NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Last updated: May 22, 2026, 11:52 AM ET
Conference Finals Action
The Golden Knights opened the Western Conference Final with a convincing 4-2 victory espn.com over the Avalanche as Dylan Coghlan scored his first playoff goal and Carter Hart made 36 saves to secure the win. Colorado's performance hardly resembled the top-seeded team that dominated the first two rounds, largely due to the absence of star defenseman Cale Makar, who is sidelined by an upper-body injury espn.com. The Avalanche feel a "trickle-down effect" with their superstar defenseman sidelined, and Makar's injury status continues to loom large as the series shifts to Game. In the Eastern Conference Final, the Canadiens pounced on the Hurricanes early espn.com, scoring four first-period goals to secure a dominant Game 1 victory. Montreal's win was particularly impressive considering Carolina had endured the longest postseason layoff in NHL history, going 11 full days without a game before this matchup—the longest such break since 1919 espn.com. Canadiens defenseman Jaccob Slavin shouldered responsibility after an uncharacteristic defensive disaster in the series opener espn.com.
Coaching Carousel
The NHL coaching landscape saw several significant moves this week, beginning with Meghan Duggan's departure from her player development role with the New Jersey Devils to become the general manager of the PWHL's expansion franchise in Hamilton espn.com. In Buffalo, the Sabres rewarded coach Lindy Ruff with a two-year contract extension espn.com after the 66-year-old led Buffalo back to the NHL playoffs, ending a league-leading 14-year postseason appearance drought. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks made a change by firing first-year head coach Adam Foote espn.com and three assistants after they compiled a 25-49-8 record. In New Jersey, Sheldon Keefe will return as coach of the Devils after new general manager Sunny Mehta completed his full assessment of the organization espn.com. On the coaching market, multiple NHL teams are waiting to interview Bruce Cassidy but have not yet received permission from the Vegas Golden Knights as of Tuesday espn.com.
Player Health and Contracts
Several notable player developments emerged across the league this week. Anaheim Ducks forward Troy Terry needs hip surgery espn.com that could endanger his availability at the start of next season. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar missed Game 1 espn.com of the Western Conference finals against the Golden Knights and sat out another practice session on the eve of the series espn.com. Buffalo forward Alex Tuch, had a disappointing performance in the Sabres' second-round series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and will hit free agency this summer espn.com. The 30-year-old winger's struggles won't affect his next contract according to his agent, Scott Bartlett espn.com. The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Timothy Liljegren espn.com to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million, providing stability to their blue line.
Professional Women's Hockey Expansion
The PWHL continued its ambitious expansion espn.com this week, completing its four-team expansion process with a first entry into California as San Jose became the league's 12th team. In championship action, Montreal's Abby Roque scored two goals espn.com to lead the Montreal Victoire to their first PWHL championship with a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. The Hamilton franchise, which will be led by former U.S. Olympian Meghan Duggan as general manager espn.com, represents the league's continued growth into new markets. The New York Islanders also announced their AHL affiliate espn.com will be named the Hamilton Hammers after the club was relocated to the Canadian city, further strengthening hockey ties in the region.
International Tournament Action
At the ice hockey world championship in Switzerland, Mark Scheifele delivered a three-goal performance espn.com on Thursday, including the game winner