NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Olympic Aftermath
The U.S. men's hockey team visited the White House espn.com and received a bipartisan standing ovation at the State of the Union. Their Olympic gold medal win over Canada drew an average audience of 26 million viewers on NBC and Peacock in the U.S. Connor Hellebuyck espn.com, the goaltender for the gold-medal-winning U.S. team, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Hughes brothers addressed controversy espn.com over President Trump's comments about the women's hockey team.
Player Updates
Sidney Crosby espn.com will miss at least four weeks after being placed on injured reserve. Mikko Rantanen espn.com is out for an extended time after sustaining a lower-body injury in the Olympics. Robert Thomas espn.com will take a temporary leave of absence from the Blues due to a personal matter. Aleksander Barkov espn.com has a target for his season debut after knee surgery. The Devils honored Jack Hughes espn.com before their game against the Sabres.
Coaching Changes
Jon Cooper espn.com is out for two games after the death of his father. Joel Quenneville espn.com joined Scotty Bowman in the exclusive 1,000-win club when his Ducks rallied to beat the Oilers. The Golden Knights returned without five players espn.com from the Olympic final, including Canadian forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner, and defenseman Shea Theodore.
Trade Activity
The Penguins sent Brett Kulak espn.com to the NHL-best Avalanche for Samuel Girard and a 2028 pick. The Kraken reached extensions espn.com with forwards Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton on two-year contracts. With the playoff races restarting, many teams are seeking to bolster their rosters for a deep run this spring, according to trade tier rankings.
Mental Health Focus
John Tavares espn.com has driven awareness of mental health conversation through his foundation. The Maple Leafs center's renaissance has been aided by a focus on mental health. As the NHL season resumes, teams are positioning themselves for the stretch run while managing various injuries and personal matters affecting their rosters.