:00 a.m. 8 Oct. 23 vs. Stars 7:00 a.m. 9 Oct. 26 vs. Red Wings 1:00 p.m. 10 Oct. 29 vs. Panthers 7:00 a.m. 11 Nov. 2 vs. Islanders 7:00 a.m. 12 Nov. 3 at Red Wings 7:00 a.m. 13 Nov. 6 vs. Senators 8:00 a Nick Lodolo Jersey .m. 14 Nov. 8 at. Rangers 8:00 a.m. 15 Nov. 9 vs. Flames 2:00 p.m. 16 Nov. 11 vs. Canadiens 1:30 p.m. 17 Nov. 14 vs. Blues 8:30 p.m. 18 Nov. 16 at. Flyers 8:00 p.m. 19 Nov. 20 at. Kings 11:30 p.m. 20 Nov. 22 at. Ducks 11:00 p.m. 21 Nov. 23 at. Sharks 9:00 p.m. 22 Nov. 27 vs. Wild 8:00 p.m. 23 Nov. 29 vs. Canucks 4:00 p.m. 24 Nov. 30 at. Islanders 8:30 p.m. 25 Dec. 3 vs. Avalanche 8:00 p.m. 26 Dec. 5 vs. Jets 8:00 p.m. 27 Dec. 7 vs. Utah HC 2:00 p.m. 28 Dec. 9 vs. Red Wings 8:00 p.m. 29 Dec. 11 vs. Rangers 8:30 p.m. 30 Dec. 14 at Capitals 8:00 p.m. 31 Dec. 15 at. Maple Leafs 6:00 p.m. 32 Dec. 17 at. Canadiens 8:00 p.m. 33 Dec. 20 vs. Maple Leafs 8:00 p.m. 34 Dec. 21 at. Bruins 8:00 p.m. 35 Dec. 23 at. Islanders 8:30 p.m. 36 Dec. 27 vs. Blackhawks 8:00 p.m. 37 Dec. 29 at. Blues 4:00 p.m. 38 Dec. 31 at. Stars 9:00 p.m. 39 Jan. 2 at. Avalanche 10:00 p.m. 40 Jan. 4 at Golden Knights 11:00 p.m. 41 Jan. 6 vs. Capitals 8:00 p.m. 42 Jan. 9 at. Senators 8:00 p.m. 43 Jan. 11 vs. Kraken 5:00 p.m. 44 Jan. 15 vs. Hurricanes 7:00 p.m. 45 Jan. 17 vs. Penguins 8:00 p.m. 46 Jan. 20 at. Kraken 5:00 p.m. 47 Jan. 21 at. Canucks 11:00 p.m. 48 Jan. 23 at. Flames 10:00 p.m. 49 Jan. 25 at. Oilers 5:00 p.m. 50 Jan. 28 vs. Bruins 8:00 p.m. 51 Jan. 31 vs. Predators 8:00 p.m. 52 Feb. 2 vs. Devils 2:00 p.m. 53 Feb. 4 vs. Blue Jackets 8:00 p.m. 54 Feb. 8 at. Predators 9:00 p.m. 55 Feb. 22 vs. Rangers 6:30 p.m. 56 Feb. 25 vs. Ducks 8:00 p.m. 57 Feb. 27 at. Hurricanes 8:00 p.m. 58 Mar. 1 vs. Canadiens 8:00 p.m. 59 Mar. 3 at. Canadiens 8:00 p.m. 60 Mar. 4 vs. Sharks 8:00 p.m. 61 Mar. 6 at. Lightning 8:00 p.m. 62 Mar. 8 at. Panthers 7:00 p.m. 63 Mar. 10 vs. Oilers 6:30 p.m. 64 Mar. 12 at. Red Wings 7:30 p.m. 65 Mar. 15 vs. Golden Knights 12:30 p.m. 66 Mar. 17 at. Bruins 7:00 p.m. 67 Mar. 20 at. Utah HC 9:00 p.m. 68 Mar. 22 at. Wild 2:00 p.m. 69 Mar. 23 at. Jets 3:00 p.m. 70 Mar. 25 vs. Senators 7:00 p.m. 71 Mar. 27 vs. Penguins 7:00 p.m. 72 Mar. 29 at. Flyers 1:00 p.m. 73 Mar. 30 at. Capitals 3:00 p.m. 74 Apr. 1 at. Senators 7:00 p.m. 75 Apr. 5 vs. Lightning 7:00 p.m. 76 Apr. 6 vs. Bruins 6:00 p.m. 77 Apr. 8 vs. Hurricanes 7:00 p.m. 78 Apr. 10 at. Blue Jackets 7:00 p.m. 79 Apr. 12 at. Panthers 6:00 p.m. 80 Apr. 13 at. Lightning 6:00 p.m. 81 Apr. 15 vs. Maple Leafs 7:00 p.m. 82 Apr. 17 vs. Flyers 7:00 p.m. Jared Solomon Jersey

The 2018-19 NHL season rolls on with a seven-game main slate for DFS on Saturday beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. And with FanDuel offering a $30,000 NHL Breakaway, DraftKings offering a $65,000 Saturday Shootout, and dozens of other NHL DFS tournaments and cash games available, there are chances to win big money playing NHL DFS. Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Penguins center Evgeni Malkin are among the most expensive players in NHL DFS for Saturday, but before you set your NHL DFS lineups you'll want to take see what DFS expert Mike McClure has to say. The DFS millionaire's NHL DFS picks have already helped lead followers to big cashes in the 2018-19 season. McClure is a DFS profe sional with nearly $2 million in career winnings. He's also Justin Anderson Jersey a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best NHL DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NHL DFS player. On Friday, McClure recommended Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog The result? Landeskog scored a goal and dished out two a sists for a nearly 5x return on investment. For Saturday, McClure loves Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin at $7,700 on FanDuel and $6,500 on DraftKings. Panarin is a playmaker in every sense of the word, with 12 points already in nine games, including a three-a sist effort his last time out. He puts up points in bunches, including four multi-point games already on the season, so get him into your lineup on Saturday and expect a big return against a Sabres defense that has allowed at least three goals in four of the last five starts by goaltender Carter Hutton. McClure also likes Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko ($7,400 on FanDuel, $6,400 on DraftKings), who has dominated the Blackhawks in his career. Tarasenko already has two goals and an a sist in three games against the Blackhawks this year and they're probably lucky it hasn't been even worse than that. He's already peppered them with 14 shots on net and is a career 17.6 percent shooter against Chicago. The Ru sian winger has 16 goals now in 25 career games against the Blackhawks, the most he's had against any team in the NHL. He's had another eight goals against them in 13 career playoff matchups as well. Start Tarasenko with confidence against the Blackhawks. McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to go off for big numbers because of a dream matchup, and he comes at a price that will leave plenty of salary cap flexibility. Picks like these could be the difference between winning your cash games and tournaments or going home with nothing. So what is the optimal NHL DFS lineup for Saturday? . Adam Laroche Jersey

The lost one of their most valued depth players Friday to a long-term injury. Center will mi s approximately four months after undergoing surgery to repair a dislocated wrist. That injury could potentially keep him Miles Mastrobuoni Jersey out almost all the way to the playoffs, depending on if the timeline fluctuates.Kruger has done nothing offensively this year, with just one a sist in 33 games so far, but hes not expected to be a big producer. He is, however, one of the teams more trusted forwards on the penalty kill and in tougher defensive situations. Given the team's shallow blue line, it helps to have reliable forwards. The 25-year-old is also on a one-year deal as he took a hometown discount to remain with the Blackhawks after winning a second Stanley Cup with the club.Where Chicago will benefit from Krugers absence is that he can be placed on long-term injured reserve. Such a move frees up about $1.5 million in cap space. That, coupled with Chicagos cap-saving deal with the when they added defenseman , gives GM Stan Bowman a little more wiggle room for the previously cap-strapped team. Still, head coach Joel Quenneville will be disappointed to lose one of his more trusted forwards. Kruger was a big part of the last two Stanley Cup teams and has 85 career points over 320 NHL games, all with Chicago.Its a really tough break for Kruger, who waited patiently for his contract this summer while the Blackhawks sorted out their really tight salary cap. The expectation was to take the cheap deal for the one year and perhaps earn himself a longer-term deal with an annual raise. Thats going to be a lot tougher to get now. The Blackhawks have already recalled former first-round pick Phillip Danault from the American Hockey League to fill the empty spot on the roster. Ian Happ Jersey

More NHL: | | | | |The Phoenix Coyotes ownership saga has been full of stops and starts, but NHL commi sioner Gary Bettman remains committed to keeping the team where it is. According to Bettman, there is increased interest among po sible ownership groups who feel the same way.After Sundays Winter Cla sic announcement in Detroit, Bettman addre sed the a sembled media on a variety of topics, including the .There seems to be more interest at this particular point in time than weve seen throughout the proce s, . According to a report from Fox Sports Arizonas Craig Morgan, several groups have been in the proce s of making proposals to the league, with some already .Morgan reported that a group led by Canadian busine smen George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc has submitted a purchase bid, while another group led by Buffalo, N.Y., native Darin Pastor has thrown its hat into the ring. The always present Greg Jamison and his group are also reportedly in the proce s of compiling another proposal, while long-time suitor Matthew Hulsizers group is also believed to be in the mix still.This sounds encouraging, but it may not mean anything in the end.Bettman and the NHL remain committed to keeping the Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., however. We havent been exploring the alternatives, Bettman said. We are exploring everything we can do to work this out, and there seems to be considerable interest.While the NHL may not be exploring alternatives yet, Bettman said he has been monitoring from afar the ongoing situation with the po sibility of Seattle getting an NBA franchise. Seattle could be an eventual destination for an NHL Tim Wakefield Jersey team if things dont work out in Glendale, but it is almost certainly contingent on the city also getting an NBA franchise.Perhaps it wont come to that, however.One of the reasons for this increased interest in owning the Coyotes could be due to the leagues le s limited revenue sharing program in the new collective bargaining agreement. : TheNHLs industry growth fund(reportedly $60 million), which is not fully in place but is expected to be soon, would help teams that have struggled at the gate or are in emerging markets. Unlike past years, clubs that do not meet desired revenue or other benchmarks would be not be penalized with the lo s of some shared revenue. Nor would markets that in the past were deemed too big to qualify for some aid.Some of the same benefits could apply if the team were relocated to another city, but there are costs a sociated with relocation that any ownership group would have to absorb, at least in part. As sources within two of the ownership groups noted, that is a significant deterrent to relocation.Increased revenue would not only help offset some of the Coyotes lo ses in past years - sources within the organization say those are between $10 million and $15 million, not the larger numbers that have been reported - it might also help the Coyotes in areas such as advertising. Imagine what an additional $1 million per season could do for the Coyotes marketing efforts.It remains to be seen if the increased interest will lead to an actual sale, but there appears to be multiple options presently, at least.The amount of time this has taken is probably longer than anyone -- especially the league -- would like. Perhaps the end is near, but with this ever-evolving Coyotes ownership situation, thats never a safe statement to make.(h/t ) Carl Yastrzemski Jersey

The most iconic rivalry in international hockey is set to ignite once again as Team USA and Team Canada prepare to face off in a clash that could serve as a preview of next Thursday's championship showdown. Team USA heads into this highly anticipated matchup after a dominant 6-1 victory over Team Finland, Ryan O'hearn Jersey while Team Canada secured a thrilling 4-3 overtime win against Sweden. This storied rivalry between the United States and Canada has spanned decades, and anticipation is high in both locker rooms ahead of this encounter. Remarkably, it marks the first best-on-best international tournament meeting between the two powerhouses in nearly a decade. Team Canada enters the game on an impre sive 26-game winning streak in best-on-best international tournaments, a run that dates back to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Their last defeat came against Team USA during the round-robin stage of that tournament, and they have remained unbeaten ever since. Looking to break that streak, Team USA aims to play spoiler with what is considered one of the deepest rosters they have ever a sembled. The Sporting News has all the details on how to listen to USA vs. Canada live at the 4 Nations Face-Off. USA vs. Canada radio station Radio station: channel 91 Fans can listen to USA vs. Canada live on channel 91. . Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels. USA vs. Canada start time Date: Saturday, Feb. 15 Time: 8 p.m. ET Puck drop for USA vs. Canada is at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Where to watch USA vs. Canada at 4 Nations Face-Off TV channel: ABC (U.S.) |Sportsnet (Canada) Live stream: , TheUSA vs. Canada will be aired live on ABC in the United States, while Sportsnet will air the rivalry game in Canada. For those without cable, and will have live streams on their platforms. 4 Nations Face-Off schedule, scores Wednesday, Feb. 12 Score Canada 4 , Sweden 3 (OT) Thursday, Feb. 13 Score USA 6 ,Finland 1 Saturday, Feb. 15 Game Time (ET) TV channel Finland 4 , Sweden 3 (OT) USA 3, Canada 1 Monday, Feb. 17 Game Time (ET) TV channel Canada vs. Finland 1 p.m. TNT, Sportsnet, Sweden vs. USA 8 p.m. TNT, Sportsnet, Thursday, Feb. 20 Game Time (ET) TV channel Championship 8 p.m. ESPN, Sportsnet, , Related Links Scott Erickson Jersey

The and things pretty much went by the book. Jack Hughes went first overall to the , Kaapo Kakko went second to the and then things got a little more unpredictable from there. It wasn't quite a thrilling night in terms of activity on the floor but 31 players got to open the book on their pro careers, and that's always a fun thing to see. Of course, it'll be some time before we find out which players can be cla sified as value picks and which we can label busts, but that won't stop the early analysis from rolling in. With Friday's opening round complete, let's try to make some early determinations on winners and losers. Winner: New Jersey Devils The biggest and most obvious winner of the night is the Devils, as they get the consensus top player in the draft in Jack Hughes. The 18-year-old American center is an electric talent up front and he comes from a strong hockey lineage, so there's plenty of faith in him as a "can't mi s" prospect. Hughes dominated in the U.S. National Development Program, becoming the all-time leading scorer and pa sing names like , , and . Not bad company to keep, or to beat. He has top-notch speed and an explosive offensive game that could make him a franchise cornerstone for the Devils for years to come, but he'll need to work on putting on size and getting stronger in order to adjust to the NHL game. Still, he'll likely have a big impact for New Jersey right off the bat starting next season. Loser: Cole Caufield Caufield is one of the top goal scorers of this year's cla s -- if not the best in the cla s -- but he took the biggest plummet Friday night. The American winger nearly fell outside of the lottery and went to the at No. 15, which makes the Habs a definite winner with a steal in that spot. However, it's an unfortunate break for Caufield, who deserved better after scoring 72 goals in 64 games for the USNTDP last year. The most likely reason for his fall is his lack of size. At 5-feet-7, he's certainly undersized on the wing and maybe those concerns have merit. But we've seen plenty of small guys slip in the draft only to go on to make fools out of the teams that pa sed on them. The most recent example is , who fell to the second round in 2016 despite putting up huge numbers in juniors. All he did was go on to score 69 goals over his first two NHL seasons. (Nice.) Caufield might be on the losing end now but he has a delicious opportunity to play with a chip on his shoulder and prove the doubters wrong, and do it in a huge hockey market. His numbers as an amateur suggest he has a great chance to do just that. Winner: New York Rangers Jackson Stephens Jersey Like the Devils, the Rangers secured an elite prospect with their top pick. New York becomes a huge winner with the addition of Kaapo Kakko, who will be an integral part of their rebuilding efforts moving forward. The Finnish winger is a tremendous talent on the outside, not only in his ability to score goals but in his ability to see the ice and set up teammates as well. He has a strong all-around game and is a threat pretty from much anywhere on the ice. He also has good size and has been playing against adults overseas for the past year, so that will help him make a quicker transition to the NHL. This draft is largely considered a two-player draft, with Hughes and Kakko being hailed as elite talents that rank significantly above everyone else. As such, the Rangers win big by securing the next potential face of their franchise at a timely juncture. That's not always a luxury that's afforded to the team in the No. 2 spot. Loser: The Red Wings delivered the biggest surprise of the first round when they selected Moritz Seider at No. 6. The German defenseman is seen as a good defensive prospect who has a reputation for being reliable and skilled in his own end, and he brings a lot of size at 6-4. But he's not believed to have a ton of offensive upside outside of being a very good pa ser and, as such, he was ranked outside of the top 10 by most scouts and prospect outlets. The Wings obviously like Seider a lot and there's something to be said about going after the guy you want despite what the rankings say. But the Wings could have gotten him in a lower spot, and that's something they apparently recognized. All quiet on that front. Red Wings still want to move down. They have their eyes on Moritz Seider but don't like the value at No. 6 overall. When a team moves up, it's for a specific player, so don't expect any movement there whatsoever, if at all, until the Draft itself. J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) Unfortunately, they weren't able to trade down and they just had to swallow some value by taking a projected reach at No. 6. It looks like a lo s right now, but be careful when it comes to doubting Steve Yzerman, who is running his first draft since leaving the Lightning to return to Detroit as general manager. Winner: Because the decided to go for a center (Kirby Dach) at No. 3, the Colorado Avalanche lucked into having the best defensive prospect in the draft fall into their lap at No. 4. Bowen Byram is widely considered to be the best blue line prospect of the cla s and a potential first-pairing defenseman down the line. The Canadian prospect should be a high-tier po se sion player, as he's a great skater with the ability to handle and move the puck very well, and is also strong facilitator and has enough offensive ability to finish. He's the type of defenseman that the NHL has seemed to cater more heavily to over the past few years. He should be able to contribute right away for the Avs, who are steadily trending upward in the Western Conference and are approaching "scary" territory with all the young talent they have on that roster. Byram will join a blue line that already includes and Sam Girard, which is one heck of a youth movement on the back end. The only loser here could be , who might now be expendable with the addition of Byram. Loser: Anyone who wanted chaos There were plenty of rumors swirling around the league before Friday's draft. Several general managers talked about an "unprecedented" level of communication during the week, leading us to believe that the first round of the draft could be chaotic and feature a bunch of moving parts. Yeah, that was not the case. There was just one single trade made during Round 1, and it was a pick-for-pick swap. (By the way, the did pretty well to move down from 11 to 14 while picking up a second-rounder and still snagging a really solid prospect in Cam York.) That's right ... a total of zero players were moved during the first round of the draft. Of course, it probably didn't help that next season's final cap number hasn't been announced yet. Somehow. But anyone who was hoping for a wild first round was in for a sore disappointment and an emphatic reminder that talk is cheap. Winner: USA Hockey It was an incredible night for USA Hockey, specifically the United States National Team Development program. Not only did Jack Hughes become the eighth American player to get picked first overall, but the USNTDP squad had a record eight players taken in the first round, with seven of them coming in the top 15. Here's a rundown of the American prospects who were selected Friday: No. 1: C Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils)No. 5: C Alex Turcotte ( )No. 9: F Trevor Zegras ( )No. 12: LW Matthew Boldy ( )No. 13: G Spencer Knight ( )No. 14: D Cam York (Philadelphia Flyers)No. 15: RW Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens)No. 30: C John Beecher ( ) It was just an incredible showcase of talent from the budding American program. Loser: Ru sia There was only one Ru sian taken in the first round Friday -- Vasili Podkolzin, who went 10th overall to the . Podkolzin is a really strong prospect who might have potentially been able to have an immediate impact at the NHL level, but he's committed to finishing out the final two years of his current KHL contract. That means that we won't see any Ru sian players coming from this first round for at least a few years, which is pretty wild. Hurston Waldrep Jersey

The Avalanche are one game away from the Stanley Cup Final. They'll try tp get there without one of their biggest stars. Center Nazem Kadri was knocked out of Game 3 in the Western Conference finals against the Oilers on Saturday. A little over a minute into the game, Oilers forward Evander Kane sent Kadri flying into the boards with a cro s-check. Kadri appeared to suffer an upper-body injury and crumbled to the ice before being helped to the locker room. Five minute major to Evander Kane for boarding Nazem Kadri Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) Kane received a five-minute major for boarding but was not also given a game misconduct, despite Kadri's apparent injury. MORE: Kadri didn't return to the game, and he won't be returning to the ice for some time. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar ruled Kadri out for at least the remainder of this series. Jared Bednar: Nazem Kadri is out for the series "at least, if not longer." "The hit, it's the most dangerous play in hockey." Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) The Sporting News has you covered on all things related to Kadri's injury, including a potential timetable Tommy Henry Jersey for his return and his injury history. How long is Nazem Kadri out? Kadri appeared to suffer an upper-body injury after being cro s-checked by Evander Kane and falling into the boards. The injury will keep Kadri out for the remainder of the Western Conference finals, according to Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, who added that Kadri could face a longer spell than that on the sideline. The forward had . A return during these playoffs is not out of the equation, but it is unlikely. Nazem Kadri injury history Kadri has stayed fairly healthy over the course of his career. He played all 56 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, ama sing 32 points. He was on pace for a 100-point season in 2021-22 before mi sing eight games with an upper-body injury. He also mi sed 19 games in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season with a lower-body injury but returned for the playoffs. This season was Kadri's most prolific by far the 2009 Maple Leafs first-round pick racked up 28 goals and 87 points in 71 games. He finished 15th in the league in points. His previous career high was 61 with Toronto in 2016-17. Which players can fill Nazem Kadri's void? The Avalanche are one of the deepest teams in the NHL. They've lost Andre Burakovsky and Darcy Kuemper during their playoff run. They still have been able to race out to a 3-0 lead over Edmonton. One big reason for Colorado's Game 3 victory was center JT Compher. Compher filled in for Kadri after he left the ice, slotting between Mikko Rantanen and Arturri Lehkonen on the second line. The six-year veteran made the most of his increased ice time, winning seven faceoffs and taking three shots. Compher also netted the game-winning goal, wiggling a shot past Mike Smith to give the Avalanche a 3-2 lead. Colorado went on to win 4-2. The have the lead again! : : NHL (@NHL) Joc Pederson Jersey

More : | | | | |Many hockey fans around the world have taken to growing playoff beards of their own in solidarity with their favorite team. Dalles Jacobus Jersey One fan, however, took to a new kind of growth to support his favorite team.Frank Miller, of Park Ridge, Ill., was busy dealing with cleaning up a flooded basement and had not had the chance to maintain his yard, which was becoming overgrown. Then Miller realized his beloved local hockey team gave him a rather convenient excuse. :Theyre growing their playoff beards, so I just decided, you know what, it hit me: Im going to make a playoff lawn and Im going to make a sign for it and Im going to embrace it So, embrace my ugly lawn, Miller says.Miller made a sign explaining his scheme, and others soon embraced his ugly lawn.People drive by, they beep, some people get out and take pictures with it. Its amazing to me, he says.Millers sign read, Playoff Lawn. Wont cut until Hawks win Cup!While friends and neighbors may have found the unruly yard clever, charming or funny, the city of Park Ridge did not. Citing that the lawn had become a health risk, due to providing a breeding ground for mosquitos, the city sent Miller a notice to cut it. The letter went ignored, as Miller told CBS 2s Chris Martinez, because he thought it was the water bill.Having not complied with the citys notice, Park Ridge hired someone to cut Millers lawn.More from CBS 2:My son and I are watching the game and I hear a lawnmower going, Miller says. I think its my neighbor cutting their lawn, and it started getting closer. And theres a guy cutting my gra s with this giant industrial lawnmower.I go, Hey, what are you doing! And hes like, The city told me to come by and cut your lawn, and I go, They paid you to? and hes like Yeah. Im like, OK, that was the end of my playoff lawn.And so it was.Could this spell disaster for the Blackhawks, who are about to duel the for the Stanley Cup? Probably not. But it will cost Miller as city officials will be sending him a bill for the forced mowing. (h/t ) Tyler Wiegers Jersey

Alex Ovechkin continues to charge up the NHL's all-time goals scored list. The Capitals captain entered the 2021-22 season sitting on 730 career goals. That put him 164 talliesback of Wayne Gretzky's chart-topping 894. There have been questions about whether he can surpa s "The Great One's" number as "The Great 8" hits the latter years of his career. Butas Gretzky says, he expects him to and hopes he does break the all-time record. NHL POWER RANKINGS: Ovechkin leads surging Capitals As Ovechkin moves through the record book, Sporting News breaks down where he stands and where he's heading as the march to 895 continues in earnest. All stats updated through March 8. NHL's all-time goals leaders Over the course of 1,487 NHL games, Wayne Gretzky scored 894 goals, which averages out to 0.60 goals per game. By comparison, through March 8, Ovechkin has 766goals in 1,253career games, which averages out to 0.61 per game. PLAYER TEAMS GOALS Wayne Gretzky EDM, LAK, STL, NYR 894 Gordie Howe DET, HFD 801 Jaromir Jagr PIT, WSH, NYR, PHI, DAL, BOS, NJD, FLA, CGY 766 Alex Ovechkin WSH 766 Brett Hull CGY, STL, DAL, DET, PHX 741 Alex Ovechkin's next 10 Damian Swann Jersey opponents Over the course of his career, Ovechkin has found the back of the netthe most against the Jets, with 50goals. DATE OPPONENT CAREER GOALS (G/GP) Wed., March 9 at Oilers 13 goals in 19 games (0.68) Fri., March 11 at Canucks 10 goals in 21 games (0.48) Tue., March 15 vs. Islanders 41 goals in 63 games (0.65) Thu., March 17 at Blue Jackets 20 goals in 40 games (0.50) Fri., March 18 at Hurricanes 45 goals in 83 games (0.54) Sun., March 20 vs. Stars 10 goals in 21 games (0.48) Tue., March 22 vs. Blues 18 goals in 21 games (0.86) Fri., March 25 at Sabres 36 goals in 58 games (0.62) Sat., March 26 vs. Devils 36 goals in 67 goals (0.54) Mon., March 28 vs. Hurricanes 45 goals in 83 games (0.54) Splits provided by . Alex Ovechkin's goals per game by season If you think, well, he's 36, can he keep producing? Ovechkin is like a fine wine;he's just getting better with age. SEASON GP GOALS G/GP 2005-06 81 52 0.64 2006-07 82 46 0.56 2007-08 82 65 0.79 2008-09 79 56 0.71 2009-10 72 50 0.69 2010-11 79 32 0.41 2011-12 78 38 0.49 2012-13 48 32 0.67 2013-14 78 51 0.65 2014-15 81 53 0.65 2015-16 79 50 0.63 2016-17 82 33 0.40 2017-18 82 49 0.60 2018-19 81 51 0.63 2019-20 68 48 0.71 2021 45 24 0.53 2021-22 56 36 0.64 Will Alex Ovechkin pa s Wayne Gretzky? Never say never! Entering this season, Ovechkin trailed Gretzky by 164 goals. He got off to a torrid start, but it was unlikely that he'd keep finding the back of the net as often as he was. A reasonable high end might be the 50-goal barrier, which he hit most recently in 2018-19,though he did score at a 50-goal pace during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. Fifty goals over an 82-game season checks in at 0.61 goals per game. If he plays every game moving forward unlikely, to say the least he would need 210 games (as of March 9)to catch Gretzky. That would be sometime during the 2024-25 season. Of course, if he scores at a blistering pace, he could get there sooner. Ovechkin's career high in goals per game is 0.79, which he set in 2008-09. With even the rosiest projection, the earliest Ovechkin could catch Gretzky is midway through the 2023-24 season. It's impo sible to predict health, but needle s to say, that's perhaps the biggest factor in a se sing the 36-year-old's chances of becoming the all-time scoring champ. How many Rocket Richard Trophies has Alex Ovechkin won? Awarded to the NHL's top goal scorer , the Maurice Richard Trophy, commonly called the Rocket Richard Trophy, was provided to the NHL by the Montreal Canadiens in honor of the Hall of Famer.Over the course of 18 seasons with the Canadiens, Richard led the NHL in goals five times, was the first to score 50 in 50 games (in 1944-45) and was the first 500-goal scorer in league history. He finished his career with 544 goals in 978 games. The trophy was first handed out following the 1998-99 season to Teemu Selanne of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who led the NHL with 47 goals. Ovechkin has captured the trophy a record ninetimes. He could have won it his rookie year but lost out to the Sharks' Jonathan Cheechoo by four goals, and he was a goal short in 2009-10. OVECHKIN: Top sevencareer goals Seasons Alex Ovechkin won the Rocket Richard Trophy SEASON GOALS 2019-20 48 2018-19 51 2017-18 49 2015-16 50 2014-15 53 2013-14 51 2012-13 32 2008-09 56 2007-08 65 Frank Sinkwich Jersey