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Browsing: Hockey
The Pittsburgh Penguins‘ goaltending situation has certainly been an interesting one to follow as a whole this season.
Tristan Jarry is having his best season in recent memory and is now involved in some trade speculation. Arturs Silovs started off the year well and was involved in some Rookie of the Year conversations until a recent slide in play.
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But it’s hard to ignore what top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov is doing in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), too. And his most recent performance was, perhaps, his most impressive and dominant of his AHL career so far.
On Wednesday, Murashov posted a 34-save shutout – which included 20 saves in the first period – en route to a 3-0 WBS victory against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
And his latest performance is only the latest example of the spectacular AHL season that he’s putting together.
In 11 appearances this season for WBS, the 21-year-old Murashov is 8-2 with two shutouts, a 1.56 goals-against average, and a .943 save percentage. Both his goals-against average and save percentage are the top marks in the AHL by a decent margin, as Sebastian Cossa of the Grand Rapids Griffins is second in both categories at 1.76 and .935, respectively.
Simply put, Murashov is dominating the AHL this season. He put together a pretty good run of games at the NHL level earlier this season, too, as he was 1-1-1 with a shutout, a 1.90 goals-against average, and a .913 save percentage.
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It will be interesting to see how the Penguins’ goaltending situation at the NHL level shakes out the rest of the season. Regardless, they could just have a long-term answer waiting in the wings at WBS.
NHL Rumors: 2 Potential Trade Fits For Penguins’ Tristan Jarry
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CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks had a tough road trip out west. They went 1-2-1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings twice.
In the final two games of the trip, the Saturday and Sunday games in Southern California, the Blackhawks were blown out of the building.
4 Takeaways From Blackhawks Latest Road Trip Out West
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Now, back at the United Center, it was Chicago’s next chance to end its slump to get back to its winning ways. They may not be a playoff-caliber team just yet, but they are better than the team that went out west last week.
The first period didn’t have any scoring, but the Blackhawks controlled play. Thanks to some miraculous saves by Igor Shesterkin, the game went to the second intermission in a scoreless tie.
In the second period, the Blackhawks started to see some reward for their effort. It started at 7:08 of the middle frame, when Louis Crevier scored a shorthanded goal. He found himself with a mini breakaway and beat Shesterkin to make it 1-0, Blackhawks.
Shortly after, Ryan Donato put the puck in the net to make it 2-0, but the Rangers challenged it for a missed stoppage of play. After review, it was determined that before the goal was scored, Colton Dach used his hands to make a pass, waiving it off.
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The Blackhawks didn’t stop grinding away after that, however, as they still found a way to make it 2-0 before the period ended. At 14:27, Connor Bedard roofed one top shelf to extend the lead to two. A great play by Andre Burakovsky using speed and skill set up the goal for Bedard.
In the final period of regulation time, the Blackhawks did not stop. Tyler Bertuzzi took advantage of a nifty play made by Connor Bedard and Ryan Greene to make it 3-0. There was some high-end effort and stick-to-itiveness on the part of all three players.
Spencer Knight earned his second shutout of the season as the 3-0 score held as the final. Knight made 21 saves in the effort. After the way the team was giving up goals in Southern California over the weekend, it was important for them to come out this week and be solid defensively. Getting goaltending like that from Knight made it even easier to have a bounce-back in that regard.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
Whatâ€s Next For The Blackhawks?
Next up for the Chicago Blackhawks is a one-game stop in Missouri to play the St. Louis Blues. This will be a Friday night ESPN+/Hulu exclusive.
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Dec 10, 2025, 08:48 PM ET
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday expressed concern about the construction delays regarding the hockey rink for the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The slow construction of the main rink is “disappointing,” he said at the Winnipeg Jets’ facility.
“I’m not trying to pile on on this, in all of the prior Olympics, whether they built permanent or temporary facilities, it’s never been this late for a completion in the building of ice, and so that’s why we are cautious,” Bettman said.
The NHL has previously expressed concern about the quality of the ice surface. The league is sending its own experts to Italy to ensure the ice is safe.
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NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has said the completion date of the main rink is set for Feb. 2. The women’s tournament is scheduled to start Feb. 5 and the men’s hockey competition is scheduled Feb. 11-22.
The facility features rinks smaller than NHL standards but still within the International Ice Hockey Federation’s standards.
Daly previously said there’s nothing the NHL or organizers can do about the dimensions of the 16,000-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and secondary Rho facility.
The NHL was caught off guard when it became apparent the two rinks’ dimensions will be slightly wider and 3 feet shorter than what the league and International Ice Hockey Federation agreed upon. Daly said the league and NHL Players’ Association have reminded the IIHF that they expect the ice surface to be standard NHL size at the 2030 Olympics in France.
ST. LOUIS — Dillon Dube, the only remaining unsigned player among the five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team who were acquitted of sexual assault in the high-profile case, has agreed to an American Hockey League professional tryout with the St. Louis Blues.
General manager Doug Armstrong announced the deal with the 27-year-old on Wednesday. Dube, fellow forwards Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton, defenseman Cal Foote and goaltender Carter Hart were found not guilty by a judge in London, Ontario, after being charged in connection to an incident there in 2018.
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Hart with the Vegas Golden Knights is the only one who has played in the NHL since the trial ended last summer and all five were reinstated. Foote signed with the AHLâ€s Chicago Wolves last week, while Formenton is playing in Switzerland and McLeod in the Russia-based KHL.
The Blues said Dube would report to the Springfield Thunderbirds after receiving his work visa. Dube played 42 games with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL last season. He was with the Calgary Flames from 2018-24.
Also Wednesday, St. Louis brought back Robby Fabbri on a deal that pays him the prorated league minimum of $775,000 when he’s in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL. Fabbri played parts of his first four seasons with the club before getting traded to Detroit and playing last year with Anaheim.
Fabbri’s signing came as the Blues put forward Jordan Kyrou on injured reserve. Kyrou was listed as week to week with a lower-body injury.
TORONTO — The greatest teenage hockey player on Earth mulls the idea.
“Have I surprised myself?â€
Macklin Celebrini takes a pause, as if considering false humility or confident truth, when addressing his dominant sophomore campaign.
“I mean, I believe in myself. I believe in what I can do, and I believe in the work I put in. So, I canâ€t say Iâ€m surprised or I feel any other way,†Celebrini replies.
Sitting casually in a hoodie and talking to a knot of strangers in the hockey mecca, the undoubted best player on the San Jose Sharks and the hope-to-be youngest player on Team Canada might just be the only one taking this in stride.
This burst up the Art Ross Trophy race, in which only a couple Hart Trophy champs and early Olympic picks, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, have amassed more than his 43 points.
This rush to relevance heâ€s leading by the Sharks, who have been wandering around the desert for six seasons in hopes of landing a talent of Celebriniâ€s calibre.
This deafening Olympic buzz that has some of the most respected voices in the sport convinced the kid born in Vancouver just four years before the Golden Goal should help bring the same shade of medal home from Milan.
“You kick yourself because heâ€s 19 years old and you can’t believe it,†San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky says. “Doesnâ€t bother him whatsoever. And he goes about his business, the way he prepares, itâ€s like heâ€s been in the league for 12 years.â€
Celebrini wonâ€t turn 20 until months after the Winter Games have closed ceremony, yet the kid is drawing comparisons to some of the most established centremen and leaders on the circuit.
“A little bit like J.T. Miller, in a sense, how heavy he plays,†says teammate Tyler Toffoli. “But heâ€s just a unique talent with the way he works, but also with how explosive he is. Some of the plays he makes are extremely impressive — and not very many guys in the league can do the things that he does.â€
“Heâ€s got a lot of Sid in him,†adds Warsofsky. “But I think he’s got some Nate MacKinnon in him — the competitiveness. Heâ€s got a little bit of everyone, but at the end of the day, Mac is Mac. And weâ€re gonna let him be him.â€
Celebrini thought a ton about the Italian job over the summer. He got a taste of the Maple Leaf competing for a world championship in May, sharing a dressing room and picking the brains of MacKinnon and Crosby.
“That was awesome,†Celebrini says Wednesday, sitting in his stall after a team practice in Toronto. “They were so great to me. Just being around them, seeing two legends, two Hall of Famers and see how they carry themselves, approach every day, and two guys I looked up to growing up, that was pretty cool.â€
The first couple times meeting Crosby, Celebrini admits to being nervous: “I mean, heâ€s my role model.â€
“When you go and play with the best players in the world and you learn from them, sometimes itâ€s not just hockey-skill-related,†Warsofsky notes.
“Itâ€s, how do you go about being a leader? I’m sure he learned a lot from Sid in that regard. Iâ€m sure heâ€s learned from MacKinnon on certain aspects. And thatâ€s what makes great players great — in any sport.â€
A group of next-wave NHL stars, including Celebrini, Sharks teammate Will Smith, and Adam Fantilli, flew to Nova Scotia over the summer for some intense training skates with Crosby and MacKinnon.
These experiences poured gas on Celebriniâ€s Olympic torch.
“Itâ€s a dream of every kid who grows up in Canada,†he says.
Take it from the captain: the kid has the tools.
“His hunger, his passion for the game, how hard he works. I thought even last season, as the season went on, he got better and better, which is pretty normal for a rookie and young player to gain confidence,†Crosby says.
“But I felt like the worlds even was another step. And he started off the season pretty incredible, and heâ€s just continuing to build his game. Just dynamic. Heâ€s a great skater. He sees the ice well. Heâ€s got a big shot.â€
Still, for every high-producing forward GM Doug Armstrong adds to the national roster, a 4 Nations winner must be removed.
Celebrini and fellow first–overall draft pick Connor Bedard have entered the chat.
“Itâ€s a good thing, though, isn’t it?†says Team Canada coach Jon Cooper. “I mean, good for them.
“And itâ€s just amazing that players that young can come in and have such a positive impact in the game. I guess when they say itâ€s a young man’s game, it really is. These are extreme talents.â€
Team USA captain Auston Matthews, who will face off with Celebrini Thursday, raves about his blend of skill and competitiveness.
“He battles hard. Itâ€s not just all flash,†Matthews says. “Heâ€s obviously on a tear. Heâ€s a fun player to watch, and heâ€s gonna be a great player in this league for a long time.â€
Celebrini is a plus-7 threat playing 20-plus minutes nightly against hard matchups, thriving on team with a minus-16 goal differential. Heâ€s already potted three game-winners.
Calm, confident and clutch.
Hockey Canadaâ€s decision-makers are meeting this week in Florida. No doubt, Celebriniâ€s candidacy is a hot topic. Europe-bound charters take off in less than two months.
Warsofsky has spoken with both Canadaâ€s national coaching staff and Team USA head coach (and Crosbyâ€s longtime bench boss) Mike Sullivan about how to guide such a gift.
Since worlds, Warsofsky has noticed an improvement in Celebriniâ€s game without the puck — which should be the difference in making the cut.
“Now, the way he defends, heâ€s arguably one of our most physical forwards down low in the defensive zone and killing plays and closing. So, I think that’s been a big growth for him,†Warsofsky says.
“Going to World Championships, playing with those guys, (you learn) sometimes itâ€s OK not to touch the puck or have an impact every shift. And heâ€s starting to realize that.â€
Thereâ€s some nature to the nurture, though.
Celebriniâ€s father, Rick, is a renowned sports physiotherapist, a former national-team soccer player who now serves as the director of sports medicine and performance for the Golden State Warriors.
The player wants to be coached hard, craves information on his own game and his opponentsâ€. Yet, Toffoli says, he isnâ€t so obsessed that he forgets to have fun along the ride.
Warsofsky credits Celebriniâ€s parents for raising an “extremely self-driven†and “coachable†son. Accessible Sharks legends like Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, Celebriniâ€s billet dad, have added the seasoning.
“He wants to win. He wants his teams to win. He doesnâ€t really live off his stats. Heâ€s not looking to go get his two points. Heâ€d rather us win a hockey game,†Warsofsky says.
“When you have someone like that, thatâ€s when we know weâ€re moving in the right direction.â€
Ryan Reaves, 38, has played 937 NHL games for seven teams. Heâ€s shared rooms with too many Cup champs and all-stars to count.
“Iâ€ve played with some good players, but I don’t think Iâ€ve ever played with a player this young thatâ€s been this good, light it up like he does,†Reaves raves.
“The biggest thing is, he plays in all three zones. He doesnâ€t cheat. I think sometimes, especially this new generation, you see them turn over the puck, and they swing and they kind of wait behind the defence for a breakaway pass. And thatâ€s not really his game. Heâ€s slamming on the brakes. Heâ€s getting back. Heâ€s backchecking. Heâ€s getting ready in the corners. Itâ€s kinda of a complete package for such a young kid.â€
Celebrini isnâ€t your typical teen.
He stays off social media to zero in on the here and now. While his summer daydreams drifted to Milan, he thinks of his career in blocks and is focusing solely on San Joseâ€s current road trip.
“Thereâ€s not too much to it,†Celebrini says of eschewing Instagram and Twitter. “Itâ€s just more of a focus thing, and just trying not to kind of let whateverâ€s said on the Internet affect anything.â€
Toffoli hasnâ€t noticed the Olympic pressure go to his teammateâ€s head. Same Celebrini, through hype or adversity.
“Even last year, there was a little stretch, he wasnâ€t getting the bounces or scoring for a few games,†Toffoli says. “I donâ€t think confidence was ever an issue. If anything, it made him work even harder and get even better.â€
“It’s been something that Iâ€ve been working towards, and itâ€s been a goal of mine. That thought obviously lingers around you,†Celebrini says. “But thereâ€s so much we need to focus on, that if you just keep thinking about it, itâ€s gonna be a little bit overwhelming.â€
Thatâ€s OK. Celebrini can let everyone else think about it.
If you were Canadaâ€s GM, would you send Celebrini to the Olympics?
“Hundred per cent,†Reaves smiles. “Hundred per cent.â€
While it appeared that the NHL opportunities for former Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri were limited after he failed to secure a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the fall, he’s now been given a chance to return where it all began.
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Fabbri has been signed by the St. Louis Blues, the same club that drafted him in the opening round (21st overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, has returned to the franchise by signing a one-year, two-way contract.
He’ll earn $775,000 at the NHL level, while earning $300,000 at the AHL level. He’s scheduled to join the team immediately for their impending matchup on Thursday evening against the Nashville Predators.
The signing coincides with the Blues placing forward Jordan Kyrou on Injured Reserve with a lower-body injury.
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Fabbri spent the first portion of his NHL career with the Blues, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 while contributing a goal in 10 postseason games during their run; he lifted the Cup at TD Garden following their Game 7 triumph over the Boston Bruins.
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Fabbri was then traded to the Red Wings in November 2019 for Jacob de la Rose, and was one of the few bright spots for the club in what was otherwise an extremely trying campaign in 2019-20.
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He would play the next several seasons with Detroit, culminating in his best offensive output since 2015-16 by scoring 18 goals with 14 assists. Detroit then sent him to the Anaheim Ducks during that offseason, where he scored eight goals with eight assists while playing just 44 games.
As he has been throughout his career, Fabbri’s season was cut short because of injury. He’s undergone multiple ACL surgeries during his time in the NHL, along with meniscus surgery last season.
He was signed to a professional tryout agreement with the Penguins for this season, but was unable to secure a roster spot.
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By Gary Pearson, BetMGM
Of the seven Canadian NHL teams, only the Edmonton Oilers would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup if the playoffs started today.
For hockey fans in the Great White North, it’s a good thing there’s still a ton of hockey to be played. I can assure you that nobody north of the border will want to repeat the 2015-16 NHL playoffs, which had no Canadian participants.
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To avoid that unlikely and unthinkable scenario, what do Canadian teams need to do to rise from the doldrums?
Defensive Frailties Headline Shortcomings
Going purely by the Stanley Cup odds, you won’t be surprised to learn that the Oilers are the only Canadian outfit in a playoff position.
But if you looked at the standings a couple of weeks ago and not since, you’ll be taken aback by the current pecking order.
All but one Canadian team ranks in the bottom 15 according to points percentage, with the Montreal Canadiens the best of the bunch. With a .569 points percentage, they rank 16th.
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Where Do Canadian Teams Rank Defensively?
Poor defensive play, subpar goaltending or a combination of both are the primary reasons for the sluggish start to the 2025-26 season.
Four Canadian teams rank among the bottom 10 in three primary defensive categories, including goals against, goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, and goals against above expected.
The Vancouver Canucks allow the most goals per game (3.60), the most goals per 60 minutes in all situations (3.55) and, logically, have conceded the most goals overall (108).
The Canadiens allow the second-most goals per game (3.55), the third-most goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (2.9) and the third-most goals against above expected (5.65).
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The Oilers, meanwhile, concede the fifth-most goals per game (3.47) and the eighth-most goals against above expected (-1.82).
And then there are the Ottawa Senators, which allow the ninth-most goals per game (3.31) and goals per 60 minutes in all situations (3.25), and the most goals against above expected (10.32).
Four Best Long Shots To Win The NHL’s Eastern And Western Conference
Thanks to a recent defensive resurgence, along with solid goaltending from the now-injured Joseph Woll and call-up Dennis Hildeby, the Toronto Maple Leafs have climbed out of the basement in most categories, where they were entrenched for the first quarter of the season.
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You might be surprised to learn of the Calgary Flames’ absence from those ignominious stats. The polar opposite issue plagues the Flames, whose offense is about as toothless as a four-month-old baby.
Most tellingly, only one Canadian team – the Winnipeg Jets – ranks in the top half of the league in overall goals against.
You don’t have to be a hockey savant to know what is causing insomnia for the coaches north of the 49th parallel.
Dec 10, 2025, 10:53 AM ET
ST. LOUIS — Dillon Dube, the only remaining unsigned player among the five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team who were acquitted of sexual assault in the high-profile case, has agreed to an American Hockey League professional tryout with the St. Louis Blues.
General manager Doug Armstrong announced the deal with the 27-year-old on Wednesday. Dube, fellow forwards Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton, defenseman Cal Foote and goaltender Carter Hart were found not guilty by a judge in London, Ontario, after being charged in connection to an incident there in 2018.
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“The St. Louis Blues have signed Dillon Dube to a professional tryout with our AHL affiliate in following the process set forth by the National Hockey League and its Players’ Association upon his reinstatement,” the team said in a statement to ESPN. “This decision follows a comprehensive review of the details of his case and discussions at all levels of our organization. We are confident in the decision to offer the tryout and will provide the necessary support to ensure Dillon contributes positively both on the ice and in the community. We will always hold our players to the highest of standards, consistent with the core values of our organization, and that will be emphasized as we move forward.”
Hart with the Vegas Golden Knights is the only one who has played in the NHL since the trial ended last summer and all five were reinstated. Foote signed with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last week, while Formenton is playing in Switzerland and McLeod in the Russia-based KHL.
The Blues said Dube would report to the Springfield Thunderbirds after receiving his work visa. Dube played 42 games with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL last season. He was with the Calgary Flames from 2018-24.
St. Louis earlier this fall had signed winger Milan Lucic to an AHL PTO and released him from it.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dec 10, 2025, 02:07 AM ET
Now this is coming through in the nick of time.
For the first time in NHL history, there were four contests that featured game-tying goals within the final 15 seconds of regulation on the same day.
Cutting it even more close, two of the tying scores on Tuesday night came within the final 2 seconds, which marks just the second time that’s happened on the same day (Oct. 8, 2009), according to NHL Stats.
There was plenty of late-night drama on the ice.
Ducks 19-year-old winger Beckett Sennecke scored with 1 second left in regulation Tuesday at Pittsburgh. Of the four late-scoring teams, only Anaheim prevailed — in a shootout, no less. Justin Berl/Getty Images
Pavel Dorofeyev of Vegas tied his game against the New York Islanders with 14 seconds left, while Colorado’s Cale Makar came through on a power-play goal with 8 seconds remaining at Nashville.
Connor McDavid cut it a little closer by scoring the equalizer for Edmonton with 2 seconds on the clock versus Buffalo, and 19-year-old Beckett Sennecke of Anaheim really had a flair for the dramatic, scoring with 1 second left in Pittsburgh.
Alas, not all the tying goals resulted in favorable endings.
Of the four late-scoring teams, only Anaheim prevailed — in a shootout, no less. Dorofeyev and the Golden Knights lost to the Islanders in a shootout. It was the same fate for Makar and the Avalanche, who lost in a shootout.
As for McDavid and the Oilers, they lost 33 seconds into OT when Buffalo’s Alex Tuch scored.
So far this season, the NHL has had 372 close contests, which is defined as a one-goal margin or two-plus with an empty-net goal. It’s the most at this stage of a season in league history (475 games played), according to NHL research.
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Kristen ShiltonDec 10, 2025, 03:06 PM ET
- Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
TORONTO — Macklin Celebrini is having a stellar start to this NHL regular season that has led the San Jose Sharks to becoming a surprising early contender.
And that could lead the teenage phenom all the way to another coveted roster spot — as part of Team Canada at the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. It’s certainly on his radar.
“That’s a goal,” Celebrini said following the Sharks’ practice Wednesday. “It’s a dream of every kid who grows up in Canada. Right when the season started that wasn’t really my focus; it’s still not my focus [because I] can’t really control what they decide or what they do, but being on that team would be a huge honor.”
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Celebrini, 19, has been a dominant threat in his second NHL season. He has 15 goals and 43 points in 31 games, putting him third behind only Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in scoring, and he is tied with McDavid for the second-most assists (28). That production is a major reason the Sharks are a .500 team in the mix for a Western Conference wild-card spot.
Seeing San Jose succeed was, and is, Celebrini’s primary concern, but he can’t deny that the lure of donning red and white in February was motivating throughout his offseason training alongside Sidney Crosby — already named to Canada’s roster — in the latter’s native Nova Scotia.
“Over the summer and kind of leading up to [this season], I think for sure [it was motivating],” Celebrini said. “It’s been something that I’ve been working towards, and it’s been a goal of mine. That thought obviously lingers around you, but there’s so much we need to focus on, so much going on, that if you just keep thinking that it’s going to be a little bit overwhelming.”
To that end, Celebrini has been staying off social media to keep the noise swelling around him at bay. He does keep up with another Team Canada hopeful — Chicago’s Connor Bedard — who is also pushing his way into the Olympic conversation in the midst of a sensational third NHL season (40 points in 29 games).
Canada’s coach, Jon Cooper, said this week that “those kids” — meaning Celebrini and the 20-year-old Bedard — are going to make for some “excruciatingly tough” decisions for him and the country’s management team before it submits a final roster by Dec. 31.
Celebrini said he hasn’t had any discussions with Cooper or Canada’s GM Doug Armstrong. If they were to chat with him though, Sharks’ coach Ryan Warsofsky expects they’d find a player mature beyond his years who has grown into being “a true 200-foot center.”
“He’s extremely impressive,” Warsofsky said. “You kick yourself because he’s 19 years old and you can’t believe it. [The pressure] doesn’t bother him whatsoever. And he goes about his business. The way he prepares, it’s like he’s been in the league for 12 years. … He’s as humble as they come, he’s extremely self-driven. He’s not looking to go get his two points; he’d rather us win a hockey game.
“When you have someone like that, that’s when we know we’re moving in the right direction.”