NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Olympic Celebrations
Meredith Gaudreau espn.com thanked U.S. men's hockey following their Olympic gold medal victory. The Blue Jackets honored Zach Werenski espn.com before Saturday night's game against the Islanders for his role in Team USA's gold medal win. The Panthers hosted the Maple Leafs in their first post-Olympic game Thursday night with a celebration featuring Matthew Tkachuk espn.com and Auston Matthews taking part in a ceremonial faceoff.
Injury Updates
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone espn.com left Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to an undisclosed injury. Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin espn.com has been ruled out for the remainder of the NHL regular season and postseason after suffering an ACL injury, according to a source who spoke to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
Coaching Changes
The Los Angeles Kings have fired coach Jim Hiller espn.com after two seasons and named associate head coach D.J. Smith as the team's interim coach. The Kings currently sit three points out of a wild-card spot in the playoff race.
Game Previews
An NHL doubleheader with playoff implications is scheduled for ABC and the ESPN app. The Penguins-Rangers espn.com and Bruins-Flyers matchups feature key stats and storylines to watch as teams jockey for postseason positioning.