NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Olympic Gold Aftermath
The U.S. men's hockey team espn.com received a White House visit and bipartisan standing ovation at the State of the Union after their Olympic gold medal victory. Connor Hellebuyck espn.com will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the championship run. The gold medal game drew 26 million viewers espn.com on NBC and Peacock, marking a significant television audience for the sport.
Player Health Updates
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby espn.com was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks. Mikko Rantanen espn.com suffered a lower-body injury at the Olympics and will be out for an extended period for the Dallas Stars. Robert Thomas espn.com of the St. Louis Blues is taking a temporary leave of absence for a personal matter. Aleksander Barkov espn.com has targeted a season debut soon after knee surgery in September.
Coaching Changes
Lightning coach Jon Cooper espn.com will miss two games following the death of his father, Robert. Joel Quenneville espn.com became just the second NHL coach to reach 1,000 wins when his Ducks rallied to beat the Oilers.
Trade Activity
The Penguins espn.com sent defenseman Brett Kulak to the NHL-best Avalanche in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 pick. Kulak had been traded to Pittsburgh in December before this second transaction.
Team Updates
The Golden Knights espn.com returned from the Olympic break without five players who participated in the final, including Canadian forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner, defenseman Shea Theodore, and American stars Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. The Devils espn.com honored Olympic hero Jack Hughes before their game against the Sabres.
Player Perspectives
Brady Tkachuk espn.com expressed frustration over a White House AI video that appeared to show him disparaging Canadians. The Hughes brothers addressed controversy espn.com surrounding President Trump's comments about the women's hockey team.
Contract Extensions
The Kraken espn.com agreed to two-year contract extensions with forwards Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton.
Playoff Picture
With the Olympic break over, teams are bolstering rosters espn.com for the stretch run. The playoff races have restarted as clubs seek to make deep runs this spring. John Tavares' renaissance espn.com has been aided by his mental health foundation work, driving awareness of the conversation.
As the regular season winds down, the NHL's playoff picture espn.com is taking shape with several teams making moves to position themselves for postseason success.