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MONTREAL — The official play-by-play record from Thursdayâ€s overtime thriller at the Bell Centre reveals two of the biggest plays Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield made on the night, though “block, snap, def. zone†doesnâ€t quite capture what made them so big.

The NHL doesnâ€t even reveal that those blocks came 160 feet away from where they connected on the winning goal seconds later, but at least the timestamp indicates the relevance of those plays.

First, it was Caufield, with 49 seconds to go, stepping in front of Steven Stamkos†shot, deflecting the puck out of play to save Canadiens teammate Mike Matheson from the most vulnerable position one can be in at three-on-three — stickless in your own zone. And then, on the ensuing play, Suzuki lost the faceoff, but not his man. The Canadiens†captain stood his ground and then perfectly timed his flash out to the slot to block another Stamkos shot that sprung Matheson on the rush up ice that sparked the winning goal with three seconds remaining.Â

Suzuki drove the goal line and pushed a backhand pass to Caufield in the slot, and then he watched as Caufield tied the franchise record for most overtime goals with his 10th.

“What impresses me the most is how complete they are, on top of being dangerous offensively,†said Martin St. Louis.

The whole overtime sequence encapsulated that, and hopefully Team Canada and Team USA architects got a chance to see it — and not just the highlight-reel goal that came of it.

If they didnâ€t already feel how St. Louis did after watching Suzuki and Caufield carry the Canadiens to an unexpected playoff berth last season with a post-4 Nations FaceOff performance that was otherworldly, they should be feeling it through the first five games of this season.

You know theyâ€re watching closely with roster submissions for the Olympics due by Dec. 31.

The Canadiens are 4-1-0, and those executives have seen Suzuki and Caufield play leading roles — at both ends of the ice — in them establishing that record.Â

Itâ€s the start this team wanted to have, and itâ€s the start both Suzuki and Caufield needed to have in their quests to ensure they arenâ€t passed over again for best-on-best competition. They had to watch the last overtime between their respective national teams from the sidelines, but they could both be facing off in the next one if they keep going like this.

About that last one, it was settled by Connor McDavid, the worldâ€s best player.

Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson, and fellow USA hopeful, thinks the next one could be settled by Caufield, who tied Thursdayâ€s game by beating a red-hot Juuse Saros with 20 seconds to go in regulation before winning it as time was expiring.

“They need someone to score and, in those big moments, thatâ€s something he can bring,†said Hutson about Caufield. “Not only that; I think he generates so much at five-on-five, and heâ€s a threat on the power play.

“I think when you give him some good players to play with, he makes them even better and he shines through. Just the skill, and the work ethic, and the scoring threat that he is, I think he should be on that team.â€

With respect to those who pulled off the 1980 Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid, N.Y., the team going to the Milano-Cortina Games is shaping up to be the greatest American one ever assembled for Olympic ice hockey. Caufield knows heâ€s got an outside chance of cracking it, but heâ€s been making a break towards the inside since hockey resumed post-4 Nations.

With 16 goals, heâ€s the fourth-highest American scorer since then. Heâ€s No. 1 in game-winners with six. And Hutson (plus-21), who saved a goal before setting up Caufieldâ€s game-winner Thursday, is the only American whoâ€s put up a better plus-minus rating than Caufieldâ€s plus-16.

How has Suzuki done over the same period? Heâ€s tied for the eighth-most goals amongst Canadians (15) and leads the NHL in points (44) and his countrymen in plus-minus (plus-19).

Forget the play-by-play record of Thursdayâ€s game. If you had watched Suzuki in isolation through three periods and then watched what he did through that entire overtime — over which he had three shot attempts and a block before registering his NHL-leading seventh assist this season — youâ€d have seen exactly whatâ€s made him one of Canadaâ€s best players over the last number of months.

Heâ€s been unquestionably Montrealâ€s best.

“Thatâ€s our driver,†said Caufield. “Heâ€s a special player that lives for those moments and leads the way by example…

“He does it all. Not many people can play both sides of the puck so well, and his game is pretty special right now, and we see it every day in practice and his detail on the D-side of the puck. Everybody knows how well he does with the puck and stuff, but his play away from the puck — heâ€s definitely pretty annoying to play against in practice and I know most teams donâ€t like playing against him.â€

Caufield has been carving out the same niche, and both he and Suzuki have proven to be two of the most clutch players in hockey.

Theyâ€re two players with incredibly high baselines of performance, and they always seem to rise above that when the stakes get higher.

St. Louis did that to become a Hall of Famer. It earned him a spot on Canadaâ€s 2014 gold medal-winning team. He knows what goes into it.

“The major thing is confidence,†he said, “and wanting to be the guy that makes the difference.â€

Suzuki and Caufield are showing thatâ€s the stuff theyâ€re made of.

Itâ€s propelling both the Canadiens and their Olympic dreams forward.

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NEW YORK — Sometimes, the problem that is out of your control presents more difficulties than the one you caused yourself.

In the case of the National Hockey League and the upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, news that the arena in Milan may not be ready on time landed with a thud, just as the NHL held its Board of Governors meeting Wednesday in New York.

“We’ve had a concern for the last two years on the progress of the rink — both rinks, but mainly the main one,†said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Local organizers confirmed to the Associated Press on Wednesday that the primary test event scheduled for December at the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena — the under-20 world championship from Dec. 8-14 — has been moved to a smaller rink, and that no new test event has been scheduled.

It seems possible at this point that the first hockey game played in the new Olympic arena will be the first game of the Olympic tournament.

“Itâ€s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,†Milano-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently, according to the AP.

What will the NHL do if the arena isnâ€t ready on time?

“It’s the IOC’s responsibility,†said Bettman, referencing the International Olympic Committee. “We’re invited guests, but they know of our concerns and we’re expecting that they’re going to make good on all the promises to have a facility that is, from a competitive standpoint, first-class.â€

Does the NHL have a contingency plan?

“You’d better talk to the IOC,†directed Bettman. “It’s not our issue.â€

It will become the leagueâ€s issues, however, if the ice presents a safety concern. The NHL and the players†association will not be enamoured with placing the lionâ€s share of their best players at risk for an Olympic committee that can not provide a safe surface on which to play.

“If we have concerns, we’ll express them,†Bettman said on Wednesday in New York. “We are constrained in what we can and can’t do, request and demand, and if it reaches a certain point we’ll have to deal with it. But I’m not speculating, and we’ve been constantly assured by the IOC and the IIHF that it will be ok.

“Obviously the Players’ Association will share our concerns if there are any that are necessary.â€

The U-20 tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey arena, which was built inside a giant convention centre on Milanâ€s outskirts. That venue will host secondary matches during the games. When complete, the Santagiulia venue will be Italyâ€s largest indoor arena.

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The governors talked about the NHLâ€s international schedule, as part of a meeting that Bettman termed “nuts and bolts,†covering issues like hockey operations, an officiating update, a safety and security update and the topic of facilities standards.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said plans for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey are on schedule.

“We’ve had constructive conversations with the IIHF recently. We would hope that, if anything, we will be done by the end of the month, hopefully,†he said.

Daly said the NHL held workshops in Toronto and Zurich in recent weeks, and garnered much interest from potential host cities.

“We’re expecting 18 bids in in North America, 10 bids in in Europe, and we expect to be in a position to evaluate those bids at the end of this year, beginning of next year, and make decisions in February,†hew said.

Between the Olympics, a pending World Cup and the annual Global Series, the governors are in constant discussion over where the NHL should bring its game to next.

The fact that the gameâ€s best player and the NHLâ€s best European player — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — have not played a game outside North America in their NHL career seems like something that should be remedied.

“It’s sort of at some point inevitable that that’ll happen,†said Edmonton Oilers President Jeff Jackson. “But nothing’s planned at this point.â€

Asked about that, Bettman had “Nothing Iâ€m prepared to announce.â€

“We’re focused on what we can be doing more outside of North America to continue to grow the game on a worldwide basis,†he said. “That’s becoming an increasing focus and priority for us, because we believe we’re the most international — certainly in our player composition — of the four major sports in North America.â€

No news is good news on the expansion and salary cap fronts.

Bettman claimed expansion was not even discussed on Wednesday, despite stated interest from two groups in Atlanta and bubbling interest for a return to Phoenix.

“There is, and continues to be, interest from lots of places. But none of it has reached the level that we need to focus on at this point,†he said.

Will that door open in time for the next meetings in December?

“It’s not a door that we open. If somebody knocks on the door, we’ll peek around to see who’s knocking and then decide what to do with it,†he said.

On the salary cap, Bettman would not stray from previously announced numbers of an increase to $104 million for next season, and $113.5 million in 2027-28.

“Thereâ€s no change. It is what weâ€ve already agreed to.â€

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ROME — Forget about thin ice. For now, thereâ€s no ice.

With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller arena — and that no new test event has been scheduled yet.

The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the womenâ€s preliminary round competition at the Olympics on Feb. 5 — one day before the opening ceremony.

“Itâ€s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,†Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from Dec. 8-14. That event has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a giant convention centre on Milanâ€s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the games.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before hosting medal events. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s also about testing concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern arena.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italyâ€s largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, itâ€s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the menâ€s gold medal game on Feb. 22 — the closing day of the games — are going for as much as 1,400 euros (more than $1,600). Thatâ€s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the worldâ€s top hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The menâ€s Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to run from Feb. 11-22. The womenâ€s tournament runs from Feb. 5-19.

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SUNRISE, Fla. — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn’t the biggest fan of taking a nearly three-week break in the middle of the season so players can participate in the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

That said, he obviously sees the value.

Bettman spoke at the season-opening game Tuesday between the Florida Panthers — who raised their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship banner — and the Chicago Blackhawks. He made clear again that he knows what having NHL players back on the Olympic stage can do for the game.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Bettman said between the first and second periods. “It’s important to our players. That’s why we’re doing it. Listen, there are lots of reasons that I’m never thrilled about taking a couple of week break in the season. Changes a lot of things.

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“But on balance, I think it’ll be worth it, A) for the exposure, B) for the fan engagement, but C) and most importantly, this is and has always been very important to our players. And that’s why we’re doing this.”

The NHL got tons of exposure and engagement during last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off event, and the Olympics are obviously going to be bigger than that tournament.

“We came off of 4 Nations on a high,” Bettman said. “It shows you what our players can do representing hockey and what we think is the best best-on-best in international competition.”

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During the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year, Hockey Canada officials figured maybe three-quarters of the championship Canadian team would also play for Olympic gold at the Winter Games in February.

But with two additional spots available, the first few months of the NHL season are crucial to players on the Olympic bubble hoping to make the team and travel to Milan.

“Some players are going to rise up,†Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong said. “Thereâ€s a lot of guys that didnâ€t make that team that are going to want to have a great October, November, December.â€

Armstrong, U.S. GM Bill Guerin and the other federations have until Dec. 31 to submit provisional rosters of 22 skaters and three goaltenders. The so-called long lists of 45 skaters and five goaltenders to choose from is due Oct. 15.

Expect some serious variation for the Americans in Milan, looking to win Olympic gold for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980.

“We canâ€t really run it back with the same team — weâ€ve got to see whoâ€s playing well,†Guerin said. “Other guys are going to play their way on to the team. We had a bunch of guys that showed up for the world championships and produced our first gold medal there in 90-something years, and there are guys that have put themselves in a much better spot because of that. We just really have to start from scratch again and rebuild the team.â€

Some candidates on the edge:

Keller was not just one of the players in his prime who went to worlds and helped deliver the first U.S. title there since 1933. Utah’s captain also wore the “C†and was a point-a-game producer. Getting left off the 4 Nations team fuelled the 27-year-old centre.

“It definitely motivated me, for sure, and I wasnâ€t going to just let it harp on me and have a bad rest of my season,†Keller said. “I think it did the opposite for me.â€

Keller had 30 points in 26 games after the season resumed, followed by his success at worlds. Barring injury, he’s a good bet to play at the Olympics.

Injuries didn’t give Thomas a realistic shot to play for Canada at the 4 Nations, then he showed Armstrong — also his GM with St. Louis — what he could do when healthy. Thomas was the NHL’s top scorer after the break with 40 points, though he’s not satisfied with that success.

“I feel like most people look for people doing well, teams doing well — winners, and so I think thatâ€s how you focus on it,†Thomas said. “Get your team off to a really good start, win a lot of games and put yourself in a good spot in the standings, and I think that should speak enough on your impact for the game.â€

Thomas, 26, has an inside track to Milan but does not want it to be because he plays for Armstrong with the Blues.

“Heâ€s got a job to do,†Thomas said. “He canâ€t pick favourites. His name’s on the line at the end of the day, so heâ€s got to pick the best team.â€

Thompson was also on the U.S. world championship-winning team after he and Buffalo missed the playoffs. He had nine points, and his size at six-foot-six and 220 pounds makes him an ideal fit as Guerin and Co. build the team.

“I did feel like I should have been on the 4 Nations team,†Thompson said. “That gave me a bit of a chip on the shoulder the second half of the season and the summer of training and just kind of adds one more thing on your plate that youâ€re playing for.â€

Thompson has never played in the NHL playoffs because the Sabres have the longest active drought at 14 seasons. Given management wanting to see how guys on the bubble handle pressure situations, going to worlds could give Thompson’s case a huge boost.

A couple of years ago, 2023 No. 1 pick Connor Bedard looked as though he might be the youngest player for Canada at the 2026 Games. Bedard would need to light the league on fire with Chicago out of the gate to get back in that discussion.

San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, on the other hand, is another story. The 2024 No. 1 pick accepted Canada’s invite to worlds, played alongside Sidney Crosby and put himself right in the mix.

“I thought Celebrini had a fabulous tournament there coming in as a rookie, an 18-year-old,†Armstrong said.

It helps to have the seal of approval from Canada’s likely captain, who scored the golden goal in 2010 and was a big part of repeating as Olympic champs in 2014.

“I skated a little bit with him in the summer, too, in Halifax, and I want to say heâ€s even better than he was at worlds even over the couple months,†Crosby said. “I know heâ€s working hard. Iâ€m sure this is something thatâ€s on his radar, but yeah, I loved playing with him. I think that heâ€s just going to get better and better.”

Armstrong singled out Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Washington’s Tom Wilson as other players not at the 4 Nations who played well in the second half last season. Wilson would give Canada a big, physical puck retriever with wining experience, while Suzuki would probably have to stand out above the crowd to be considered.

Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield are intriguing talents up front for the U.S., figuring Chris Kreider and Brock Nelson are probably not going to make it. Patrick Kane also has an outside chance as an elder statesman if he gets off to a strong start.

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A Canadian hockey staple is hanging up her skates.

Three-time Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Johnston announced her retirement from international hockey on Thursday.

Johnston, the 36-year-old Sudbury, Ont., enjoyed a decorated career that also included three world titles. She now works in a player development role with the Calgary Flames.

“After more than 15 years with Hockey Canada, itâ€s hard to put into words what this game and this journey have meant to me,†Johnston said in a Hockey Canada statement.

“From the first time I wore the Maple Leaf, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and responsibility to represent my country, and that feeling never faded. My ultimate dream was to play on the Olympic stage and to bring home medals for Canada, achievements that will always stand as the greatest honours of my career.â€

Johnston, whose gold medals came in 2010, 2014 and 2022, finishes her Canadian career in the top 10 in games played (182, seventh), goals (63, ninth), assists (79, eighth) and points (142, eighth).

As a professional, she was drafted second overall by the CWHL’s Toronto Furies in 2012 and went on to win a pair of titles, along with one MVP award.

She first stepped away from hockey in 2023 and did not suit up in the PWHL.

“Hockey has given me more than I could have ever imagined: lifelong friendships, lessons in resilience and teamwork, and moments that will stay with me forever,†Johnston said. “What I will miss most are the little things: the locker room laughs, the feeling of stepping on the ice with my teammates and the unshakable bond of chasing a common goal together. Representing Canada has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I will always carry that pride with me.â€

Team Canada general manager Gina Kingsbury called Johnston’s impact “remarkable.”

“Deemed one of Canadaâ€s best skaters ever, Rebecca brought a tremendous amount of skill to the teams she proudly represented. Her contributions on the ice helped shape some of this countryâ€s most memorable moments. On behalf of Hockey Canada, we thank Rebecca for her outstanding career and everything she has given to our program and the game,” Kingsbury said.

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Gable Steveson, a highly decorated freestyle and collegiate wrestler who recently won his MMA debut, will now give dirty boxing a shot on Oct. 30, when he takes on Billy Swanson in Nashville.

Steveson will fight on Dirty Boxing Championship’s card as part of their fourth event (DBX4).

Steveson, 25, dominated college wrestling in the 285-pound division while at the University of Minnesota. He was a five-time All-American, four-time Big Ten champion (2021, 2022), two-time national champion and two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner.

He also found great success internationally in freestyle wrestling, earning an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 in the 125-kilogram division.

Steveson tried his hand at professional wrestling, signing a contract with WWE and eventually joining the WWE Performance Center to train beginning in 2022.

He did wrestle in one televised match against Baron Corbin at NXT Great American Bash in 2023. WWE ultimately released Steveson in May 2024.

Steveson then tried to latch on in the NFL and even signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive tackle in 2024. He went to training camp and got some preseason action, but the team released him before the regular season began.

Steveson had NCAA eligibility left and wrestled this past year at Minnesota. He dominated again and won his Big Ten title. Steveson made the national championship but lost to Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State in the national championship match.

On Sept. 13, Steveson made his MMA debut at Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) 217 in Minnesota. He excelled with a technical knockout over Braden Peterson 1:38 into the match.

Now Steveson turns to dirty boxing in a fight against Swanson, a 31-year-old professional MMA fighter with a 4-3 lifetime record. He also made his bare knuckle boxing debut in August, falling to Bear Hill.

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