NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×NHL Play Resumes After Olympic Break
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby espn.com will miss at least four weeks after being placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen espn.com is out for an extended period following a lower-body injury sustained during Olympic play.
Blues forward Robert Thomas espn.com has taken a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons, while Lightning coach Jon Cooper espn.com is out for two games following the death of his father.
Coaching Milestones
Anaheim Ducks coach Joel Quenneville espn.com joined Scotty Bowman in the exclusive 1,000-win club when his team rallied to beat the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
Olympic Aftermath
The United States' Olympic hockey gold medal win over Canada drew an average audience of 26 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. U.S. men's team goaltender Connor Hellebuyck espn.com will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, while forward Brady Tkachuk espn.com expressed disappointment over an AI-doctored White House video that made it appear he was disparaging Canadians.
The Olympic champions visited President Trump at the White House and received a bipartisan standing ovation during the State of the Union address. Devils forward Jack Hughes espn.com, who helped the U.S. win gold, was honored by his team before their game against the Sabres.
Trade Activity
The Pittsburgh Penguins sent defenseman Brett Kulak to the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 pick. Kulak had been traded to Pittsburgh in December before being dealt again.
Player Health Updates
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov espn.com, who hasn't played this season after September knee surgery, has targeted a season debut. The Vegas Golden Knights returned without five players from the Olympic final, including Canadian forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner, defenseman Shea Theodore, and American stars Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin.
Mental Health Focus
Maple Leafs center John Tavares espn.com has driven awareness of mental health conversations through his foundation, contributing to what analysts describe as a renaissance in his performance.
Contract Extensions
The Seattle Kraken agreed to two-year contract extensions with forwards Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton.
Trade Market Analysis
With the playoff races restarting, analysts are evaluating which big names could bring a Stanley Cup to their new teams. The sprint to the regular season's end has teams looking to bolster their rosters for a deep playoff run.
As play resumes, analysts are updating the NHL's playoff picture, with teams now focused on positioning themselves for the postseason after the Olympic break.