Due to the altered schedule whereby the 2019-20 NHL season was completed quite a bit later than usual — with the Stanley Cup Playoffs lasting until Sept. 29 — free agency began on Oct. 9 this year, as opposed to the traditional July 1 starting point. But while the key dates have shifted, the goal of free agency has not: GMs around the NHL hope to land the game-changing veteran
Ah, NHL free agency. It’s like Christmas for general managers as teams look to gift themselves new players who could help push them over the line from Stanley Cup pretender to Stanley Cup contender. Who will wrap up an Alex Pietrangelo, a Torey Krug, or a Taylor Hall this year? Will Tyler Toffoli unwrap a new contract with his current team, the Canucks? And can they gift wrap Jacob Markstrom for their fans too? Speaking of
The 2020 NHL draft was staged virtually this year, with prospects at home and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman leading the broadcast from the NHL Network's studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The high picks this year did not get the chance to hear their names called in a bustling arena or get to cross the stage and shake hands with Bettman,
The calendar has turned to October. Normally this month is marked for the start of a new NHL season to get underway. Instead, in 2020, it signifies the start of the offseason. Oct. 6-7 will set the table for NHL franchises for years to come as they select the next generation of talent. The New York Rangers will kick things off with the No. 1 overall pick, expected to be Rimouski
When it comes to the NHL’s draft, Brian Lawton has done it all. In 1983, a 17-year-old Lawton was drafted first overall by the Minnesota North Stars, and to this day, he remains the lone player taken with the No. 1 overall pick straight from high school since the universal draft was adopted in 1969 and all juniors of qualifying age were made eligible for selection. He has served as an
After months of waiting, the 2020 NHL Draft is officially here. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, 216 players will find out where they’ll get a chance to pursue their professional hockey dreams. Following Phase 2 of the NHL Draft Lottery back in August, the Rangers are slotted to select the No. 1 overall pick. While there has been some rumbling they may trade away the top spot, many expect that they’ll
Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. The Los Angeles Kings have terminated the contract of Tim Smith, who portrays their mascot, Bailey the lion, following a sexual harassment lawsuit filed during the summer by a former member of the Kings Ice Crew. “We are not in a position to provide further details or comments on this matter due to pending litigation,” the team said in a statement. The Kings
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team walked off the court national champions on April 8, 2019, having completed an unprecedented redemption arc after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the NCAA Tournament's first round a year prior. Eight days later, the Columbus Blue Jackets finished off their sweep of the history-making Tampa Bay Lightning, who won an NHL-record 62 games that season. Lightning coach Jon Cooper got a Virginia national champions
NHL players entered the playoff bubbles sans fans in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, on July 26, and on Monday night, the journey that was spent for the majority without friends and family nearby ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisting the Stanley Cup. For the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars, who finished third in the Central Division, it was a surprising run that came up just short, losing the Cup in
Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. The Dallas Stars are starting Anton Khudobin in goal for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, as they face elimination against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Khudobin has played in 23 games for the Stars this postseason. That includes their Game 4 loss on Friday night, 5-4 in overtime to the Lightning, in which Khudobin faced 35 shots. Dallas coach
