The St. Louis Blues inked forward Sammy Blais to a two-year extension with an average annual value of $1.5 million, the team announced Wednesday.Blais, 23, had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season."He's a developing player that we think highly of," general manager Doug Armstrong said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas. "We think he certainly can be a top-nine regular in our group. I think injuries derailed a little bit of that for him at the start of this year."The 6-foot-2 winger suffered a broken wrist in November, which limited him to just 40 games in 2019-20 before play was suspended. Despite the injury, Blais led the Blues with 155 hits while contributing six goals and 13 points.St. Louis selected Blais in the sixth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. The Quebec native has tallied nine goals and 20 points over 83 career contests, all with the Blues.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.If the NHL's 2019-20 regular season resumes, commissioner Gary Bettman intends to ensure all teams in the playoff mix get equal opportunities to compete."There are at least seven teams that were on the bubble of making the playoffs and not all of the teams had played the same number of games," Bettman told FOX Business Network on Wednesday. "Whatever we do to come back ... whether it's complete the regular season in whole or in part, whether or not it's expanded playoffs, we're going to have to do something that's fair and has integrity."That's going to be very important no matter what it is we do and we're considering all of the alternatives. And nothing has been ruled in and nothing has been ruled out."When the NHL season came to a halt March 12, the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers were within three points of a playoff spot in the East, while the Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, and Arizona Coyotes were within four points in the West.Several players around the league have spoken out about hoping to have a chance at the playoffs, including Panthers stars Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky, who said it wouldn't be fair if the league jumped straight to the postseason with 11-14 games remaining on each team's schedule.Rangers winger and potential MVP candidate Artemi Panarin also said it would be unfair if his New York squad didn't get a chance to make the playoffs after surging up the standings in the second half of the season.Bettman recently said teams would need two-to-three week training camps to get back into game shape and revealed the league has explored the idea of playing at neutral sites.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A contestant on an episode of "The Price is Right" that aired on Wednesday won a trip to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The National Women's Hockey League is in the process of bringing an expansion team to the Toronto area and is expected to make an official announcement at the end of April, reports The Associated Press.The team will be led by former Brown University coach Margaret Murphy. She's reportedly already begun assembling her roster.The United States-based NWHL currently has five franchises. The league expressed a desire to expand to Canada in Toronto and Montreal a year ago, but plans never came to fruition.Canada's professional women's league, the CWHL, folded last year after 12 seasons due to financial constraints. The league's shutdown prompted over 200 of the world's top players to vow not to play professionally in North America until a women's league with a sustainable future can be developed and maintained.The NWHL postponed its Isobel Cup Final in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Dr. Anthony Fauci sees a way back for sports this year.One of the leading medical experts for the Trump administration's coronavirus task force believes the best way to resume North American sports is meticulously monitoring players and keeping fans out of arenas for the foreseeable future."There's a way of doing that," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Snapchat's Peter Hamby when asked about starting up sports again. "Nobody comes to the stadium. Put (teams) in big hotels wherever you want to play. Keep them very well surveilled."... But have them tested, like every week," he added. "And make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out."Fauci was answering Hamby's question specifically about the MLB, NFL, and college football seasons, which have yet to begin their respective 2020 campaigns.However, his advice sounds similar to the NBA's reported plan from earlier this month that proposes hosting all remaining games in Las Vegas without fans in attendance. A comparable plan is reportedly being considered for baseball, but with all contests in Arizona."I mean people say 'Well you can't play without spectators.' Well, I think you probably get enough buy-in from people who are dying to see a baseball game," Fauci added. "Particularly me: I'm living in Washington (D.C.). We have the world champion Washington Nationals. I want to see them playing again."President Donald Trump has expressed a strong desire to see sports restart soon in the United States, though medical experts, including Fauci, are cautioning against a return to normalcy too soon.On Tuesday, Trump announced he's seeking advice from several prominent U.S. sports executives about how to best end the lockdown that the COVID-19 pandemic prompted.Some within his newly formed panel include NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB commissioners Adam Silver, Roger Goodell, Gary Bettman, and Rob Manfred, respectively. UFC president Dana White and WWE CEO Vince McMahon were also named.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes bench boss Bill Peters has signed a two-year deal to become the head coach of the KHL's Avtomobilist, the league announced Wednesday.Peters was forced to resign from his post with the Flames earlier this season after he was accused of using racial slurs toward Nigerian-born Akim Aliu while the two were members of the AHL's Rockford IceHogs 10 years earlier. He eventually apologized for using "offensive language."Rod Brind'Amour, Peters' assistant coach in Carolina, also confirmed that Peters kicked one of his players in the back of the head."I think as time goes on we all grow and improve and become better versions of ourselves, and I'm no different than that," Peters said on a video conference Wednesday morning, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson.Peters made the playoffs once during six years as an NHL head coach, bowing out in the first round with the Flames last season.Pavel Datsyuk, whom Peters knows from his days as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, is on Avtomobilist. So, too, is Nigel Dawes, a Canadian-born winger of Jamaican descent.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban isn't necessarily in a rush to return to the ice anytime soon, understanding there's more at stake."Health is No. 1. Even though I miss the game, and I miss my teammates, and I miss my job, I want to see people healthy, I want to see people back to living a normal life," Subban said in a digital interview with CNBC."There's so many people out there that are suffering," he added. "It's very, very hard to think about hockey and the season right now until those people land on their feet."Between his daily workouts with fiancee Lindsey Vonn and hosting the league's new digital show, "NHL Hat Trick Trivia," Subban has been keeping himself busy since the league halted play on March 12.With the NHL pondering the issues around a potential return to action, Subban says he isn't a fan of some of the options put forth so far - namely, playing games without fans in attendance."I'm in favor of playing in front of fans. A big part of being a professional athlete is feeding off the energy of fans," Subban said. "We always talk about it, in sports entertainment, we have to entertain."We need people to want to pay to watch us play, we need people to want to turn on their TVs and care about what we do. If they don't care, where does the income come from? In my opinion, you need fans."The NHL on Tuesday extended its league-wide self-quarantine period through April 30.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.U.S. President Donald Trump is soliciting advice on ending the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic from commissioners and team owners in major North American sports leagues."We look forward to speaking with many industry leaders, seeking their input on how we can return to what was until very recently the greatest economy anywhere in the world," Trump said during a press conference Tuesday evening.Trump named NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman among those he's consulting, along with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.Trump also named UFC president Dana White, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, LPGA commissioner Michael Whan, USTA chairman Patrick Galbraith, MLS commissioner Don Garber, and NASCAR CEO Lesa Kennedy during a Tuesday press conference.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.U.S. President Donald Trump is soliciting advice on ending the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic from commissioners and team owners in major North American sports leagues.Trump named NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman among those he is consulting, along with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.Trump also named UFC president Dana White, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, LPGA commissioner Michael Whan, USTA chairman Patrick Galbraith, MLS commissioner Don Garber, and NASCAR CEO Lesa Kennedy during a Tuesday press conference.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is eagerly anticipating the NHL draft lottery, so much so that he's been using a simulator to conduct his own on a daily basis."Every morning, it's part of my routine," Dorion said Tuesday during a video conference call, according to Ian Mendes of TSN. "When we get one and two I stop. So, some days it takes a few minutes longer, but wherever we pick we know we're going to get three great players in the first round, especially two hopefully in the top five."Dorion and the Senators hold three picks in the first round of this year's draft and can expect two of them - their own and the pick acquired from San Jose Sharks in the deal for Erik Karlsson - to be high-end selections. Based on the league standings when the NHL suspended play on March 12, the Senators own the second-best odds to win the lottery and the Sharks' chances are third-best.The draft, originally scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, has been postponed indefinitely, but Dorion said the Senators will be prepared whenever it does proceed. He added that though Ottawa's scouting reports are incomplete due to the halting of hockey seasons worldwide, he's confident in his organization's ability to draft quality prospects."Now what we're doing is watching a lot of video of players," Dorion said. "It's good for us because when you've seen the players play and then you add the video element to it - which is what our scouts are doing - it will prepare us even better for this upcoming draft."For sure, we planned on doing some scouting after the trade deadline. But our scouting is in great hands under (chief amateur scout) Trent Mann. ... Under his tutelage, our scouts know what they needed to do."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper insists he doesn't give much thought to last spring's embarrassing first-round sweep against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but with the current season suspended, he's hoping his 2019-20 squad gets its shot to compete for the Stanley Cup."That's, gosh, over a year ago," Cooper said of the sweep, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith. "There has been a lot of time in between. To be honest, I haven't even thought about that until you brought it up."We're a pretty focused group. For some teams, the season ending abruptly is just a turn of the page for next year. And there are a bunch of teams that this season stopping is getting in the way of people's unfinished business. I say we're in that group, but there's others too."With the NHL campaign currently on pause, Tampa Bay sits second in the Atlantic Division. And after winning the Presidents' Trophy before bowing out last year, Cooper says his club hasn't taken its success for granted this time around."I just think our mentality was a little bit different. Last year, we had more of a feeling of, 'Oh, we’re bulletproof.' And this year, we don’t feel like that at all. There was an urgency level to this team that's heightened."The season was officially suspended on March 12, and its status remains unclear. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is continuing to explore all options, and that players would need at least two-to-three weeks of training camp if the campaign does resume.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers and the family of the late Colby Cave have established a fund to carry on his memory, the club announced Tuesday.Proceeds will be donated to community programs with an emphasis on mental health initiatives, and those that give underprivileged children access to sports.Cave, who died at the age of 25 on Saturday after suffering a brain bleed earlier in the week, was a "committed and positive member of the communities in which he played, eagerly volunteering for charitable initiatives and always stopping to say hi to fans," according to the team.The forward's death elicited an immediate outpouring of grief from all corners of the hockey world. Residents in his hometown of Battleford, Saskatchewan also showed support upon the family's return to the province by lining a local highway on Monday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Kris Versteeg announced his retirement from professional hockey Tuesday.“What a run it was," he said in a statement. "A kid from North Lethbridge who played on the streets every day, dreaming of playing in the NHL."The 33-year-old spent 11 seasons in the NHL, last appearing in the 2017-18 campaign. He spent the majority of the last two seasons playing overseas.Versteeg was a part of the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks' Cup-winning squad, tallying 14 points in 22 games during the playoffs. He was one of the club's many cap casualties after that season, getting traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. His time with Toronto was short-lived, as he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers later that season before getting traded again to the Florida Panthers the following year.The 5-foot-11 winger missed out on the second Stanley Cup of Chicago's dynasty in 2013 but returned to the Windy City in time to hoist the trophy in 2015. Following that season, he bounced around between the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and the Calgary Flames before his NHL career came to an end.Versteeg tallied four 20-goal seasons, two 50-point seasons, and a total of 358 points in his 643-game career.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The NHL's self-quarantine recommendation has been prolonged through April 30, the league announced Tuesday.Players, coaches, and staff were previously instructed to do so through April 15.This is the third time the NHL has extended the original self-quarantine end date of March 27. The league suspended its season on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.In the immediate aftermath of the pause, the NHL asked its players not to leave their respective clubs' cities, but the league ultimately permitted players to travel home on the condition that they self-quarantine upon arrival.Eight players - five from the Ottawa Senators and three from the Colorado Avalanche - tested positive for COVID-19. Senators head coach D.J. Smith said last week that everyone in his organization who contracted the virus is "now doing well."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle may not be able to skate, but he has a growing admiration for the game of hockey.Kittle has a budding bromance with Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, who both spend most of their summers in Nashville. They were introduced through their girlfriends."It's been really fun to be friends with someone in another sport. I think hockey is the hardest sport because I can't skate to save my life. I don't understand how they can move like they do," Kittle told The Athletic's Adam Vingan. "I have an appreciation for it, and being able to be a friend with one of the best hockey players in the NHL has been pretty cool for me."Kittle's position requires a unique skill set in which he's forced to block like an offensive lineman but catch passes like a wide receiver. He was named an All-Pro after his second straight 1,000-yard season and helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl.Despite possessing rare athleticism of his own, Kittle is blown away by what Forsberg and other NHLers are able to do on the ice."The fact that Fil is more comfortable on skates than he is on land or grass is just insane to me," Kittle said. "I have the fake ice and a hockey goal and I get out and shoot sometimes, especially now when I'm stuck at home. I don't know how they do that stuff while on skates. Everything that they do, they're playing at high speed at all times. It's physical. It's a grind. It's a ton of games. You're traveling everywhere. I just respect the grind."I just respect the whole game of hockey. I think, honestly, it's just a beautiful masterpiece when it's played well."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were one game away from the Stanley Cup Final in 1993, but Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings stood in their path.After a controversial victory in Game 6, Gretzky put on a show in Game 7, potting a hat trick and adding an assist as the Kings won 5-4. With the win, L.A. punched a ticket to its first-ever final, leaving Cup-hungry Leafs fans in the dust.Watch a replay of the stream below:Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk has completed the final round of his chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with stomach cancer in August, his son Eric confirmed Monday.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged Monday that even if his league gets the green light to resume the 2019-20 campaign, it will take time for players to prepare for game action."As much as you may try to stay in shape with a home gym, our guys haven’t been on the ice for a month and they’re going to need two-to-three weeks to get back into playing shape," Bettman told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.“So as much as we may worry about keeping everybody, not just our players or the NHL family, but everybody safe from the coronavirus, we also want to make sure that our players don't jeopardize their health by coming back too soon and not being in game shape.”The NHL has been mulling a number of options for a potential resumption of the current season, including playing games at neutral sites. The league is also reportedly willing to delay next season's commencement until November if the current campaign can be salvaged.Bettman confirmed Monday that essentially all options remain on the table. He added that the league will be ready to move quickly if an opportunity to return arises."We're exploring and want to be prepared for every option - whenever the circumstances present themselves - so we haven't ruled anything in, we haven't ruled anything out and we'll be prepared to go in whatever direction makes sense at the time," he said.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane only spent two seasons playing with Artemi Panarin, now a New York Ranger, but he looks back fondly.When asked which player Kane would most want by his side when going in on a two-on-one, he didn't hesitate."I know I played with him (Panarin) a couple of years, but the way he sees the game and the way he plays it was very similar to the way that I saw the game," Kane said on a video conference call Monday. "Just really, really fun hockey ... just kind of playing off each other, hanging out on our sides, and almost mirroring each other, what the other person was going to do. That was probably the funnest hockey that I've ever played was playing with him."In 2015-16, their first season together, Panarin took home the Calder Trophy while Kane grabbed the Hart and Art Ross Trophies. Across both seasons together, Kane racked up 80 goals and 195 points while Panarin posted 61 goals and 151 points.Panarin said in February that he expected to play his whole career in Chicago and revealed that his trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017 still confuses him. The 28-year-old inked a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the Rangers last summer.The two dynamic wingers have continued to play at elite levels separately. In the three seasons since Panarin's trade, Kane has mustered up 104 goals and 270 points in 230 games, while Panarin has potted 87 goals and 264 points in 229 games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, an interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Danny Briere, former star NHL forward and current vice president of operations for the ECHL's Maine Mainers, joins the show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.With the 2019-20 campaign likely in the books, there's no time like the present for hockey bettors to take a way-too-early look at next season.The exact salary cap isn't known for next season, but using the rise from 2018-19 to 2019-20 as a point of reference, we can probably expect something just shy of $85 million, which would be on the lower end of the range given by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in March.With that figure, we can point out some teams facing cap issues that are worth monitoring closely this offseason, as they could become clubs to fade in 2020-21.Toronto Maple LeafsCap issues aside, the Leafs are usually a reliable fade. That's not a knock on the team itself, it's a comment on the brand. Much like the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Lakers, sportsbooks are never going to be lacking for Leafs money. That results in inflated lines, with the public quick to bite.If you had bet against the Leafs in every game in 2019-20, you would have come out ahead. The same goes for 2018-19. With the team keeping its hyped forward core intact, there's every reason to believe the same should be true in 2020-21.Toronto's defensive issues should be amplified next season with Cody Ceci, Tyson Barrie, and Travis Dermott all impending free agents, while Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Spezza, and Frederik Gauthier also need new deals. With the Leafs being so tight up against the cap, they're likely going to lose at least a handful of these guys, and that's going to hurt this team's depth at both ends of the ice. While none of these names individually shift the needle, that actually helps our cause, as sportsbooks likely won't adjust despite the team getting worse.Arizona CoyotesWith nearly $75 million invested in 17 players (including two goalies), the Coyotes will likely have under $10 million to re-sign restricted free agents Vinnie Hinostroza and Christian Fischer, leaving them with little money left to bring back, or find replacements for, unrestricted free agents Taylor Hall, Carl Soderberg, and Brad Richardson.Arizona will have little to no flexibility to improve the roster and it's going to be hard for general manager John Chayka to get creative with Conor Garland and four of the team's top-five defensemen set to be free agents after next season. Playing in such a small market, the Coyotes weren't valued highly by oddsmakers to begin with, but the roster should more fairly reflect their value next season.Chicago BlackhawksIt's going to be a messy offseason for the Blackhawks and GM Stan Bowman, who is no stranger to a cap crunch. Restricted free agents Dominik Kubalik, Drake Caggiula, and Dylan Strome are in line for considerable raises, while both of the team's goaltenders are impending free agents. With $74 million already tied up, the team will have just over $10 million to re-sign those three and get a pair of goalies under contract. That's not going to happen without Bowman shedding some serious salary.But even if he magically finds a way to get rid of some low-impact guys and fit everyone else under the cap, there will be no money remaining to improve the roster. Without reinforcements, a ton of pressure will be on Strome and Alex DeBrincat, who have both had disconcertingly down seasons, as well as Chicago's ageing stars.The Blackhawks are another popular team that often sees a bit of inflation with their odds, and given the predicament they find themselves in, we should be able to take advantage.Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Drew Doughty isn't optimistic about the resumption of the current NHL campaign."Honestly, I don't see how the season is going to return. I really don't," the Los Angeles Kings defenseman said Monday on a conference call, according to The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno. "We have no idea when this virus is going to be over.""The fans want to see us play ... but it's going to be tough," Doughty added, according to The Los Angeles Times' Helene Elliott.The star blue-liner doesn't think playing in August is feasible."It would be tough to do that. It would affect next season," he said, according to The Athletic's Lisa Dillman.Doughty also believes an abbreviated conclusion to the season would devalue the championship."In all seriousness, it's not going to be like winning a real Stanley Cup," he said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.The NHL is willing to delay the start of the 2020-21 campaign in order to finish the current one, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Monday.The league would prefer to hold some regular-season games before the playoffs begin and hasn't ruled out condensing the schedule if and when the campaign resumes, LeBrun reported last week.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in late March that the NHL will find a way to fit games into August if need be. However, it remains to be seen if state and city officials, as well as health experts, would agree to a return by then.The season was paused on March 12 amid the coronavirus outbreak. Players were initially told not to travel but were then allowed to return to their homes while being instructed to self-quarantine. The latter mandate was reportedly extended through April 15.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The NHL is willing to delay the start of the 2020-21 campaign until November in order to conclude this season, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.The league believes it can play a full season next year by canceling the 2021 All-Star Game and the accompanying bye weeks and by extending the postseason into late June, LeBrun adds.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in March that the NHL wants to avoid scenarios that prevent a full 2020-21 season from being played.The NHL reportedly asked teams in March for August arena availability. More recently, multiple cities, including Grand Forks, North Dakota; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan have contacted the league about holding neutral-site playoff games.The league also reportedly prefers to hold some regular-season contests before beginning the playoffs and would be willing to condense the postseason in some form if necessary.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian Burke saw red flags in Nail Yakupov that the Edmonton Oilers didn't.The 2012 draft was more wide-open than most, as there was no consensus top couple of players. Burke, who was serving as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, held the fifth overall pick. The club selected defenseman Morgan Rielly, whom it had No. 1 on its draft board.While discussing how the draft unfolded, Burke made it clear that he wasn't going to take Yakupov, even if the Russian winger fell into his lap."We weren't going to take him. His draft interview was the worst interview I've ever had in my life. Terrible," Burke said on Monday's episode of the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast.When asked why the interview went so poorly, Burke did not hold back."He was defiant, obnoxious, and sullen," he continued. "John Lilley, one of our scouts ... almost fought him in the interview, so it was not a good interview."Yakupov went No. 1 to the Oilers and ultimately became a bust. He enjoyed a solid rookie year, tallying a career-high 17 goals and 31 points in the lockout-shortened 48-game campaign, but his performances steadily declined. He was traded in 2016 and out of the league in 2018.Here's how the 2012 draft's top five played out:PickPlayerTeamGPPTS1F Nail YakupovEDM3501362D Ryan MurrayCLB3471103F Alex GalchenyukMTL5493204D Griffin ReinhartNYI3725D Morgan RiellyTOR517270Rielly only played 23 games in his draft year due to injury. Burke said he never saw Rielly play live but "tripled up" the scouts for his games and watched every shift on video twice.The decision was ultimately one of Burke's best during his Toronto tenure. Rielly has blossomed into a star blue-liner, finishing inside the top five in Norris Trophy voting last year after a career-high 72-point season.Burke also discussed some of the best draft interviews that he encountered during his days as a GM and gave some high praise to Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog."He finished his interview and we wanted to have him sit down, help us talk to the other kids," Burke said. "I think he'll be a general manager in the league. I really do. I really respect him."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.New York Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin isn't in favor of the NHL going straight to the playoffs with only 16 teams if the season resumes."You hear so many things. There is no certainty. I am waiting to be told something definite. But if we play, it would be unfair if the Rangers don't have the chance to be in the playoffs. If (the NHL) goes straight to the playoffs, the Rangers deserve to be there," Panarin told the New York Post's Larry Brooks.The Rangers sat two points out of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot - by points percentage, they drop further - when the league paused the season March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.For his part, Panarin is likely to garner some Hart Trophy consideration this season, as he's posted 95 points - tied for third-most in the league - in 69 games.The NHL is reportedly prioritizing playing regular-season games before heading to the playoffs. The postseason could then be condensed, depending on how much time the league has to wrap up the campaign.Multiple cities, including Grand Forks, North Dakota; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan have contacted the league about holding neutral-site playoff contests, if necessary.Panarin has played a role in helping during the pandemic, as he donated 1,500 N95 masks to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan."I heard on the news that the healthcare workers had an urgent need for masks and were in danger without them, so I thought that would be a great way to show support," Panarin said. "It was not a big deal for me. It is really the smallest thing I could do. I am very happy to be able to help in some way."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks have inked one of their top prospects, albeit with a tinge of uncertainty.University of Denver defenseman Ian Mitchell has agreed to a three-year contract with the club. However, the start date and average annual value of the pact haven't yet been determined due to the postponement of the NHL season.Mitchell had a memorable junior season for the Pioneers, racking up 32 points in 36 games and garnering numerous accolades.

About six months ago, toward the end of a live TV broadcast in Columbus, TSN color commentator Ray Ferraro suddenly lost his ability to speak.Auston Matthews had just scored in a way few others can and all Ferraro could muster in real time was nearly inaudible: "Oh!" Flabbergasted, it took Ferraro longer than usual to process Matthews' assassin-like snipe on Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo.Ferraro composed himself quick enough to gush over a replay of the goal. Then, as the game started up again, he summed up what was on the minds of everybody watching. "His release," Ferraro said, "is just unbelievable."That was goal No. 3 for Matthews in his finest season to date. The 22-year-old Maple Leafs superstar had 47 goals in 70 games, putting him on pace for a franchise-best 55, when the NHL suspended play March 12. He trailed only Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak - who each had 48 - in what was shaping up to be a thrilling sprint for the Rocket Richard Trophy."It's pretty cool and humbling to be in the same conversation as a guy like him," Matthews said last week of Ovechkin. "Being in a scoring race with a guy like him, he's been a generational player, and he's made a big impact beyond the game, and led the way for lots of players and lots of guys."It's humbling, and hopefully, we can get back to playing hockey and can compete again, that's what everyone wants to do."The NHL's indefinite hiatus gives us an opportunity to take stock of career trajectories, and we're starting with Matthews' body of work through 282 career games in an effort to better understand how special a goal-scorer he really is. Spoiler: Matthews should certainly be in the same conversation as Ovechkin.––––––––––A quick rundown of Matthews' standing among the league's elite marksmen:

Residents in the town of Battleford, Saskatchewan, will welcome home the family of the late Colby Cave.Members of the community are asking those who are able and willing to form a line of vehicles on a local highway to show support for the family as they return to the province Monday following the Cave's death in Toronto on Saturday.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.CCM Hockey is following in the footsteps of its main competitor, and it's all for a good cause.The manufacturing company is revamping its production facility to make 150 full protective hoods per day to help medical workers fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The New York Rangers have been without a captain for several seasons, and they may not be rushing to change that soon."The thing I learned along the way is, don't pick a captain just to pick a captain," Rangers president John Davidson said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I think it's something that has to weed itself out. As you go through different experiences, you feel and have an understanding of what players express certain ways of leading."Some players are very quiet yet lead on the ice like crazy. Some guys are very loud. Some guys don't speak very often but when they speak everybody listens. We're in the process of trying to figure that out."The Rangers haven't named an official leader since shipping out former captain Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline during the 2017-18 season. McDonagh served as the team's captain for four seasons, beginning in 2014.Davidson adds that while he understands there's some pressure from the fan base to name a captain, management won't hurry the decision."Sometimes you don't want to give a person too much if (you're) not sure he can handle it because it becomes a detriment," Davidson said. "It's an important question, but that can't sway us into pushing us into something that we don't feel is right as far as the timing goes. That's not a slight on anybody, believe me, but we'll get to it and hopefully it'll work itself out."Forwards Mika Zibanejad, Jesper Fast, and Chris Kreider, and defenseman Marc Staal have been serving as the team's alternate captains this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a pandemic suspending sporting events worldwide, athletes suddenly have tons of time on their hands. In the latest installment of our weekly NHL series, we look at how they've been keeping themselves entertained - and in shape - while self-isolating.Habs channel their inner 'Friends'They may be dispersed around the globe right now, but that's not keeping some Montreal Canadiens players from showing off their friendship. Put together by Nick Suzuki, a group including Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Tatar, and Ryan Poehling created its own version of the "Friends" intro.

On April 5, 2007, New Jersey Devils legendary netminder Martin Brodeur etched his name in the history books with his 48th win of the campaign, setting the single-season record previously held by Bernie Parent. It was peak Brodeur, as he put on a show in this 34-save outing against the rival Philadelphia Flyers.Watch a replay of the stream below:Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues prospect and Minnesota Duluth University defenseman Scott Perunovich won the 2020 Hobey Baker Award on Saturday as the nation's top collegiate player.

General manager David Poile doesn't believe Pekka Rinne's time as a reliable goalie for the Nashville Predators is coming to an end with the 2019-20 season in limbo."We know time catches up to all of us, especially in an athlete's life," Poile said, according to The Tennessean's Paul Skrbina. "He's been playing very well. He's had that odd game that hasn’t been so good. I'm predicting if we make the playoffs this year that Pekka's going to win some big games down the stretch. So I don't think it's over."Rinne, 37, has long been a Predators icon after Poile and Co. selected him in the eighth round of the 2004 NHL Draft. He's the franchise's leading goaltender in games played, wins, playoff victories, and shutouts.But Rinne struggled at times this season. He posted an 18-14-4 record before the NHL suspended play, and his 3.17 goals-against average and 0.895 save percentage were on pace to be career worsts.Young goalie Juuse Saros, meanwhile, slowly began to take the reigns in net. Saros started 34 games before the hiatus, while Rinne started 35. Poile acknowledged the difficulties such a change can pose."When it happens, I'm sure that it's hardest on him. It's probably hard on our fans," Poile said. "They think the world of Pekka and think he's going to be that brick wall every night and he's going to make the difference every night, because for 10 or 12 years he's been the difference every night."Rinne ranks third in the league in games started and second in wins since becoming a starter in 2008. The Finnish netminder's current contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colby Cave, a forward in the Edmonton Oilers organization, died Saturday after suffering a brain bleed earlier in the week.The 25-year-old was remembered through an outpouring of warm messages and memories from family, friends, teammates, coaches, and others around the hockey world.

Nikolay Goldobin is planning to leave the NHL and return to his homeland to continue his hockey career.The Russian forward, who played in the Vancouver Canucks organization this season, confirmed as much to TSN 1040's Rick Dhaliwal on Saturday."The Canucks did not want to sign me," Goldobin said. "I was disappointed how it turned out in (Vancouver) but I am happy to sign in (the) KHL and will try (the) NHL again in two years."Sport-Express' Igor Eronko reported earlier Saturday that Goldobin was "set to sign" a two-year contract with CSKA Moscow.The 24-year-old forward inked a one-year, $900,000 pact with the Canucks back in September.Goldobin posted 50 points in 51 games with Vancouver's AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, this season. He played one game for the Canucks in 2019-20, suiting up against the Pittsburgh Penguins in late November.The Moscow native was in his fourth campaign with the Canucks organization. Vancouver acquired him from the San Jose Sharks in a trade for forward Jannik Hansen in March 2017.Goldobin produced a career-high 27 points across 63 games in 2018-19.The Sharks drafted him 27th overall in 2014.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's hard enough to find just one star in an NHL draft, let alone multiple ones.Teams sometimes get lucky enough and manage to select two future franchise cornerstones in the same draft. The Los Angeles Kings got Jonathan Quick and Anze Kopitar in 2005 and the Anaheim Ducks selected Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in 2003.Two is doable, but hitting on three picks? Now that's impressive.Let's take a look back at the five best drafts by teams over the last two decades.5. Tampa Bay Lightning (2011)Nick Laham / Getty Images Sport / GettyPick No.Player GP P27Vladislav Namestnikov42518958Nikita Kucherov514544208Ondrej Palat495328Picking late in the first round, the Lightning managed to land themselves a legitimate top-six forward in Namestnikov. Then, in the second round, they found a hidden gem and one of the best value picks in recent memory with Kucherov. The addition of just those two would have made for a successful draft, but then, with its final pick, Tampa Bay added Palat.Palat and Kucherov remain key cogs in the Lightning's lineup today, with the latter having turned into a perennial MVP candidate.Namestnikov was a part of a package deal in 2018 that netted the Lightning Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller.4. Montreal Canadiens (2007)Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / GettyPick No.PlayerGPP12Ryan McDonagh66129822Max Pacioretty76355443P.K. Subban713426Armed with two first-rounders, the Canadiens didn't miss on either of them. The Habs took McDonagh with their first pick, Pacioretty with their second, and topped it off by snagging Subban in the second round. Pacioretty ranks second among the 2007 class in goals and Subban leads all defensemen in points.However, McDonagh - who comes in at No. 3 on that list of blue-liners - never suited up in a game for the Canadiens, as he was traded in the deal that sent Scott Gomez to Montreal.Pacioretty captained the team for three seasons and led it in goals in five. Subban, meanwhile, was one of the team's most electrifying players in recent memory and took home a Norris Trophy before being dealt for the team's current captain, Shea Weber.3. Colorado Avalanche (2009)Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / GettyPick No.PlayerGPP3Matt Duchene79358933Ryan O'Reilly80355964Tyson Barrie554346The Avalanche managed to snatch up three entirely different, game-changing players in one draft. Colorado didn't waste the third overall pick, selecting a dynamic playmaker in Duchene. It then added solid two-way center O'Reilly and puck-moving defenseman Barrie in the second round.Duchene and O'Reilly made immediate impacts during their rookie campaigns, helping the Avalanche reach the playoffs. However, they returned to the postseason only once over the next five years before the latter was traded to the Buffalo Sabres.The trio are no longer with the Avalanche, but they continue to play at an elite level on their respective teams and are some of the league's top stars.2. Chicago Blackhawks (2003)Elsa / Getty Images Sport / GettyPick No.PlayerGPP14Brent Seabrook111446452Corey Crawford488260 wins245Dustin Byfuglien869525The Blackhawks helped earn themselves multiple Stanley Cup victories with their showing in the 2003 draft. They secured a stud defenseman in Seabrook, a franchise goalie in Crawford, and a gritty depth forward - who would go on to become a dominant blue-liner in his own right - in Byfuglien.All three went on to play vital roles in helping the Blackhawks win their three Cups this past decade. Before Byfuglien transformed into a top defenseman, he grinded as a forward in Chicago, scoring three goals in the finals when the Blackhawks won it all in 2010. Crawford then backstopped the team to its next two Cup victories while Seabrook continues to log seemingly endless minutes on the blue line.1. Boston Bruins (2006)Dave Sandford / Getty Images Sport / GettyPick No.PlayerGPP5Phil Kessel106686150Milan Lucic95852171Brad Marchand751646Bruins interim general manager Jeff Gorton easily had one of the best NHL drafts of all time in 2006. Days before officially being replaced by Peter Chiarelli, Gorton set up the Bruins as best as anyone could have. Not only did he manage to draft future stars Kessel, Lucic, and Marchand, Gorton also made a draft-day trade for the ages by sending Andrew Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for future Vezina winner Tuukka Rask.Kessel may not have panned out in Boston - he was traded after just three seasons - but he's become one of the best goal-scorers in the league. Kessel ranks fifth in the NHL in goals since 2007-08 with 246, and he helped lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.Meanwhile, Marchand and Lucic played vital roles in helping the Bruins secure a Stanley Cup in 2011. Since then, Marchand has transformed from a pesky, agitating player into a pesky, agitating, legitimate MVP contender. Lucic is no longer the player of yesteryear, but he was one of the league's most feared enforcers for multiple seasons while still getting it done on offense.Honorable Mentions2010 Carolina Hurricanes: Jeff Skinner, Frederik Andersen, Justin Faulk2009 Ottawa Senators: Jakob Silfverberg, Robin Lehner, Mike Hoffman2011 Ottawa Senators: Mika Zibanejad, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Dzingel2005 St. Louis Blues: T.J. Oshie, Ben Bishop, Ryan Reaves2009 New York Islanders: John Tavares, Mikko Koskinen, Anders Lee, Calvin De Haan, Casey Cizikas, Anders NilssonCopyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colby Cave, a forward in the Edmonton Oilers organization, died Saturday after suffering a brain bleed earlier this week, the club confirmed."It is with great sadness to share the news that our Colby Cave passed away early this morning," his family said in a statement. "I (his wife, Emily) and both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community, and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time."Cave underwent emergency surgery Tuesday to remove a colloid cyst that was causing pressure on his brain.The 25-year-old had been in a medically induced coma at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.Cave played 11 games for the Oilers this season but spent the majority of the campaign with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. He was in his second campaign with the organization after playing parts of five years with the Boston Bruins and their farm team in Providence to begin his career.The Oilers claimed him off waivers from the Bruins in January 2019.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson could have returned to the ice in March despite being ruled out for the remainder of the season following mid-February thumb surgery."If the season would have been on, I probably could have played a couple weeks ago if I had to," Karlsson told NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday, according to NHL.com.The Sharks sat last in the Western Conference when the season was suspended March 12, making them a near lock to miss the playoffs for only the third time in the last two decades.Despite the disappointing season, Karlsson explained he's developed a fresh outlook on life while stuck at home amid the coronavirus pandemic."I think something like this makes you realize that there's a lot of things out there that are more important, even though hockey is one of the biggest parts of my life and something that I enjoy to do," Karlsson said.He added, "It puts a lot of things in perspective and you get to discover a lot of other things outside the hockey world which you otherwise might not have been able to. This is something we all have to go through."Before suffering the injury, the 29-year-old rearguard tallied six goals and 40 points through 56 contests in his second season with San Jose.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is hoping for hockey to return regardless of which format the league chooses to go with."We're willing to do whatever," Suter said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "We want to play. Our team was really playing well down the stretch here, and we want to see if we can continue that."The Wild were one of the league's hottest teams in the month before the pause, winning eight of their last 11 games while clawing their way back into the playoff hunt. They currently sit just one point behind the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference."This year has been such an emotional roller coaster," Suter said. "We started out terrible. ... We battled back and went through ups and downs, and to finally be in a position to have an opportunity to make the playoffs says a lot about our group."The veteran defenseman also pointed to his age, 35, as another reason he hopes to get a shot at the Stanley Cup this season."Guys only get to do this for so long," Suter added. "I've been fortunate. I've been able to do it for longer than the average. So, yeah, at any age I think you want to play, and you don't want to lose these opportunities."Suter added that it would be "disappointing" if the season ends without a proper conclusion due to "where we were at the start of the year to where we are now."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour hinted he's starting to focus on next year with this season's status up in the air."We're kind of looking at it a little differently, I think our management and owners kind of right away told us this was going to be something a little more long term so we kind of looked at it as our offseason," Brind'Amour said in a video conference call Friday, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "So we're kind of preparing actually for the draft a little bit, looking at stuff like that."At the time of the pause on March 12, the Hurricanes occupied the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Brind'Amour understands his team will need to ramp-up fast if play were to resume."Make sure our guys are staying safe first and then if we get any inkling that maybe we’re coming back on the horizon soon, I think we’ll change gears," Brind'Amour added. "Right now, we’re kind of preparing for next year in a lot of ways."Brind'Amour also took time to thank the frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis and hopes fans continue to do their part."I think No. 1, it shouldn't take a crisis like this to kind of realize how important certain people are in the world - our medical staff, just a real shoutout to them and all they're doing," Brind'Amour added. "Hopefully we'll get this behind us soon but we've all got to do our part, that's the key. So stay safe to everyone and let's get hockey back soon and safe."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Cities and venues across North America have started pitching themselves as potential hosts for neutral-site NHL playoff games, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan on Friday."We do have people putting together the comprehensive laundry list of what we would need from facilities and evaluating some facilities on some level," Daly said. "But I can't tell you we've even finished creating a list (of potential sites), much less narrowed it down."Locations that have been reported so far include Grand Forks, North Dakota; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.It's unclear what a potential return of hockey would look like for 2019-20. Among the options being discussed are playing out the regular season, jumping into the playoffs immediately, or even modifying the playoff format to include more teams or make series shorter."I've always had the caveat that everything is on the table and nothing is out of the question," Daly said. "I would say there would be a strong opposition to ever creating a playoff where it was a single elimination. I think best-of-three is more possible, not preferred, but more possible than a best-of-one scenario."Daly added that he's aware of several concerns that could arise if the league does resume its season during the coronavirus pandemic."My sense of the players is that they're very anxious to return. Obviously, they want to be healthy and safe," Daly said. "If a particular player had a particular concern, we've had similar situations in the past and we as a league have been sensitive and receptive to that situation. Obviously, if it becomes too widespread, then it becomes more problematic in terms of our ability to get back. But that will be handled up front."While a return to the ice is the goal, Daly also indicated that the top priority for the league is "what is safe and is going to protect the health and well-being of our players and obviously the general public."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal isn't in a rush to discuss his contract with the current season still in limbo."I don't think there's been too much communication (with Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello), and not because there's anything negative or anything, it's just Lou's getting ready for a playoff run right now, and I'm still worried about this season as well," Barzal said, according to NHL.com's Brian Compton. "I'm not too too worried about it, just because I don't think the season is over yet. I think we're still going to be playing."Barzal is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Lamoriello said in March that the Islanders are prepared to match any offer sheet given to the dynamic forward.With the Islanders in the playoff picture, he is still anticipating having a chance to return to the ice this season. However, he does admit the ball is also in Lamoriello's court to get things rolling on working out an extension."There's bigger things we've got to worry about right now in terms of heading to the playoffs this year. But at the same time, whenever we're ready to sit down and get it done, I'd love for that to happen," Barzal added. "At the same time, I'm not a person that's just going to rush this thing or get nervous about it or whatever. I'm just going about my day, and it'll happen when it happens."The 22-year-old, who was taken 16th overall in 2015, is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He's amassed 59 goals and 207 points in 234 games with the Islanders and took home the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 2017-18.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The end of every NHL season forces some players to ponder whether it's time to retire. With the 2019-20 NHL campaign currently suspended - and potentially finished - this is certainly not the way that the players wrestling with this decision wanted to go out.Several ageless wonders - including Zdeno Chara, Jason Spezza, Andy Greene, Joe Thornton, and Patrick Marleau - have already made it clear that they intend to play next season, so we can cross them off the list. There are some others, however, whose future remains unclear.If the season is officially canceled, here are six players who may have played their final game in the NHL.Justin Williams, Carolina HurricanesJim McIsaac / Getty Images Sport / GettyCareer numbers (regular season)GPGAPATOI126432047779716:53Williams began 2019-20 on the sidelines while contemplating his future in the league, so if the campaign is ultimately canceled, it's hard to imagine him coming back for a full season.The 19-year veteran didn't rejoin the Hurricanes until January but showed he still had some game left when he did return. Williams contributed eight goals and 11 points through 20 contests and boasted positive possession numbers at five-on-five. If this is it, "Mr. Game 7" will go out as one of the most clutch performers of his generation, taking three Stanley Cup rings with him.Ryan Miller, Anaheim DucksJoe Hrycych / National Hockey League / GettyCareer numbersGPWLT/OLGAASV%SO780387281862.61.91544Goaltenders of Miller's ilk can almost always find work during the tail end of their careers. Though his days as a starter are behind him, if the 39-year-old wishes to continue, he'll likely be able to do so.Miller's current deal with the Ducks is about to expire, however, and he turns 40 in July. Perhaps he'll seek a one-year deal with a team in need of depth between the pipes? The 6-foot-2 puck-stopper is only two years removed from posting elite numbers as a backup, and his .907 save percentage behind an injured and inexperienced blue line in 2019-20 shows he's got something left in the tank. He could potentially be of great value in that role with a more veteran group in front of him.Brent Seabrook, Chicago BlackhawksTimothy Hiatt / WireImage / GettyCareer numbersGPGAPATOI111410336146421:56There's no questioning Seabrook's toughness and determination to continue playing, but the soon-to-be 35-year-old underwent three surgical procedures - one on his right shoulder and one on each hip - at the beginning of 2020.Considering his performance was already declining and the heavy workload he's handled throughout his career, there's cause for concern. The 6-foot-3 rearguard has logged the 16th-most regular-season minutes and fifth-most playoff minutes this decade. Entering 2019-20, Seabrook had only missed 32 contests over 14 seasons.Seabrook's contract situation is unique on this list, however. With four years remaining on his deal, a buyout would cause headaches down the road for the Blackhawks. If he’s unfit to play, the club could also place him on LTIR. Seabrook will likely have a chance to determine his own fate in the coming months. Knowing his never-say-die attitude, he'll probably be back on the ice, but only time will tell.Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCareer numbersGPWLT/OLGAASV%SO648289251692.84.91342The Senators' all-time winningest netminder could be at the end of the line. Anderson turns 39 in May, isn't under contract for next season, and his stats have been below average over three straight campaigns.It doesn't appear as though Marcus Hogberg is ready to command the starting role, however, so Ottawa could bring Anderson back to share the crease with Anders Nilsson and serve as a role model amid the team's rebuild. With a platoon system becoming the norm in nets around the league, it's not inconceivable that Anderson could get a one-year deal somewhere else should the Senators move on.Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / GettyCareer numbersGPGAPATOI102820550470919:11Koivu, who turned 37 in March, is in the final year of his current deal and has seen significant decreases in both his production and ice time over the last three seasons. It's possible a team could bring him in on a minimum deal to add depth and experience, but it's hard to envision his journey ending outside the city where he's spent his entire 15-year NHL career.If it's truly the end of the road, the Wild captain will ride into the sunset as the franchise's all-time leader in games played, points, and assists, with each of those records far from being threatened.Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyCareer numbersGPGAPATOI12408833642424:07Most importantly, it's great to hear Bouwmeester is doing well after he collapsed on the bench during a February game in Anaheim. However, the combination of his medical episode, his age, and his expiring contract could spell the end of the defenseman's career.There is a silver lining, though: After 16 seasons in the NHL, Bouwmeester reached hockey's summit last June, helping the Blues capture their first-ever Stanley Cup. The 36-year-old rearguard will also be remembered as one of the game's true ironmen. He ranks 25th all time among defensemen in games played, and only Chara has logged more minutes on the blue line since 1998-99.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings inked defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year pact with an average annual value of $875,000, the club announced Friday.MacDermid collected eight points in 45 games with Los Angeles before the season was postponed.He was a pending restricted free agent earning $675,000 in 2019-20.The 26-year-old is in his third NHL season and third with the Kings, who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2012.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney echoed defenseman Torey Krug's recent comments, saying Friday he hopes the star defenseman doesn't find a new home in free agency this offseason."I dearly hope Torey (Krug) hasn't played his last game (with the Bruins) this year or going forward," Sweeney said on a conference call, according to Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal.Krug made headlines Tuesday after expressing his desire to stick with the Bruins despite his pending unrestricted free agent status, while being candid about the uncertainty of the situation."I can't put any assumptions on it, but I can only guess that things are going to look different from a salary-cap perspective next season," Krug said. "Team structures as well are going to be affected by it, but I have no clarity about it. ... It's just the reality of the situation."Krug added there hasn't been any contract negotiations since the NHL went on hold March 12, but Sweeney said there's previously been productive conversations between the team and Krug's agent."We've had very good discussions with Torey's group - we just haven't found a landing spot yet. ... We're hopeful that we'll find a resolution," Sweeney said.Krug is in the final campaign of a four-year contract that carries a $5.25-million annual cap hit. Since joining the Bruins in 2012, the soon to be 29-year-old has racked up 337 points in 523 games, adding another 46 points in 62 career playoff contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston College forward Alex Newhook is this year's recipient of the Tim Taylor Award as the NCAA Division I Men's Rookie of the Year, the university announced Friday.Newhook is the first Eagles player to earn the honor since it was initially awarded in 2007.The 19-year-old Colorado Avalanche prospect led all NCAA freshmen with 19 goals and collected 42 points in 34 games, ending the season on a 12-game point streak.He ranked ninth in the nation in points per game and became the school's first rookie since Colin White to produce 40 points. White, who now plays for the Ottawa Senators, accomplished the feat in 2016.Boston College also became the first NCAA program to sweep the national Rookie of the Year awards. Hannah Bilka won the women's honor earlier in April.A few weeks ago, Newhook reiterated his desire to remain at the school for his sophomore season. He told The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark, "I think for me, the plan has not changed as of now," and added that he considered himself in a position of "not being rushed and not being forced out of a good spot."The Avalanche drafted Newhook 16th overall in 2019.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colby Cave's hockey brethren are hoping for the best as the forward remains hospitalized following a brain bleed."This is devastating news," Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Thursday. "Colby is such a strong guy, he's a good Saskatchewan boy, so he's as tough as they come and if anyone is going to get through it, I think it's going to be Colby Cave. I think all the fans out there (and) everyone needs to keep Colby, Emily his wife, and the entire family in their thoughts and prayers and send out good vibes for them because that's all we can do. ... We can just think and pray that he comes out of this and pray that the family can get through it as well. ... I can't imagine how hard it is on them."

Carolina Hurricanes star blue-liner Dougie Hamilton is healthy again and ready to play if the 2019-20 NHL season resumes."If we were playing today, we would've sped up that on-the-ice performance over the last couple of weeks, so he's ready to go," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said, according to The Associated Press. "And just a matter of time before we put him on the ice and move forward from there. But yes, he'll be ready to play when we drop the puck."Hamilton fractured his fibula in January and underwent surgery. The 26-year-old was having a career season before the injury, posting 40 points in 47 games to earn a trip to what would have been his first All-Star Game.The Hurricanes sat in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 81 points when the league went on pause March 12.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime NHLer Pat Stapleton died Thursday at the age of 79, Hockey Canada announced.Stapleton spent 10 seasons in the NHL and an additional five years in the WHA. He played eight seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks from 1965-73, wearing the captain's "C" during the 1969-70 campaign. He ranks eighth on the Blackhawks' all-time list for points by a defenseman with 327.Stapleton helped Canada defeat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series, sporting a plus-6 rating in seven games. He reportedly scooped up the puck from Paul Henderson's famous series-winning goal and kept it.The native of Sarnia, Ontario, went on to captain the Canadians in the 1974 Summit Series, which they lost to the Soviets.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.