NHL Hockey 24 Hours

Last updated: May 16, 2026, 5:44 PM ET

Playoff Watch

The Montreal Canadiens can close out their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, but the Sabres remain alive to force a Game 7 Chances of Game 7. The series has drawn sharp betting interest ahead of Saturday's potential elimination game, with both Draft Kings offering $100 in bonus bets after a $5 initial wager and Bet MGM matching those odds with $1,500 in bonus bets if the first bet loses, giving sharp bettors multiple angles on Canadiens-Sabres action alongside MLB and UFC lines. Meanwhile, across the West, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights prepare to face off in a series that will decide the Western Conference representative for the Stanley Cup Final Avalanche-Golden Knights matchup, with the Golden Knights entering as a dangerous opponent after their second-round dismantling of the Canucks.

Coaching & Discipline

The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch despite guiding the franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025, and despite holding a contract extension that had not yet taken effect. The decision caps a turbulent tenure and signals a sweeping front-office overhaul for a team that has come within one series of hoisting the Cup twice in a row. On the discipline front, the NHL stripped the Golden Knights of their second-round draft pick and fined coach John Tortorella $100,000 for the team's refusal to address the media after its series-clinching victory, marking one of the league's harshest enforcement actions against media access violations. The penalties are expected to ripple through Vegas's near-future roster planning.

Injuries & Player Movement

Minnesota's second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche was shaped by key absences, with defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Joel Eriksson Ek missing the entire series due to broken bones in their feet, robbing the Wild of two of their most productive skaters during a critical stretch. On the free-agent front, star defenseman Quinn Hughes signaled he is "definitely open" to an extension with Minnesota, eligible to negotiate beginning July 1, as the team looks to secure its top blueliner for the foreseeable future. Across the draft board, prospect Gavin McKenna's journey from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Penn State has positioned him as the expected No. 1 pick, with scouts citing his two-way versatility and skating as separating him from the field.

Worlds & Women's Hockey Expansion

At the IIHF World Championships, Canada blanked Italy 6-0 behind two goals and an assist from Macklin Celebrini, improving to 2-0 in the tournament and establishing early dominance. Off the men's ice, women's hockey continues its expansion push: the PWHL selected San Jose as its fourth and final market, bringing professional women's hockey to the San Francisco Bay Area, while former goaltender Manon Rheaume was named general manager of the PWHL's Detroit expansion team, continuing her trailblazing role from behind the bench to the front office. Meanwhile, the lore of the NHL's infamous Beer Sabre — the plastic sword handed to star performers — has expanded far beyond the actual number of swords in circulation, a quirky tradition that remains one of the league's most enduring locker-room oddities.