The battle of Alberta is heating up.Following the recent incident involving Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian and Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, a fan has started a GoFundMe campaign to put up billboards of Tkachuk around Edmonton."We have decided that Edmonton deserves to see much more of Matthew Tkachuk. So we are raising funds to place multiple billboards around the city of Edmonton with just Tkachuk's face on them (and for ALS)," the GoFundMe reads.The campaign has already surpassed its goal of $2,500. The organizer said they'll be contacting the Flames to get approval to put up the billboards.Kassian was handed a two-game suspension Monday for the incident and will be eligible to return Jan. 29 against the Flames.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Nicklas Backstrom to a five-year deal with an average annual value of $9.2 million, the team announced Tuesday.The 32-year-old center is in the final season of a 10-year deal he signed with the Capitals in 2010. He negotiated his new pact without the help of an agent, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Backstrom has been a staple in the Capitals' lineup since the club drafted him fourth overall in 2006. He's amassed 908 points (240 goals) in 934 career games with Washington, good for second in franchise history.An integral member of the Capitals' Stanley Cup-winning team in 2018, Backstrom is in the midst of another great season, posting nine goals and 35 points in 39 games.His new contract will take him through the 2024-25 season, his age-37 campaign.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand couldn't have escaped the ice faster following Monday's embarrassing 6-5 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.With the game on the line, Marchand overskated the puck and grazed it slightly on his approach, resulting in a failed shootout attempt and a Flyers win.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageEdmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian has been suspended two games for being the aggressor in his recent incident with Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

Warning: Story contains coarse language.Leon Draisaitl doesn't plan on putting aside personal grudges at the 2020 All-Star Game.The Edmonton Oilers star said Monday that if he and teammate Connor McDavid have to play with Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk at the three-on-three All-Star Game tournament, he would "probably get off the ice," according to the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson.Draisaitl, McDavid, and Tkachuk will all be members of the Pacific Divison All-Star team. The game will be played on Jan. 25 in St. Louis.Tkachuk ignited the Battle of Alberta rivalry on Saturday by taking multiple runs at Oilers forward Zack Kassian. Kassian eventually took exception to a hit and tried to fight Tkachuk, but the Flames forward had no interest in doing so.

Despite a handful of high draft picks and some splashy trades over the last five years, Ray Shero couldn't turn the New Jersey Devils into a contender. With the Devils making just one playoff appearance during his tenure and the team in the league's basement yet again, Shero's time with the squad came to an end when both sides mutually parted ways on Sunday. Let's take a look at how the former GM's franchise-altering moves have panned out to date:Acquiring Taylor Hall for Adam LarssonIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyShero shocked the hockey world when he landed then 24-year-old Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2016. It didn't stun people that Hall was traded, as the Oilers couldn't escape the bottom of the standings for years, but nobody could believe how little Shero had to give up to acquire the former first overall pick.The infamous words tweeted out by TSN's Bob McKenzie on the day of the deal, informing the public that it was a one-for-one trade, still echo in the hockey world today. Shero sent 24-year-old defenseman Adam Larsson to the Oilers. Larsson, the Devils' fourth overall pick in 2011, was by no means a bad player. He was a solid stay-at-home defenseman, which the Oilers were desperately searching for, but Larsson wasn't in the same league as the future MVP winner.Hall captured the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 when he seemingly single-handedly dragged the Devils to their first playoff appearance since 2012. But he was limited to just 33 games last season due to injury, and other than his MVP year, his time with the Devils was rather lackluster. Still, Shero managed to pull off one of the most lopsided NHL trades in quite some time.Hall spent three full seasons with the Devils, and he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes earlier this year. He's due to become a free agent this summer and he didn't express a desire to re-sign with New Jersey, so Shero decided to get some assets and move on.Grade: A+Drafting Nico Hischier 1st overallIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyShero didn't have the easiest decision to make when he headed into the 2017 draft armed with the first overall pick. It wasn't so obvious who the selection should be. There was a lot of debate about whether Nico Hischier or Nolan Patrick should go first. On draft day, Shero decided to go with Hischier.Now in his third season with the club, Hischier is slowly developing into a great two-way player that can chip in on both sides of the puck. After putting up 17 goals and 47 points in 69 games last year, Shero rewarded the 21-year-old with a seven-year, $50.75-million extension in October. Hischier will be part of the Devils' core for years to come, and rightfully so.However, in retrospect, it appears that Shero shouldn't have selected Hischier or Patrick. Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar, and Elias Pettersson were drafted with the third to fifth picks, respectively. Heiskanen and Makar are quickly turning into two of the biggest names on the blue line in the league. Pettersson took home the Calder Trophy in his rookie season and is continuing to excel this year.Any three of those players would have been a great fit for the Devils, a team that lacks scoring power and needs help on the defensive end. Hindsight is always 20/20, and Hischier isn't a bad consolation prize.Grade: BAcquiring P.K. SubbanBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyShero made another surprise splash when he acquired P.K. Subban from the Nashville Predators last summer. The three-time All-Star only cost the Devils two second-round picks, Steven Santini, and Jeremy Davies. On paper, the trade looked phenomenal for New Jersey. However, things haven't gone according to plan so far.The 30-year-old defenseman was brought in to be a shutdown defender and contribute offensively. 45 games into the season, Subban has just five goals and 10 points and is on pace for the lowest point total of his career.The former Norris Trophy winner's only been with the team for just over half a season, so it might be too early to write this off as a bad trade. Shero didn't mortgage the team's future in the deal, making it a rather low-risk move. Subban has two years left on his current contract, which carries a hefty $9-million cap hit, so there's still time for him to turn things around and return to his All-Star form with the Devils.Grade: CDrafting Pavel ZachaBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe 2015 draft was absolutely loaded with top-end talent, with a number of teams securing franchise players in the first round. Shero opted to go with Pavel Zacha with the sixth overall pick. At the time, scouts ranked Zacha in that range of the draft. Unfortunately, he hasn't panned out for the Devils, and the quality of the players selected after him makes that sting a little bit more.Zacha, 22, has 32 goals and 94 points in 242 games with the Devils. Mikko Rantanen, Zach Werenski, Timo Meier, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, Thomas Chabot, and Ivan Provorov were all selected after him. The Devils could desperately use any of these players, and if Shero had gone with virtually anyone other than Zacha, the state of the team could be drastically different.Grade: FTrading Adam Henrique for Sami VatanenIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyLooking to bolster his defensive group, Shero managed to land Sami Vatanen and a conditional pick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi and a third-round pick.The trade came in November 2017, and at the time, Henrique had four goals and 14 points in 24 games. His scoring touch was missed as Hall finished the campaign with 39 more points than the Devils' next highest scorer, but Vatanen helped the team secure a playoff spot.Vatanen appeared in just 50 games last year as his season was cut short due to injury. He's currently in the final year of his contract and is set to hit free agency this summer. Meanwhile, Henrique inked a five-year extension with the Ducks worth $29.125 million, and he's been a steady scorer for Anaheim with 18 goals last season, appearing in all 82 games.It seems unlikely that Vatanen will return to the Devils at season's end with Subban and Damon Severson locked up on the right side of the blue line for a combined cap hit of $13.16 million a year. The trade made some sense at the time, but it no longer looks like it worked out in favor of the Devils.Grade: C+Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Today might feel like an ordinary Monday, but it actually marks an exciting transition to nightly NHL betting previews. To completely misquote The Notorious B.I.G.: "Mo' picks, mo' money."We capped off a very profitable weekend by robbing the books Sunday night, nailing a mortgage-the-house bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers game, which proved to be one of the easiest winners we'll hit all season. We crushed it with the over 6.5, Leafs' and Panthers' team totals over 3.5, and the first period over 1.5 goals. Florida won 8-4.Let's strike while the iron is hot and jump into Monday's picks, but not before going over the good and bad from the weekend that was.Goats and scapegoatsVincent Trocheck is our money player of the weekend for his offensive outburst against the Leafs. The Panthers forward had a goal and two assists in the first 25:46, proving the catalyst for our wins.Frederick Andersen comes in as a close second for being unable to stop a beach ball and getting pulled in the first minute of the second period.Finally, Anthony Duclair is now our enemy. We were big on the Ottawa Senators on Friday night in Detroit, but they lost in a shootout and Duclair didn't help at all. Ottawa's leading scorer generated nothing against the league's worst team, failing to record even a single shot on net despite a team-high 3:32 of ice time on the power play.Monday's betsCalgary Flames (-110)The Montreal Canadiens snapped an eight-game losing skid in overtime Saturday night, but this team is still battling a number of injuries and the bottom half of its roster resembles an AHL squad. Ben Chiarot is back but Brendan Gallagher's absence will be costly against a Flames team that has won seven of its last eight on the road and is 5-0 in 2020.These teams are trending in opposite directions and, despite the fact the Canadiens have posted a worse record at the Bell Centre this season - 8-11-4, compared to 11-9-3 on the road - we can get the Flames at a very short price with this game being played in Montreal.New York Islanders/New York Rangers over 6The Rangers have found their scoring touch and are playing some good hockey at Madison Square Garden. Artemi Panarin has been an absolute stud as his team has scored at least five goals in each of its last four games on home ice. The issue is the Rangers also concede in bunches, resulting in six consecutive overs at MSG.A visit from the Islanders shouldn't buck that trend, as they've scored at least three goals in six of their last eight on the road. Both teams are in a good rhythm offensively and shouldn't have much of an issue getting over this number.Best betPhiladelphia Flyers (+120)Anything plus-money represents far too much value with the Flyers, who have lost a league-best seven home games this season (14-3-4). They ran into a hot Andrei Vasilevski - and an even hotter Tampa Bay Lightning - on Saturday, but offer great value in a bounce-back spot. The Boston Bruins are just .500 on the road since the start of December and have lost their last two trips to Philly.Trend of the nightThe St. Louis Blues have lost four straight home games against the Anaheim Ducks, their longest active home losing streak against any NHL team.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.

Since the introduction of three-on-three overtime in 2015, hockey fans have loved the chaos that comes with it.The desire to watch it non-stop may soon be fulfilled, as a new professional three-on-three league is set to hit the ice in June 2021.The league, called 3ICE, was founded by E.J. Johnston - the son of former NHL goalie, coach, and executive Ed Johnston - alongside Hall of Famer Craig Patrick."Utilizing a full-sized rink, every game will consist of two, eight-minute halves using a running clock to keep the end to end action moving at an unprecedented pace," the league announced.3ICE will consist of eight teams and travel to different cities during the summer. There will be a bracket-style tournament to determine a new champion at each stop. The plan is to get former NHL and professional hockey players to take part."Fans will have the chance to enjoy nine hockey filled weekends in nine different locations throughout the U.S. and Canada," Johnston said. "3ICE was created to bring the fans one thing ... pure, unadulterated excitement. Our players and coaches will be names and faces you know and love."The league has signed television deals with CBS Sports, TSN, and RDS. Games will air exclusively in the United States on CBS Sports Network, while TSN and RDS will carry them in Canada.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly will miss a minimum of eight weeks after sustaining a fractured foot Sunday against the Florida Panthers, the team announced Monday.He briefly left Sunday's game in the first period after blocking an Aleksander Barkov shot, but returned to the ice and went on to play more than 21 minutes in the club's 8-4 loss.Rielly leads all Toronto defensemen in points (27), shots (122), and average ice time (24:15). He finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting last season after racking up a career-high 20 goals and 72 points. The 25-year-old had been on pace to fall well short of those totals this season, but he admitted last week that he'd been playing through an undisclosed injury.The Leafs are also without fellow defender Jake Muzzin due to a broken foot. He was listed as week-to-week on Dec. 28 and it's unclear when he'll return to the lineup.With their top two minutes leaders sidelined, the Leafs recalled top prospect Rasmus Sandin from the AHL's Toronto Marlies earlier Monday. Barring any other moves, Toronto's blue line projects to look something like this:LDRDTravis DermottJustin HollRasmus SandinTyson BarrieMartin MarincinCody CeciThe Leafs will be back in action on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled defenseman Rasmus Sandin from the AHL, the team announced Monday.Sandin, the 29th overall pick in the 2018 draft, is widely considered the organization's top prospect. He's produced 15 points in 21 AHL contests with the Toronto Marlies this season and tallied 10 points in seven games with Sweden at the 2020 World Junior Championship, where he was named the tournament's best defenseman.The 19-year-old made the Maple Leafs out of training camp and skated in six NHL contests to open the campaign. While playing just over 12 minutes per night with the big club, he tallied two assists and produced some dazzling possession stats, including a 57.5 Corsi For percentage and a 52.5 expected goals for percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick.It's unclear how Toronto plans to use him this time around. If Sandin suits up in four more NHL games this season, his entry-level contract will kick in. That would make him a restricted free agent in 2022 instead of 2023.Fellow lefty-shooting defenseman Jake Muzzin has missed the Leafs' last seven games with a broken foot and was placed on injured reserve Sunday. Veteran Martin Marincin has filled in for Muzzin of late, yielding mixed results.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Monday, theScore offers a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. This week's edition focuses on Week 15. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.Add Ilya KovalchukTeam: Canadiens

The Los Angeles Kings are looking to continue their rebuild by shipping out a veteran defenseman.Blue-liner Alec Martinez, a member of the Kings' two Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2012 and 2014, is available for trade, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.The 32-year-old has another year remaining on his deal - which carries a $4-million annual cap hit - after the current campaign, so he's not simply a rental.Los Angeles traded defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season for a first-round pick and two prospects. The expected return for Martinez is slightly less than that, LeBrun added.Martinez, who returned from a lengthy absence on Jan. 4 due to a wrist injury, has one goal and five assists in 29 games this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The upcoming All-Star festivities in St. Louis will feature a new showcase of women's hockey players.A three-on-three scrimmage between top Canadian and American female stars will be included as part of the weekend, sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.This will be the third straight year the NHL invites women's hockey players to participate during the All-Star weekend. Last year, Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first woman to compete in the All-Star Skills Competition. She beat Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller's time in the Fastest Skater contest.Two years ago, the league invited members of the U.S. women's national team to demonstrate drills during the skills events.The NHL is expected to reveal the new event - as well as a tweak to the All-Star Skills Competition - this week, according to Kaplan.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights are looking to add a defenseman before the trade deadline on Feb. 24, according to league sources of The Athletic's Jesse Granger.Losers of three straight games, the Golden Knights have allowed at least four goals in four of their last five outings and have conceded 3.02 goals against per contest this season.Vegas also gives up 10.69 high-danger scoring chances per game at five-on-five, the 18th-most in the league, and has seen its 19th-ranked penalty kill dwindle as the year has progressed.MonthPPGAPPOAPK%Oct55190.1%Nov94075.5%Dec115178.4%Jan61154.5%However, the Golden Knights are pressed against the cap, with only $117,626 in projected space, and would need to move out a contract of equal amount to make a deal possible.Vegas begins an eight-game road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe hopes his club's embarrassing loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday serves as a wake-up call."You take it as what it is, which is a good slap in the face and a good reminder of how we can't play if we have any intention at all of being a successful team," Keefe said following the 8-4 defeat, according to TSN's Mark Masters.The Panthers jumped on the Leafs for three goals in the opening period and chased goaltender Frederik Andersen just 49 seconds into the second frame after beating the Dane four times on 12 shots."We're leaving our goalie out to dry on multiple goals tonight," forward Mitch Marner said, according to Masters. "It's so unfair to them and we got to be way better."Marner continued: "Right off the start there, off the bat, we're giving their best players walk-ins to the net and it's unacceptable."With the loss, Toronto has dropped three straight games under Keefe for the first time, conceding a combined 18 goals over that span.The Maple Leafs surrendered eight goals in a game for the first time since a 9-2 drubbing against the Nashville Predators in November 2014.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Huberdeau is the Florida Panthers' new all-time scoring leader.The 26-year-old winger recorded his 420th career point in an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday to move past Olli Jokinen for the top spot in the franchise's history.Huberdeau set up Mike Hoffman with a beautiful feed to reach the milestone.

The fallout for the New Jersey Devils' disappointing season continues, as the team and general manager Ray Shero have agreed to part ways effective immediately, the club announced Sunday.Shero was fired, reports NHL.com's Mike Morreale.Tom Fitzgerald will take over as interim GM and Martin Brodeur will serve as a hockey operations advisor.Shero spent four-plus years with the Devils, who hired him as GM in May 2015. New Jersey made one playoff appearance during his tenure, falling in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018.Under Shero, the Devils were more often than not a bottom-feeder in the Metropolitan Division, finishing in last place twice and second-last once in three of the four previous seasons. They occupy last place once again as of Sunday.New Jersey has failed to meet expectations this season following a summer in which Shero traded for P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev after drafting Jack Hughes first overall.The Devils fired head coach John Hynes and replaced him with interim bench boss Alain Nasreddine on Dec. 3. Shero dealt pending unrestricted free agent and 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall - who he acquired in 2016 - to the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 16.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Darcy Kuemper will miss at least four more games.The Arizona Coyotes goaltender won't play before the All-Star break, head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters, including The Athletic's Craig Morgan, on Sunday.Kuemper is missing his 11th straight contest Sunday after suffering a lower-body injury Dec. 19 against the Minnesota Wid. Arizona classified him as week-to-week with the ailment one day later.The 29-year-old was contending for the Vezina Trophy before the injury, leading the NHL among qualified netminders at the time with a .929 save percentage across 25 starts. Entering Sunday's action, only Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry had a better mark among those with at least 21 appearances.The Coyotes are also without Antti Raanta again, as the backup missed another game Sunday. He suffered a lower-body injury of his own Friday in his return to the lineup after missing the previous two games with a different lower-body ailment.After Arizona's home date with the Penguins, the Coyotes host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday before traveling to face the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.The Coyotes then have the next 10 days off, including the All-Star festivities in St. Louis on Jan. 24 and 25.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins could be getting franchise center Sidney Crosby back in the lineup in the near future.Crosby, who has missed the club's last 27 games, took part in a full team practice on Saturday for the first time since undergoing core muscle surgery Nov. 14."We're encouraged by his progress and we'll take each day as it comes," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said, according to NHL.com's Alan Robinson. "We'll see how he responds and we'll make decisions accordingly."Crosby said he plans to return before the All-Star break on Jan. 23 but wanted to see how his body responded before determining if he'd be in the Penguins' lineup on Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes. The Penguins ultimately ruled the superstar forward out for that contest.The two-time Hart Trophy winner tallied five goals and 17 points in 17 games before the surgery. The resilient Penguins, which have missed several key players at various points this season, have posted a record of 17-6-4 with Crosby out of the lineup.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes are about to receive a huge boost to their blue line.Niklas Hjalmarsson is set to return to the Coyotes' lineup Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins after missing the last 43 games, according to The Athletic's Craig Morgan.Hjalmarsson has been absent for most of the season after suffering a cracked left fibula in a game on Oct. 12. He managed one goal in four contests before sustaining the injury.The 32-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, $10-million contract extension he signed with the Coyotes in 2018. Arizona has been battling it out atop the Pacific Division during his absence and has the chance to reclaim first place Sunday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dylan Larkin has addressed comments he made about not wanting to be included in the All-Star Game festivities."In the moment, I said what I said but I really do regret that," Larkin said on Saturday after the All-Star Game rosters were finalized, according to the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James. "I didn't mean to disrespect the league. I feel I did that, and disrespected the Red Wings."My main goal as a hockey player in the state of Michigan is to represent myself and the Red Wings and be a good example for kids growing up playing the game. I felt I wasn't that, so I'm sorry about that."On Dec. 31, Larkin told reporters he would prefer to get the days off rather than participate if fans voted him into the All-Star Game. The comments drew attention around the league, including from Sportsnet's Brian Burke, who harshly criticized the Detroit Red Wings forward."I have to own up to them. I didn't mean for them to become that big of a thing. I saw what Brian Burke said and I have a lot of respect for Brian," Larkin added. "He was in the right to say that. I have to represent this team and this franchise and my teammates better than that."The 23-year-old has recorded 11 goals and 29 points in 45 games this season. Since making his comments on New Year's Eve, Larkin is riding a five-game point streak with two goals and three assists.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageMatthew Tkachuk shared some advice for Zack Kassian after the Edmonton Oilers winger responded to a hard hit from the Calgary Flames forward with a series of pummeling blows on Saturday.“If (Kassian) doesn’t want to get hit, then stay off the tracks," said Tkachuk, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "I caught him three times there - you think he’d learn after the first one. If he wants to react that way we’ll take the power play, we’ll take the game-winner, and we’ll move on to first place”Kassian received a double-minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct after retaliating to a hit from Tkachuk. Flames forward Elias Lindholm then buried the game-winning goal in the 4-3 victory on the subsequent power play.

Patrick Marleau hit a major longevity milestone and etched his name among a quartet of legends in the process.The San Jose Sharks forward suited up for the 1,700th regular-season contest of his career Saturday against the Dallas Stars, becoming the fifth player in NHL history and the youngest ever to accomplish the feat.Here's a look at the handful of players who've appeared in that many games, and how old they each were when they reached the mark, according to the NHL:PlayerAge at Time of MIlestoneMarleau40 years and 118 daysRon Francis40 years and 328 daysMark Messier42 years and 309 daysJaromir Jagr45 years and 32 daysGordie Howe51 years and 223 daysHere's where Marleau stands on the league's all-time games played list:PlayerGPHowe1767Messier1756Jagr1733Francis1731Marleau1700Mark Recchi1652In addition to his longevity, Marleau also has an impressive ironman streak going.The veteran hasn't missed a regular-season contest while under contract since April 9, 2009, a run of 831 straight games. That's the sixth-longest streak ever and the second-longest among active players behind Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (841).The Sharks re-signed Marleau on Oct. 9, four games into their 2019-20 campaign. He reunited with San Jose - with whom he spent the first 19 seasons of his career - after two years with the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning racked up their 10th consecutive victory with a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.Tampa Bay tied a franchise record for its longest-ever win streak, a mark the team set in February 2019.All of the Bolts' 10 victories have come in regulation, and the club has been downright dominant in that span.

The NHL All-Star rosters are officially set.Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, St. Louis Blues forward David Perron, and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes have been selected by fans as the winners of the "Last Men In" vote, the league announced Saturday.With the addition of Perron, the Blues now lead the league with four All-Star representatives. The 31-year-old winger leads the Blues in both goals (19) and points (45) through 45 games this season and will make his first All-Star appearance.Marner, 22, ranks sixth in the NHL with 0.91 assists per game and was also named an All-Star for the first time in his career.Hughes, who has 31 points through 44 games in his rookie campaign, is the second blue-liner named to the Pacific Division team alongside Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano.Here's a look at the final roster for each division.Atlantic Division PositionPlayerTeamFDavid Pastrnak (C)BOSFAuston MatthewsTORFMitch MarnerTORFJack EichelBUFFAnthony DuclairOTTFJonathan HuberdeauFLAFTyler BertuzziDETDVictor HedmanTBLDShea WeberMTLGTuukka RaskBOSGFrederik AndersenTORMetropolitan Division PositionPlayerTeamFArtemi PanarinNYRFMathew BarzalNYIFKyle PalmieriNJDFT.J. OshieWSHFTravis KonecnyPHIDKris LetangPITDSeth JonesCBJDJohn CarlsonWSHDDougie HamiltonCARGTristan JarryPITGBraden HoltbyWSHCentral Division PositionPlayerTeamFNathan MacKinnon (C)COLFRyan O'ReillySTLFPatrick KaneCHIFTyler SeguinDALFDavid PerronSTLFMark ScheifeleWPGFEric StaalMINDAlex PietrangeloSTLDRoman JosiNSHGJordan BinningtonSTLGConnor HellebuyckWPGPacific Division PositionPlayerTeamFConnor McDavid (C)EDMFLeon DraisaitlEDMFAnze KopitarLAKFMatthew TkachukCGYFElias PetterssonVANFTomas HertlSJSFMax PaciorettyVGKDMark GiordanoCGYDQuinn HughesVANGJacob MarkstromVANGDarcy KuemperARICopyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jeremy Roenick has apologized after NBC suspended him nearly three weeks ago for inappropriate comments made about his co-workers."I want to take this opportunity to apologize to NBC Sports, Kathryn Tappen, Patrick Sharp, (and) Anson Carter for some insensitive comments that I made on a recent podcast," Roenick said in a video he tweeted out on Saturday. "I never meant to offend anyone and I definitely went too far and for that I deeply regret it."Roenick appeared on the podcast "Spittin' Chiclets" last month, and he made multiple sexual references about his wife and his co-worker Tappen. He also made suspect comments about co-hosts Sharp and Carter.NBC suspended him indefinitely without pay shortly after the episode was released."I've called everybody involved and I'm so thankful for their loving and gracious acceptance of my apology, and that includes my family and friends," Roenick added. "I've always tried to act professional, I've always tried to entertain. This time I went too far, and I will make sure in the future that I'm mindful of people's feelings, the sensitivities of my co-workers, and of all you, my loving fans."Roenick has been with NBC as an analyst since 2010 after being hired shortly following his retirement from the NHL in 2009. He has yet to return to the network's broadcasts.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Marlies assistant coach Rob Davison, who suffered a medical episode prior to his team's game Friday night, is in stable condition and has been discharged from the hospital, the Maple Leafs announced Saturday.Davison, 39, suffered a prolonged grand mal seizure in the locker room with the players and staff present. He was transported to a local hospital where he was kept overnight for observation.The incident prompted the team's leadership group, including Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, to forfeit the AHL contest against the Texas Stars.Davison will return to Toronto on Saturday and will remain away from the team indefinitely on medical leave.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta departed Friday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower-body injury, the team announced.Raanta stopped 25 of 28 shots through two periods but was replaced by Adin Hill at the start of the third frame.Head coach Rick Tocchet did not offer an update on Raanta's status following the 3-0 loss, according to The Athletic's Craig Morgan.Coyotes starter and Vezina Trophy candidate Darcy Kuemper remains sidelined with a lower-body injury he suffered on Dec. 20. Arizona ranks second in the league with a team save percentage of .922, and a prolonged period without its top two netminders could prove costly in a tight Pacific Division race.The 30-year-old Raanta has been stellar in a backup role for Kuemper, posting a 2.66 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage through 19 starts this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is looking forward to his return to the Bay Area on Saturday, but understands there will be some discomfort in coming back to the place he spent the first 13 years of his NHL career."I think it'll be weird," Pavelski said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "Probably seeing the jersey will be the hardest part. It'll be awkward in a lot of ways."Pavelski, who signed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Dallas Stars in July, thought he'd be staying put in San Jose until it became clear the two sides couldn't agree to a deal."I always had a feeling that something would probably work out. Until it didn't, I didn't have any reason to think it wouldn't."The Sharks have been a Stanley Cup contender through most of the decade, but have struggled immensely this season and recently fired head coach Pete DeBoer. When asked about the team's trying campaign, Pavelski admitted his disbelief."I am surprised they're struggling a little bit," Pavelski said. "I would have thought they'd be a little bit more successful this year. But that's just the way it goes. There are just teams like that."Pavelski has played the fourth-most games in Sharks history (963) and ranks second in goals (355) and third in points (761). The veteran winger has tallied eight goals and 18 points through 44 games with the Stars this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies forfeited Friday's contest against the Texas Stars after assistant coach Rob Davison suffered a medical emergency, Maple Leafs Public Relations announced.Davison, 39, suffered the medical episode in the team's dressing room prior to the game and was transported immediately to hospital. He is currently being evaluated and will remain under the care of medical supervision.Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas provided clarity on the decision to forfeit the game."Following what happened tonight with Rob in front of our players and staff, I consulted with Laurence Gilamn, Greg Moore, and the leadership group of the Marlies," Dubas said."I was informed by the leadership group that the entire team was in a state of shock and not comfortable proceeding with tonight's game. We fully support our players and staff in this matter."Friday's contest officially goes down as a 1-0 victory for Texas. The Marlies and Stars are slated to play again on Saturday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty has been selected for the NHL All-Star Game for the first time in his career.The 31-year-old winger joins the Pacific Division roster and replaces Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg, who is expecting the imminent birth of his child, NHL Public Relations announced Thursday.Pacioretty is having a career season and leads Vegas in both goals (20) and points (45) through 47 games. He was one of the eight candidates on the Pacific Division ballot for the "Last Men In" fan vote.Silfverberg leads the Ducks with 15 goals this season and is on pace for a career-best 29 tallies. The All-Star selection also marked his first. Anaheim is now without a representative at this year's event.Pacioretty joins head coach Gerard Gallant, who was chosen to man the bench for the Pacific Division.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Martin Marincin to a one-year contract extension worth $700K, the team announced Friday.Marincin has gone pointless in 13 games with the Maple Leafs this season.Toronto acquired the 27-year-old from the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 and he has appeared in 129 regular-season games since.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Artemi Panarin is off to a hot start in his tenure with the New York Rangers, and now the forward has surpassed a record set by The Great One.Panarin's 61 points this season are the most by a Rangers player through their first 43 games with the franchise since Wayne Gretzky put up 59 points over the same span in 1996-97.The 28-year-old Panarin signed a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the Rangers last summer, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.He's quickly shown his worth, as he leads the team with 24 goals and 61 points. The Rangers' second-leading scorer, Ryan Strome, has 41 points.Despite sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 21-18-4 record, the Rangers are still in the mix for the playoffs, sitting six points behind the second wild-card spot.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.We've thus far enjoyed a great week on the ice with a 6-2 record, including a pair of generously priced underdogs coming through.It started with a 0-1 night on Monday, but hopefully, you stuck to the script.There's always more money to be won. Here's a look at the weekend action:Game bettingOttawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings (Friday)Generally, you should save your money rather than wager it on a matchup between two of the league's worst teams. But there's value in backing the Senators in Detroit at close to even money. Ottawa is bad, but the Red Wings are a lot worse. Detroit has won just 11 games this season, and three came in the first week of the campaign. The Senators have had a tough road schedule but are 3-0 away from home against the bottom four teams in the East. They've already defeated the Red Wings twice this season and offer way too much value at such a short price.Vancouver Canucks at Buffalo Sabres (Saturday)The Sabres are 6-2 since the beginning of 2019 in home games with a start time of 5 p.m. or earlier, including a 3-0 record in 1 p.m. contests like Saturday's. Buffalo has also won seven of its last nine on home ice, losing only to the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canucks have been dominant at Rogers Arena but aren't the same team on the road, losing four in a row, and nine of their last 12, away to Eastern Conference teams. The Sabres continue to be undervalued and, with a lookahead line of -115, are definitely worth backing in Saturday's matinee.Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (Saturday)It won't be long before #TankForLafreniere starts trending in Montreal, if it isn't already. The Canadiens got off to a strong start this season but injuries and sloppy defensive play have derailed their campaign. They've lost eight in a row by just one goal (excluding empty-netters), so they're playing competitive hockey and starting to get healthy. This will be the second game in as many nights for the Senators, who have lost 10 of their last 11 on home ice in the latter leg of a back-to-back. Take the Habs as likely short favorites.Boston Bruins at New York Islanders (Saturday)The Islanders haven't won at home against the Bruins since November 2013. Boston has won eight in a row, and 11 of its last 12, on the Island. New York has lost four of its last five on home ice after opening the season 13-2-1, while the Bruins seem to have rediscovered their scoring touch. Back Boston to make it nine straight road wins over the Isles.Tampa Bay Lightning at Philadelphia Flyers (Saturday)It's hard to go against the Lightning right now. Winners of nine in a row, their first-half struggles are clearly a thing of the past. However, the Flyers have been absolutely dominant at home this season, posting a league-best 14-2-4 record. Getting them at +120 (lookahead line) is too much value to pass up.Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers (Sunday)The Maple Leafs have scored four or more goals in each of their last five road games, and seven of their last eight, while the Panthers have scored at least five goals in five of their last six at BB&T Center. Defense will be an afterthought Sunday night in the Sunshine State.Game propsArizona Coyotes at Carolina Hurricanes (Friday)This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Coyotes, who flew north to Carolina following last night's loss in Tampa. The first-period under has hit in nine of Arizona's last 10 road games played on no days' rest and represents great value here at plus money. The Hurricanes are one of the league's higher-scoring teams in the opening frame but the first-period under has cashed in three of their last six on home ice following a run of six consecutive overs.Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers (Sunday)As mentioned above, the Maple Leafs score in bunches on the road, just as the Panthers do at home. We're doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down on the over, with the Maple Leafs' and Panthers' team totals over 3.5, as well as over 1.5 goals in the first period.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.

Tony DeAngelo had a night to remember at Madison Square Garden.The New York Rangers defenseman tallied five points on the back of his first career hat trick against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. DeAngelo's big night tied the single-game franchise record by a defenseman for both goals and points, according to Rangers Stats and Info.All three of DeAngelo's goals in the 6-3 victory came from virtually the same spot on the ice, as the 24-year-old became the first Rangers defenseman to record a regular-season hat trick since Reijo Ruotsalainen in 1982.

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara is not in the lineup on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced.The veteran captain took a heavy right to the jaw during a Tuesday night fight with Nashville Predators forward Yakov Trenin.

TORONTO - "Who is Neal Pionk, and how did he shut down our No. 1 line?"Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice walked out of Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2, 2018, with those two questions percolating through his brain. Some defenseman named Pionk had teamed up with Marc Staal to keep stars Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler off the scoresheet during five-on-five action.Roughly six months later, the Jets sent Jacob Trouba to the Rangers in exchange for Pionk and a first-round draft pick. Like Maurice in New York, the hockey world had questions: "Pionk's the only player included in a trade for a stud blue-liner like Trouba? Who is this dude, anyway?"Fast forward another eight months, and Pionk's stock has skyrocketed. Folks across the league have taken notice because the 24-year-old's impact on the 2019-20 Jets - a 24-16-4 squad that's scratching and clawing to stay in contention amid a crowded Western Conference - is simply undeniable."Fantastic in all areas, really," Maurice said this week when asked to evaluate Pionk's tenure as a Jet."He's taken an opportunity here and ran with it," Wheeler, the team's captain, added. "He's been outstanding all year."Gregory Shamus / Getty Images"Opportunity" is the operative word for Pionk and the Jets, who last offseason took a stick of dynamite to their defense corps in order to create room on the payroll for raises up front. Not only did the club bid farewell to Trouba, but it also let Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot leave in free agency. A fourth defenseman - longtime anchor Dustin Byfuglien - has been MIA all season and may never return to the NHL.When the dust settled, Josh Morrissey and Dmitry Kulikov were the lone holdover D-men from the group of 2018-19 regulars. This season, relative unknowns like Pionk have filled out the lineup card through 44 games."We know we need to battle every single night, and it's going to take every guy in this locker room," goalie Connor Hellebuyck said of overcoming the talent gap. The first-half returns - wins in 14 of 20 one-goal games and an overall goal differential of plus-3 - suggest the grind-it-out mentality has been working, at least for now.Following a thrilling 4-3 shootout win over the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Winnipeg moved past Calgary to claim the first wild-card spot in the West. The Jets are also two points behind the Dallas Stars, who sit second in the Central Division, heading into a Thursday night meeting with the Bruins. Considering the circumstances - the aforementioned talent purge on defense, and more than 150 man games lost to injury or illness - the Jets have been surprisingly steady."We haven't played horrible games," forward Nikolaj Ehlers said before facing Toronto. "I think that we're happy with where we're at. There's still lots of room to improve and we're doing that day by day."Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesPionk, who's seen the ice for a team-high 23 minutes and 17 seconds per night, has effectively replaced Byfuglien. Already, he's established personal bests in assists (25) and points (28). He's carved out a well-rounded role, manning the point on the power play and chipping in on the penalty kill.While the coaching staff tends to toss Morrissey and Tucker Poolman over the boards to face the opposition's most dangerous forwards for even-strength shifts, Pionk is leaned on during tense situations, too. "I would say the hallmark of his game isn't necessarily how well he skates or how well he moves the puck - those have been all good - it's been his consistency," Maurice noted.Pionk's deployment and usage is also a comment on Winnipeg's lack of depth. The team's defensive pairings - various combinations of Pionk, Morrissey, Kulikov, Poolman, Luca Sbisa, Nathan Beaulieu, Anthony Bitetto, Sami Niku, and Carl Dahlstrom - routinely get exploited at five-on-five (the Jets rank last in Expected Goals and 24th in Corsi) and are partly responsible for the NHL's worst penalty kill.Ronald Martinez / Getty ImagesBut while the Jets' high-end forwards - Scheifele, Connor, Wheeler, Ehlers, and Patrik Laine - have shouldered the vast majority of the offensive workload, the defense has provided just enough support for Hellebuyck, the team's MVP and a serious contender for the Vezina Trophy thanks to a .929 even-strength save percentage in an NHL-high 37 appearances."He's been doing it all year," forward Mathieu Perreault said of Hellebuyck. "That's the difference, really. And we've got two lines, with our top six, that is as good as anybody's in the league. They provide offense for us, and the rest of us, we just try to defend and make sure we keep it out of our own net and do the things that help you win the game. If you're not scoring a goal on this team, you're defending hard, you're blocking shots, you're being physical."At the heart of the Jets' identity is Maurice, the league's second-longest-tenured coach. He was hired in January 2014, an eternity ago in the current NHL climate. The Jets have made the playoffs in three of five seasons during the Maurice era, peaking with a trip to the 2018 Western Conference Final.Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesAsk around about Winnipeg's ability to keep its head above water so far, and you'll quickly be directed to Maurice and the way he works a dressing room. The 52-year-old connects with players on a deeper level than most bench bosses do, and he's not afraid to make in-game adjustments. Above all, he's figured out how to keep his message fresh six years into the gig."He just gets us. He feels what we feel," Hellebuyck said. "That allows him to be the best coach that he can be. He doesn't stray away from affection.""He's been really good. Especially for me as a new guy coming in," Pionk said. "Being able to say what he wants of me as a player and out of us as a team, I think he's really good at vocalizing that."The next month will further challenge every member of the Jets, Maurice included. The team, which has enjoyed one of the easiest schedules to date, according to Hockey-Reference, is about to start a nasty 11-game stretch. The difficult run will include two games against each of Boston, Nashville and St. Louis, and one against each of Vancouver, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Carolina, and Columbus.That means the scrappy Jets, who've thus far survived their offseason talent purge, will learn a lot about themselves in the days ahead. And if they manage to stick in a playoff spot, they'll have Hellebuyck, Maurice, and their no-name D - led by the surprising Pionk - to thank.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in recent memory and have now received a devastating blow on the injury front.Forward Logan Couture will miss several weeks with a fracture in his left ankle, the team announced Thursday.Couture was injured in Tuesday's game versus the St. Louis Blues after getting hit awkwardly into the boards.TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Wednesday that Couture's absence was likely to extend at least six weeks.Couture has 14 goals and 22 assists for a team-leading 36 points in 45 games this season. The 30-year-old is in his first campaign as Sharks captain after the offseason departure of Joe Pavelski.San Jose currently sits in sixth place in the Pacific Division and 26th in the league with a 19-22-4 record.To make matters worse, San Jose's first-round pick belongs to the Ottawa Senators this season as part of the package it sent to acquire defenseman Erik Karlsson.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets engaged in one of the most eventful three-on-three overtimes of the season on Wednesday night.The two teams traded chances for five minutes straight, keeping the fans on their feet. Despite the action, the game was eventually settled in the shootout, with the Jets coming out on top."It was nuts," Jets forward Mason Appleton told The Athletic's Ken Wiebe. "There were so many opportunities at both ends. I couldn't believe it didn't end in overtime."Natural Stat Trick tracked a total of nine scoring chances in overtime - six for Winnipeg and three for Toronto. At one point, the Jets had a 2-on-0, followed by a clear-cut breakaway less than a minute later.Jets head coach Paul Maurice admitted three-on-three overtime has grown on him."I didn't care for three-on-three when it came in but I think it's outstanding," he told Wiebe. "If you're going to spend money to come see a game, somebody should win and somebody should lose. Three-on-three, I can't use the words that came into my head ... a free-for-all of fecal matter. It's a shitshow out there and that's great."Many fans have been clamoring for the idea of extending overtime, others would like to get rid of the shootout all together.Jets forward Mark Scheifele would like to see overtime extended by five minutes."I'd be down for that," he told Wiebe. "For sure."So, too, would Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen."I'd rather win in overtime than lose in a shootout, obviously," Andersen said. "If we have more chances, that's what it is. But I'd like to see more overtime, to be honest."Other goaltenders, most notably Chicago Blackhawks' Robin Lehner, dislike the shootout as well.Some players, though, are content with just five minutes of three-on-three."No, five minutes is pretty good," Jets sniper Patrik Laine told Wiebe. "That's a pretty good pace with five minutes. Everybody is getting two or three shifts max, so that's good."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews joined some elite company after notching his 30th goal of the season Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets.Matthews, who was born in California and raised in Arizona, is the first U.S.-born player in league history to begin his career with four straight 30-goal seasons, according to NHL Public Relations.

The Calgary Flames inked defenseman Rasmus Andersson to a six-year extension with an average annual value of $4.55 million, the team announced Wednesday.Andersson is currently playing out the final year of his entry-level contract. The right-handed shooting blue-liner has a modest 12 points through 45 games in his second full NHL season, but he's posted strong underlying numbers. He owns a Corsi For percentage of 51.5 and an expected goals percentage of 51.1 at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.The Flames have more decisions to make on the back end prior to the offseason. Along with Mark Giordano and Noah Hanifin, Andersson is just one of three defensemen on the active roster signed beyond this season. Veterans TJ Brodie, Travis Hamonic, and Michael Stone are pending unrestricted free agents, while Oliver Kylington is set to hit restricted free agency.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rasmus Kupari's 2019-20 campaign is over.The Los Angeles Kings draft pick will undergo surgery later in January to repair a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season, Kings general manager Rob Blake told team reporter Jon Rosen on Wednesday.Kupari suffered the injury in Finland's opening game against Sweden at the recently concluded IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. The 19-year-old forward missed the rest of the tournament as a result.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly revealed he's been playing through an undisclosed lower-body injury throughout the 2019-20 season."It was a pretty significant amount of pain," Rielly told The Athletic's Jonas Siegel. "But I did my MRIs and everything like that and there was no damage to the real important things. So it was just a matter of pain management."Rielly added that it wasn't one specific incident that caused the discomfort, but instead "normal wear-and-tear stuff" that built up over time."We took some action over the Christmas holidays and I'm feeling much better after some minor stuff that we did," he said. "And I think it's just having confidence - and the pain is way lower than it was, and I’m able to just go out and play more."Despite the injury, Rielly hasn't missed a game this season and believes he's getting closer to full health."I mean, I feel healthy," Rielly said. "And there were times earlier when that wasn't always the case. But I think right now it's just focusing on little things and playing within the structure and making sure you put certain things way before yourself. That's about trying to lean toward that thing where the team just gets rolling."That's my only focus right now."After breaking out with a career-high 72 points and finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting a season ago, Rielly's production has slowed down drastically in 2019-20. The 25-year-old is currently on pace for 47 points and hasn't scored a goal in the last 20 games.However, Rielly still leads all Leafs skaters in average ice time at 24:19. He's also seen his underlying metrics improve since being partnered with Tyson Barrie - who's replaced him on the first power-play unit - on the top pairing under new head coach Sheldon Keefe.The Maple Leafs currently sit third in the Atlantic Division with 53 points, one shy of the Tampa Bay Lightning with two extra games played.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Festivus has come and gone, but that isn't stopping Larry David from airing his grievances about David Quinn.The "Seinfeld" co-creator and star of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" criticized the New York Rangers head coach and stuck up for rookie Kaapo Kakko during an in-studio appearance Tuesday on ESPN Radio's "The Michael Kay Show."Last Thursday, Quinn benched Kakko after the 18-year-old took a holding penalty with under eight minutes left in a loss to the Calgary Flames. Kakko sat for the final five-plus minutes after a single post-penalty shift, and Calgary ultimately prevailed 4-3.Larry wasn't impressed.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba pledged to donate $11,200 to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service to help fight the wildfires currently in Australia.Dumba announced on Instagram that he'd donate $100 for every point the Minnesota Timberwolves scored against the Memphis Grizzlies during their game Jan. 7. The Wolves lost the contest by a score of 119-112.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Kori Cheverie, the trailblazing Ryerson University men's hockey coach, joins this week's show to discuss a variety of coaching-related topics, including:

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture had to be helped to the dressing room after he was hit awkwardly into the boards by St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn during Tuesday night's game.Couture was seen clutching his left knee as he left the ice.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly isn't loving the recent trend of players skipping out on the league's All-Star weekend."I do believe that there has to be a little more urgency among the players to make this a priority, because I think it should be a priority," Daly said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It is, in fact, one of the job responsibilities when it comes to being a professional ice hockey player."When you're honored to be selected in an All-Star event, it's in every player's contract that he has an obligation to perform in that All-Star event."Alex Ovechkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, two of the league's most prominent stars, have already announced they will sit out this year's All-Star Game, even though fans elected Ovechkin as the Metropolitan Division's captain. The Washington Capitals superstar also skipped last season's festivities."I was the first to defend Alex Ovechkin's decision last year to take a year off, because he's fabulous in terms of helping the league in promoting the sport, including the All-Star event every year," Daly added. "Last year, I was much more willing to look the other way on something like this."But two years in a row is probably something we need to address with the players' association, so it doesn't become a trend."Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin recently stated he'd rather have the weekend off than have fans vote him into All-Star events. His comments drew ire around the league, including from Sportsnet's Brian Burke.According to NHL rules, a player who is named to the All-Star Game but chooses not to participate is suspended for one regular-season game."What we want to do is make sure everybody understands that it is an important event, not something that should be bypassed lightly," Daly continued. "We'll seek help with the (NHLPA) in instilling that sentiment with the players."The All-Star weekend takes place Jan. 24-25 in St. Louis.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed free-agent forward Justin Williams to a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.Williams' contract comes with a pro-rated $700,000 base salary, but he can earn an additional $1.3 million in bonuses based on individual and team play in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs.Williams spent the last two seasons with the Hurricanes, but the 38-year-old spent the first half of the 2019-20 campaign mulling over his future. He captained Carolina to the Eastern Conference Final last year, registering 53 points in 82 regular-season games.Already with three Stanley Cup rings, Williams' hunger for a fourth has brought him back to the NHL for a 20th pro season."There could be an opportunity there to come back and win a Stanley Cup," he told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "I mean, that’s really the only thing that should drive someone at this point and I wanted to have that opportunity again."Other teams were interested in signing Williams, but he chose to stay in Carolina where his family resides. His hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, reportedly made a pitch to him, and the Boston Bruins also inquired about his services.Known as "Mr. Game 7" for his postseason heroics, Williams won a Cup with the Canes back in 2006 and won two more with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with 25 points in 26 games during the 2014 postseason.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens have traded forward Michael McCarron to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Laurent Dauphin.McCarron, a first-round pick by the Canadiens in the 2013 draft, has appeared in 69 NHL games, recording two goals and eight points.Dauphin, selected in the second round by the Arizona Coyotes in 2013, has appeared in 35 NHL contests, tallying three goals and one assist.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.