NHL

Wild's Matt Dumba, the first NHL play to kneel during national anthem, will now raise his fist
NHL

The first NHL player to kneel in the name of social justice, the Minnesota Wild's Matt Dumba says he didn't mean any disrespect with his actions on Saturday. Dumba dropped to one knee for the "Star-Spangled Banner" before the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks played each other in the first game of the Western Conference qualifying round. Before doing so, the 26-year-old delivered an impassioned speech on racism and acceptance

Chicago Blackhawks to keep nickname, logo in continuing tribute to namesake
NHL

Chicago’s NHL team says it will not change its nickame or logo because both pay tribute to the person for whom the club is named. The Blackhawks said in a statement Tuesday (per the Chicago Sun-Times) that the team name honors Black Hawk, a member of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, “whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public.” “‘We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of

NHL, union agree on return to play, CBA extension
NHL

Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have reached a tentative agreement on a return-to-play plan to restart the 2019-20 season and a memorandum of understanding that adds an additional four years to the term of the current collective bargaining agreement. The next step in the process is the voting. The NHL board of governors must approve the agreements. Once the NHLPA’s executive

Rangers' K'Andre Miller angry over racist remarks
NHL

New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller addressed the racist treatment he received while being introduced to the team’s fans in April, saying it was another example of his challenge to be accepted as a black hockey player. “I struggle because I’ve never been fully accepted by either the black community or the white community,” Miller wrote in a tweeted statement Monday. “I struggle because for years I have been one

Sidney Crosby has a chance to speak up after Mario Lemieux's statue in Pittsburgh is vandalized
NHL

For years, Sidney Crosby has done everything possible to avoid saying anything controversial. But in today’s climate, he may just have to pick a side. Over the last several days, athletes and protesters across the nation have spoken out against police brutality and racial injustice in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death underneath a Minneapolis police officer’s knee. One of those athletes to speak up was Sharks forward Evander Kane

The NHL's coronavirus pause: What the playoff format means for all 31 teams, updates on testing, more
NHL

Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter. Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. It has been 75 days since the NHL hit the pause button on the 2019-20 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. As the cancellations and postponements around the world of sports continue, there have also been continuous nuggets of new information regarding the potential resumption of the season, the draft, the playoffs and how it all

Devils reportedly contacted Swedish coach Rikard Gronborg about head coaching position
NHL

It’s been a tough year for the New Jersey Devils with the team forced into making a coaching change just a few months into the season, replacing John Hynes with Alain Nasreddine. As the team continues to search for their head coach of the future, they have reportedly been looking overseas. According to swisshockeynews.ch, the Devils made contact with Swedish coach Rikard Gronborg earlier this season. However, he remains under contract with ZSC Lions, his

Inside the Miracle on Ice: How Team USA defied the numbers 40 years ago
NHL

Chris Peters is ESPN’s NHL draft and prospects analyst. The Chicago native previously covered the NHL for CBSSports.com and founded the popular independent blog UnitedStatesofHockey.com where he covered the game at all levels since 2010. “What we have at hand is the rarest of sporting events, an event that needs no buildup, no superfluous adjectives. In a political or nationalistic sense, I’m sure this game is being viewed with different

NHL, NHLPA cancel international games in 2020
NHL

Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter. The NHL has postponed its international games in 2020, the league and players’ union announced on Friday. “The NHLPA and the NHL remain committed to maintaining and growing our international presence,” the sides said in a joint statement. “We hope that our fans overseas understand the need to postpone the 2020 games, but we look forward to being back with them in 2021.”

Capitals' Brendan Leipsic in hot water after vulgar messages surface on social media
NHL

Washington Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic was the object of outrage on Twitter Wednesday after images of vulgar and insulting messages sent from his Instagram account surfaced on social media. The images contained direct message conversations between Leipsic and Florida Panthers forward Jack Rodewald that included crude and derogatory language toward women and references to drugs. Sporting News will not embed any of the images, but they are linked here. (Warning: The Twitter thread contains extremely NSFW