For most of the NHL season, the North Division – made up of only the seven Canadian teams in the league – avoided COVID-19-related issues far better than its American counterparts. But that situation changed dramatically over the past two weeks, and now the Vancouver Canucks have stopped playing indefinitely […]
NHL
Ice Cold: Buffalo Sabres Drop 15 Straight Games, Closing in on NHL Record
The Buffalo Sabres came into the season seeking their first playoff appearance in a decade. Now, the Sabres will have to turn things around in a hurry if they want to avoid setting a new NHL record for futility. Buffalo lost 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, extending […]
Game Misconduct: NHL Removes Referee Tim Peel After Hot Mic Penalty Comment
Veteran referee Tim Peel will never officiate an NHL game again after a hot mic caught him saying that he wanted to give a penalty to the Nashville Predators during a Tuesday night game. On Wednesday morning, the NHL announced that Peel will no longer be working for the league. […]
NHL COVID Issues Spill Into Canada as Montreal Canadiens Postpone Four Games
The Montreal Canadiens became the first Canadian team to postpone games in the NHL this season, as the team has shut down all activities through Sunday. The NHL announced that two Canadiens players are currently in the league’s COVID-19 protocol. Canadiens face hectic schedule after postponements On Monday, the Canadiens […]
NHL Returning to ESPN Thanks to New Seven-Year Broadcast Deal
It’s been more than 15 years since ESPN last broadcast NHL games on its family of networks, but that will change in 2022, thanks to a new seven-year deal that includes the rights to four Stanley Cup Finals. Multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday that ESPN and the NHL reached […]
Vegas Golden Knights Quickly Make, Break Partnership with Mexican Tout Service
When the Vegas Golden Knights announced they were partnering with Mexican sports betting pick service UpickTrade, it didn’t take long for social media to roundly criticize the deal. Within a matter of days, the NHL franchise took that criticism to heart, ending the relationship before it ever really began. On […]
Montreal Canadiens Fire Claude Julien After Three-Game Skid Threatens Playoff Push
The Montreal Canadiens began the 2021 season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. But the tides have turned for the Habs, leading the franchise to fire head coach Claude Julien on Wednesday. The Canadiens also fired associate coach Kirk Muller, and promoted Dominique Ducharme to interim head […]
NHL Shorthanded as COVID-19 Issues Plague League, Causes Cancellations
Several teams will miss action this week as the NHL grapples with multiple squads who have players in the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The league cancelled all games for the New Jersey Devils through Saturday, which impacts two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and another with the New York Rangers. Sabres […]
NHL Opening Day Odds: Lightning, Avalanche Favored in Home Openers
Two of the top contenders for the 2021 Stanley Cup are in action on Wednesday night, with both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche beginning their seasons at home on NHL Opening Day. The Lightning will play host to the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Avalanche will battle the […]
Stanley Cup Odds: Colorado, Vegas Biggest Threats to Tampa Bay Title Defense
When the NHL season begins on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning will look to fight their way back to a second straight title. But the defending champions won’t enter the season as the favorites to retain the trophy, according to the preseason Stanley Cup odds. Instead, the Colorado Avalanche will […]
NHL Fantasy Hockey Draft Tips and Advice for Newbies and Lapsed Fans
The NHL returns to action on Wednesday for a season that should provide a bit of normalcy for fans, while still retaining a few changes in deference to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means that this week is NHL fantasy hockey draft time, a daunting prospect if you’re not up to […]
NHL Takes Center Stage in Lake Tahoe Six Decades After ‘Forgotten Miracle’
1960 was a very good year for Lake Tahoe. In January, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin purchased the Cal-Neva Lodge & Casino on the North Shore. In February, the 1960 Winter Games found their way to the granite-cliffed scar that would become known as Olympic Valley. And in the summer, […]
NHL Season Set to Start in January: Format, Divisions, and Important Dates for 2021
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association reached an agreement on Friday night to start their next season on Jan. 13. That means hockey fans will begin enjoying a new NHL season less than four months after the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals […]
Connor McDavid Favored Over Teammate Leon Draisaitl in Hart Trophy Race
Leon Draisaitl led the NHL in points last year, racking up 110 points over 71 games to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. But, heading into the 2020-21 season, sportsbooks say Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid leads his teammate in the next NHL MVP odds race. […]
Tampa Bay Lightning Shut Out Dallas Stars to Win Stanley Cup
The Tampa Bay Lightning finally fulfilled their potential on Monday night, blanking the Dallas Stars 2-0 to win the Stanley Cup in the NHL’s Edmonton bubble. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves to record a shutout, while Brayden Point and Blake Coleman supplied the scoring to finish off the six-game Stanley […]
Stanley Cup: Steven Stamkos Returns, Tampa Bay Lightning Take 2-1 Lead
The Dallas Stars struck first blood and won the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals, but the Tampa Bay Lightning won two games in a row to take a 2-1 series lead. The Lightning are 1/7 odds favorites to win the Stanley Cup heading into Game 4 of the […]
Banged Up Tampa Bay Lightning Enter Stanley Cup Final as Favorite vs. Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars will battle the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, with the two southern franchises facing off at the NHL’s playoff bubble in Edmonton, Alberta. Tampa Bay enters the series as a -195 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, despite the fact […]
Canucks, Islanders Eye First-Round NHL Playoff Upsets
Of the eight, first-round NHL Playoff series matchups, six are going pretty much as expected, but two teams are looking at big upsets. The Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders came in as heavy underdogs, but after three games of the best-of-seven format, are looking at closing out the favorites. […]
NHL Playoffs Begin Tuesday with Vegas, Colorado as New Stanley Cup Favorites
The NHL Playoffs were set on Sunday after the league’s final game, and the odds to win the Stanley Cup have been adjusted. Two teams have supplanted the Tampa Bay Lightning, and are now favorites to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. In the Western Conference, the No. 1 seeded Vegas Golden […]
NHL Play-in Series Odds: Pittsburgh, Edmonton Favorites to Advance
The National Hockey League returns to action in two secure zones in Canada after a four-month layoff with 24 teams qualifying for the postseason. DraftKings updated the NHL play-in series odds, and the #5 Pittsburgh Penguins are the biggest favorite at -245 to defeat the #12 Montreal Canadians in the […]