Two Canadian greats have finally been introduced to one another.Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid and legendary commentator Bob Cole had a chance meeting ahead of Saturday's matinee between the Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens.

Legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur dropped the puck at the ceremonial faceoff for Saturday's game between the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils, and it wasn't the captains who participated.On this occasion, All-Star goaltenders Braden Holtby and Cory Schneider were chosen to take part, and all three appeared to enjoy the moment.

Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo appears to be sending a strong message to his players.Forwards Jason Zucker and Thomas Vanek will both serve as healthy scratches when the club takes on the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.Related: Wild GM maintains Yeo's job is safe despite backslide

Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher isn't ready to place blame on Mike Yeo.Despite the team dropping four straight and nine of their past 10 games, Fletcher remains loyal to his head coach, stating Saturday that Yeo's job is safe, but hinting that other changes could be coming.Fletcher admitted he has been talking to fellow general managers daily, and said the onus will be placed on the players, whom he hasn't been pleased with of late."I'm not happy with the play of anybody, really," said Fletcher. "We've got 31 games to go. There's lots of time, but it's getting late quickly here."Despite the club's slump, they remain within striking distance of the playoff picture. Minnesota sits just a point behind the Nashville Predators for the final wild-card spot in the West."We're going to turn this around," said Fletcher. "That's where our focus is right now."The Wild will get back to the drawing board Saturday when they take on the St. Louis Blues.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin will miss three-to-six weeks after suffering a broken foot, general manager Chuck Fletcher announced Saturday.It's unclear when Brodin was hurt, but he blocked three shots in 17:47 of ice time in the Wild's most recent game - a loss to the New York Rangers.The 22-year-old has struggled, recording just one assist in his past 26 games. He has one goal and five assists on the season.The Wild also announced forward Tyler Graovac was recalled from Iowa.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Remember the Anaheim Ducks, that team that couldn't put up points at the beginning of the season? Well, guess what, they figured out how to score again, and that should strike fear into the NHL's other teams.Related - VIDEO: Corey Perry sent airborne after scoring on CoyotesThe Ducks have climbed from the depths of the Western Conference to sit in third in the Pacific Division, just one point behind the second-place San Jose Sharks.The club can thank an incredible five-week stretch of hockey for their fortunate placing. Since Dec. 27, the Ducks have strung together a record of 13-3-1 in their last 17 games, including their current six-game winning streak.

Marian Hossa didn't mince words when asked about his overturned goal from the first period of Tuesday's game against the Arizona Coyotes, not only disagreeing with the ruling, but with the entire coach's challenge system itself."I thought that was (a) joke," Hossa said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "I tried to battle in front of the net and I don't have any intention to touch the goalie, just try to battle through two guys and put the puck in the net."I don't know what's going to happen in the playoffs, if there's going to be calls after calls after calls. But I don’t think it’s good for the league."The ruling nearly sent head coach Joel Quenneville over the boards in anger with referee Marc Joannette. The veteran bench boss received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct as a result, but was far calmer about the situation after his team's overtime victory."I think the rules are in place, and that's what they're there for," said Quenneville. "The interpretation, everyone has an opinion on it. We'll move on."The Blackhawks will face the division-rival Dallas Stars on Saturday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman will plead his case to the league next week.The 32-year-old's appeal hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday in New York City.Wideman is appealing the 20-game suspension he was assessed after hitting linesman Don Henderson in a game against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 27.

The New York Islanders' defense will get a boost Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, as head coach Jack Capuano announced Johnny Boychuk is set to play in his first game of 2016."We never want to rush guys back, obviously, and the few extra days were important," Capuano said of Boychuk, who has missed 12 games. "Our defense has been playing pretty well, too."The 32-year-old was injured Dec. 31 after crashing into the boards in an attempt to hit Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel.He has recorded three goals and 11 assists.With Boychuk coming off the injured reserve, the Islanders announced fellow defenseman Scott Mayfield was loaned to Bridgeport of the AHL.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, editors Josh Gold-Smith and Ian McLaren discuss what the Montreal Canadiens should do about Carey Price, and project how many teams north of the border will qualify for the playoffs.Should the Canadiens shut Price down?McLaren: Failure isn't an option in Montreal. As such, the Canadiens should do everything they can to regroup and make a push for a playoff spot, especially if they're not going to use a coaching change as the impetus for improvement.That's likely not going to happen with Mike Condon or Ben Scrivens manning the crease, so if the reigning NHL MVP is ready and able to contribute down the stretch, that's what he should do. As bleak as things look now, this team won 19 of 27 games to begin the season, and anything can happen in the postseason.No Price, however, means no chance of winning.Gold-Smith: Yes, they should. While it may have appeared reasonable for Price to return earlier in the season, we all know how that turned out, and there's no reason for him to play now.

The Anaheim Ducks sported a different look Friday night when they hosted the Arizona Coyotes at the Honda Center, adding a bit of baseball flair to their attire.In celebration of Angels Night, the Ducks donned Los Angeles Angels-themed jerseys.The jerseys were more of a mashup of the two team's designs, and were only worn during warmups.

Corey Perry was the victim of a blocked shot attempt gone very awry.The Anaheim Ducks winger finished off a pretty passing play by firing a Rickard Rakell pass past Anders Lindback of the Arizona Coyotes in the third period of Friday's game, but was sent airborne by a sprawled-out Connor Murphy.Perry Goes Down Hard After Scoring against the Coyotes (3-2) - StreamablePerry, who scored his 21st on the play, appeared slightly shaken up but was able to remain in the game.The goal stood as the game winner for a Ducks team that has now won six in a row.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Looking back, Zack Kassian is thankful.Thankful that a single car accident back in training camp wasn't more serious than it was, and for how the Montreal Canadiens prompted change in his personal life with their response.Now a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Kassian - who returns to Montreal for the first time Saturday - reflected on the club's decision to suspend him without pay, send him to the NHL's substance abuse program, and, finally, waive and trade his rights."The best thing for my carer was probably the car accident," Kassian told reporters. "It was an eye opener. Who knows what would have happened if that car accident never happened?"At the time (the suspension) was tough to swallow, but for the last four months I’ve learned to be OK with it and move on."As such, he holds no ill will toward the Canadiens or general manager Marc Bergevin."They were great to me while I was here," he said. "Marc is a great person. The team is a bunch of great guys. I couldn’t thank the team enough."What happened to me was negative, but at the same time what came from that was me finally realizing that I needed help. I got it and now it’s just a matter of staying on top of it."So far, Kassian is making the most of his second chance, recording two goals and two assists in eight games with the Oilers.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets allowed three goals in less than five minutes to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and fell into a 4-0 hole before the opening frame was done.Related: Hurricanes score 3 goals in opening 5 minutes for 3rd time in team historyPredictably, the Twitter reaction was fairly entertaining.For some, the fan experience was less than optimal.

Reports of Sidney Crosby's demise were greatly exaggerated.The Pittsburgh Penguins captain kept his torrid scoring streak alive Friday night, burying a pass from Chris Kunitz to cut into the Tampa Bay Lightning's lead in the second period.Crosby continuing his tear on the leagueIt was Crosby's fifth straight game with a goal and ninth consecutive contest with a point. It was also his seventh goal in the last five games.He now has nine goals and six assists in his last nine contests. Overall, he's racked up 21 goals and 25 assists in 49 contests this season.Crosby notched a hat trick and four points in a win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That escalated quickly.The Carolina Hurricanes stormed out to an early and big lead Friday in Winnipeg, scoring thrice in the span of 4:33 against the Jets.

Pennsylvania's NHL clubs are reportedly working on a home-and-home series of outdoor games that would likely take place over the next three years.The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers are finalizing an agreement to play a game at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field in 2017, followed by another outdoor contest in Philadelphia that could come two years later, Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.A previously discussed plan for a game at Penn State's Beaver Stadium is not expected to be part of the agreement, as ESPN's Scott Burnside explains:

Everything's sunny in South Florida these days.Sitting first in the Atlantic Division and riding a five-game winning streak, the Panthers are set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of a full house on Saturday, continuing a trend of increased attendance numbers.

Cam Ward will likely return to the Carolina Hurricanes' crease Friday night for the first time in three weeks.The goaltender is expected to start against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night, his first action since landing on injured reserve with a concussion last month.Ward last played on Jan. 15 in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks.Backup netminder Eddie Lack has started every Hurricanes game in Ward's absence, allowing 15 goals in six contests.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars have placed center Jason Spezza on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, general manager Jim Nill announced Friday.The roster move is retroactive to Thursday's game in Colorado, where Spezza suffered the injury, and he'll miss at least the next three games.Spezza ranks third on the Stars with 18 goals, and is tied for fourth with 40 points through 52 games this season. He'll be eligible to return Feb. 13 against Washington should he receive medical clearance by that point.Radek Faksa was recalled from the AHL to fill Spezza's spot on the active roster.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov will make his first start in two weeks Saturday night.Varlamov will play against the Winnipeg Jets in his first game since Jan. 23, Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy confirmed Friday."He worked hard yesterday and this morning with (goaltending coach) Francois (Allaire)," Roy said.The netminder missed two games while appearing in a civil trial prior to the All-Star break and backed up Calvin Pickard in two contests (losses to the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks).Varlamov was ultimately cleared of assault and battery, while his girlfriend was ordered to pay him more than $100,000 in damages.The 27-year-old was named the NHL's first star of the week on Jan. 25. He's 19-12-3 with a 2.59 GAA and .918 save percentage in 35 games.The Avalanche have lost two straight contests after reeling off five wins in six games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Darnell Nurse's parents support him in almost every facet of life, including fighting.The Edmonton Oilers rookie collected nine minutes worth of penalties in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, including a five-minute major for fighting.That didn't discourage his parents, though, as video shows his mother, Cathy, and father, Richard, were very much in support of their son partaking in fisticuffs.Darnell Nurse's parents while he does this 👊🏻👊🏻 #BeatHisAssRichard appears to yell "beat his ass," which is precisely what Nurse did to Senators forward Max McCormick.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis is expected to make his long-awaited return to the lineup Saturday against the Calgary Flames, head coach Willie Desjardins confirmed Friday.The 33-year-old has missed the club's last 21 games after suffering a facial fracture upon taking a Dan Boyle slap shot to the face during a game against the New York Rangers back on Dec. 9.

The All-Star week continues for John Scott.Related: Fellow All-Stars, NHLers give it up to MVP ScottAfter the tough guy was named MVP of last weekend's All-Star 3-on-3 tournament, Scott received two more significant prizes Friday when his wife Danielle gave birth to twin girls.

The Philadelphia Flyers were handed some discouraging injury news Friday, announcing that forward Sean Couturier will miss approximately four weeks after suffering a lower-body injury.Couturier left Thursday's game against the Nashville Predators late in the second period and didn't return. He also missed the three games leading up to the All-Star break with a lower-body injury.The 23-year-old has been a steady presence for the Flyers, sitting fifth in team scoring with nine goals and 24 points in 40 games.The loss will hurt the team's playoff chances, as Philadelphia currently sits four points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock might be a little bit shortsighted when it comes to concussions in the NHL.The Maple Leafs bench boss addressed the media following a 3-2 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils in career game 1,000, and the focus turned to the league's concussion protocol."Well, I think when a player says he’s okay to play and keeps playing, he’s okay to play," Babcock said, according to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star.Information that led to the introduction of the league's new concussion protocol suggests otherwise, while further studies have pointed to potential long-term injuries due to concussions.Babcock was blunt in insisting that when it comes to special teams players going down specifically, he tends to apply pressure to the team's trainers."I put an unbelievable amount of duress on my poor trainer when he’s taking some player off the ice who should be killing the next penalty," Babcock said. "You have no idea how kind I am during that interaction."Babcock went a step further, admitting he doesn't fully understand the point of having a dark room, where players are checked for concussion-like symptoms by team trainers under their own suspicions or those of a spotter."On our team, when someone is unconscious or dazed or looks like they’re supposed to go to - what do they call it? - the dark room or whatever. I mean, some of these things aren’t even anything. They’re going to a dark room? I don’t quite get that," he said.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Yannick Weber's contract is up for grabs after the Vancouver Canucks placed the defenseman on waivers Friday afternoon.After a fairly productive 2014-15 season that saw the 27-year-old net 11 goals and 21 points in 65 games, Weber has gone goalless while suiting up in just 35 of 51 games this season.Weber could be seen as a depth rental pickup. He is making just $1.5 million and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Lucas Lessio will miss two-to-three weeks with a lower-body injury.Lessio was limited to just 6:43 of ice time in his lone game of the season before taking a devastating low hit by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas in Tuesday's 4-2 loss.Related: P.K. Subban blasts Flyers' Gudas for low hit on LessioThe 23-year-old was kept out of Wednesday's contest and will now miss several more as he recovers.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Outspoken and always controversial hockey personality Don Cherry turned 82 years young on Friday.Related - PHOTO: ECHL's Toledo Walleye to wear Don Cherry-inspired jerseysWhile his soundbites have allowed the former coach to express his fierce personality, Cherry's attire has had the very same effect.Grapes - with the help of his tailor to the stars - has worn some of the flashiest suits around, and they're just another part of what makes the hockey know-it-all who he is.Here are five of Cherry's most memorable outfits:No. 1One of Cherry's most identifiable suits seems to play off of a fun Western look. It also appears to be a more dramatic play on the Edmonton Oilers' third jersey, which the club took to the ice in from 2001-2007.It's definitely worthy of a thumbs-up.Gardening attireSometimes Cherry's suits speak louder than his words, and that was without question the case when he went on the air in this flower-print suit.It's unclear whether he's wearing a lapel, or if it simply sprouted among the various other carnations.Tribute to one's selfSometimes one has to step back and give themselves a pat on the back. Cherry did this by throwing on a white suit covered in cherries, clearly living up to his name.That, or he is simply a fan of the fruit.Pulling for the Blue JaysDuring the Toronto Blue Jays' run toward their first postseason appearance in 22 seasons, Cherry made an appearance on Sportsnet to show his support for Canada's lone MLB club.His blue and white with just a touch of red served well to honor the Blue Jays, and is well deserving of a bat flip.Lest we forgetAnyone who has watched Coach's Corner more than a couple times will know Cherry has a deep passion for the men and women who serve in the Canadian military.Every year around Nov. 11, Cherry can be seen donning a suit to commemorate Remembrance Day in tribute to the many who made the ultimate sacrifice. This is one such suit.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid is the Performer of the Week after compiling five points and helping the Oilers to back-to-back decisive wins in his return to the lineup.If John Scott was the NHL's star during All-Star weekend, then McDavid's been its star since. Returning from a 37-game absence, McDavid guided the Oilers to consecutive victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators, outpacing those opponents by a combined score of 12-3.Related: Can Connor McDavid still win the Calder?The back-to-back victories are a welcome change for the Oilers, who went 5-11-3 in their 19 games leading into the break without McDavid. Edmonton's newly formed line of McDavid, Jordan Eberle, and Benoit Pouliot combined for 13 points in their first 80 minutes together.Stat Line1 goal, 4 assists, plus-1 rating, 5 SOG, 1 GWG, 3 PPP.Notable NightFeb. 2 vs. Blue Jackets: In his first game since Nov. 3, McDavid stole the show, tallying three points, including an other-worldy game-winner in which he showed there's no rust to shake off, putting the puck on a string as he dangled through the Columbus defense en route to a dazzling finish.The Quote"I definitely didn't expect to be able to do that or play that kind of game," McDavid told reporters after his first game back. "I was very happy with how I felt. The timing and all that felt pretty good. It's one game, though. I've got a bunch left."The Tweet

Ray Emery's quest to continue his hockey career has reportedly landed him in Germany.A day after being released from his professional tryout with the Toronto Maple Leafs' American Hockey League affiliate, the 33-year-old agreed to a one-year deal with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, a source told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Emery, who also failed to stick with the Los Angeles Kings' AHL squad this season, will play out the rest of the season with the German club.Though he has failed to produce solid numbers of late, he remains just three years removed from capturing the William M. Jennings Trophy alongside Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford, after the two combined to give up the fewest goals in the league.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars won for the fourth time in five games Thursday in Colorado, topping the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime, but lost a top-six center in the process.Jason Spezza will miss "more than a few days" after suffering an upper-body injury in the contest, head coach Lindy Ruff said, according to Mark Stepneski of the team's official website.Spezza, who scored before exiting the game, has provided a steady stream of secondary production all season. He has 17 goals and 39 points and has not missed a game since joining the organization.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For Jonathan Toews, the more chaotic it is, the more effective he becomes.The Chicago Blackhawks captain tied Steven Stamkos' single-season NHL record with his fifth overtime winner Thursday versus the Arizona Coyotes.Toews' record-tying winner ended a wild three-on-three sequence, where he shook his check with a spin move at the line before waltzing in and snapping a low shot past Louis Domingue.Toews has laid claim to more than half his team's nine overtime wins in 12 opportunities at three skaters aside, and his five winners are two more than any other player.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

To say Joel Quenneville disagreed with a disallowed goal would be an understatement.The Chicago Blackhawks head coach lost his cool Thursday night in Arizona after a Marian Hossa goal was called back due to apparent goalie interference. He certainly made the officials well aware of his feelings on the matter.Based on the replay, he may have a point.Quenneville Angry after the Coach's Challenge #hockey - StreamableQuenneville was infamously fined $25,000 for directing an inappropriate gesture toward the officials in the 2014 playoffs.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In two games since Connor McDavid's return to the lineup, the Edmonton Oilers have racked up a pair of wins while outscoring the opposition 12-3.Despite the fact those contests were played against teams outside the playoff picture, it appears as though there's some optimism percolating in terms of the Oilers making a postseason push down the stretch."If you look at the standings, it's pretty simple," Jordan Eberle said after a 7-2 win over Ottawa. "We need to win some games if we want to make a push. This is a start."Related: Oilers' McDavid, Eberle making more magic in OttawaThere's reason for Eberle to be feeling positive, as he's recorded three goals and two assists while playing on what's become a very productive line with McDavid and Benoit Pouliot.And he may actually be on to something, as corroborated by McDavid's math.

Mike Babcock has a 10-year plan.When asked after his 1000th game if he plans to hang around long enough to coach another 1000, the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach provided this tasty nugget, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston."I've got this year and seven more here. And then I'm going to stay for two more because the team's going to be that good."That's sweet, sweet music to the ears of long-suffering Leafs fans, who saw Toronto eke out a 3-2 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.And unfortunately, inch a little further away from the prospect that could help fulfill Babcock's prophecy: Auston Matthews.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The monkey, as they say, is off Ryan Getzlaf's back.The Anaheim Ducks captain scored his first even-strength goal this season - in Game No. 49 of the season. The tally came Thursday night off a delicate saucer feed from his new winger, David Perron.(Courtesy: NHL.com)

Roberto Luongo did not go to Florida to fade into the sunset.The Panthers goaltender made 35 saves in a 6-3 win over Detroit, earning his 23rd win of the season and moved up the NHL's all-time wins list in the process.

The Florida Panthers' unofficial mascot is finally wearing team colors.Kevin Spacey made an appearance on the BB&T Center videoboard during the team's 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, showing off a custom-made Panthers jersey with the number "1738."

Things were looking up for a time.The Minnesota Wild watched as their two-goal lead disappeared in front of their very eyes as the New York Rangers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to pound the Wild 4-2 Thursday.The Wild jumped out of the gate with goals by Ryan Carter and Matt Dumba ahead of the first intermission. From there, the team took a back seat and played on-looker as the Rangers delivered the Wild their ninth loss in 10 games."Quite too familiar of a script; good start and then the other team pushes and we're not responding the right way," head coach Mike Yeo said. "Just not good enough."The Wild have now tallied just 16 goals in their last 10 games and are now in a state of sheer panic.

Brad Marchand is having quite the year.The Boston Bruins winger (and sometimes super pest) showed off all his positive skills on this unassisted goal against the Buffalo Sabres.And by unassisted, we mean he literally did it all by himself.

Dylan Larkin has an answer for the McDavid magic.The Detroit Red Wings winger, and only rookie skater to earn an NHL All-Star selection, has scored twice on Roberto Luongo on Thursday, each with wicked releases.Here's his second of the night, which incorporates his record-breaking wheels:

Count five goals in four periods for the Edmonton Oilers' new No. 1 unit.Connor McDavid and Benoit Pouliot assisted on a pair of eye-catching Jordan Eberle goals in the first period of Thursday's clash with the Ottawa Senators.Here's Eberle's first, helped along by the stick of Bobby Ryan:And the second, off a precise pass from McDavid from below the goal line off a smooth power-play cycle:(Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's a record that might never be broken.The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrated the 40-year anniversary of Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler and his 10-point game on Feb. 7, 1976 against the Boston Bruins.The anniversary was commemorated with a video tribute prior to the opening puck drop with members of the Maple Leafs' '76 team in attendance.

Jaromir Jagr continues to rack up the milestones.With a pass to Alex Petrovic, whose shot from the point opened the scoring in the first period of Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Florida Panthers forward recorded the 1,100th assist of his career - 29 of which have come with his latest squad.

The Ryan O'Reilly trade may yield two pieces for the Buffalo Sabres to continue building around.Sabres GM Tim Murray has spoken to Jamie McGinn's agent a few times over the last several weeks to discuss a potential contract extension with the forward."We have talked to him 2-3 times," Murray said, according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. "We've asked what their thoughts are on term and on money. We've given them our thoughts on term. So if we can do something that suits both parties, we will try."And if we can't, again depending on these three weeks how the team does, I don't want to (have) a player leave here without getting anything back."McGinn has scored 11 goals and added 11 assists in 51 games after being limited to just 19 appearances for the Colorado Avalanche last season due to back surgery.He was acquired along with O'Reilly for Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher, and a second-round pick.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tyler Ennis' upper-body injury has officially been classified as a concussion.This according to Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray, who revealed the exact nature of the injury Tuesday on WGR 550, according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.Murray added Ennis is still struggling with symptoms while slowly increasing his exercise schedule.The injury was suffered on Dec. 30 on a massive hit delivered by Alex Ovechkin.Ennis recorded three goals and eight assists in 23 games earlier this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This one is for you dad.Just hours after losing his father to colon cancer, 17-year-old Doug Caliendo scored a thrilling overtime goal to give Notre Dame High School a 3-2 victory over Northwest Catholic Wednesday.

Jared Cowen acknowledges his time in Ottawa might soon be coming to an end, although he's not quite sure if that's a positive.With Marc Methot set to return to the Senators' lineup for Thursday's game against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, the defenseman will sit as a healthy scratch for the 10th time in the past 15 games.To many, this is a sign Cowen may be on the move prior to the Feb. 29 trade deadline, a notion he's quite aware of.Related: Cowen's unusual contract could enhance his trade value"I'm aware of (the trade speculation), obviously, so if it happens, it happens. I'm not playing today, so obviously it makes it more realistic," he told Ian Mendes of TSN.Drafted ninth overall by the Senators in 2009, Cowen hasn't developed into a high-end, shutdown defenseman, and clearly has not earned the trust of head coach Dave Cameron.Asked if a change of scenery might serve him well, Cowen rightfully answered ambiguously."Maybe, I don't know. My job is to stay here and be as good as I can be for Ottawa," Cowen said. "Who knows if they're right or wrong, because I don't know either. I've never been traded in my life, so we'll see."There's no guidebook for it (this situation)," he continued. "It kind of sucks because you're in-between all day. You can't really prepare like you usually do. It's impossible to be the same person that you would be if you knew you were playing, so it's just one of those things you have to just tough out."Cowen has one year remaining on his contract with the Senators, and carries a cap hit of $3.1 million.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman spoke to the media Thursday for the first time since being suspended 20 games for hitting linesman Don Henderson.Wideman made a formal two-minute statement, apologizing to Henderson immediately."Firstly, I want to apologize to Don Henderson," Wideman said. "I feel awful about what happened. Hopefully he's recovering and is going to be back on the ice soon. I feel bad about the whole situation. The last seven days have been tough."Never in my career have I ever disrespected or done anything like this to an official. I think I've prided myself on having a great working relationship with the official and I hope to continue that when I get out there."The 32-year-old also expressed his disappointment with the length of the supplemental discipline."I'm really disappointed with the decision and the length of the suspension," he said. "I did not have any intent at any time to hit the official or hurt him or anything like that. I would never do something like that and I'm pretty disappointed with the decision."The NHL Players Association filed an appeal of the suspension on his behalf Wednesday, noting they "strongly disagree" with the decision to suspend him. Wideman said he won't comment again until after the appeal process.He served the first game of his suspension when the Flames defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.