NHL

Singer Celine Dion involved in near hockey feud with Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens In what was almost an international incident, Dion, a Canadian icon, was shown in Vegas wearing Knights gear. The Knights were facing the Canadiens, Dion’s hometown team. A Canadian newspaper called her a traitor. Dion was quick to deny the

5:07 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Another season that began with expectations of winning a Stanley Cup concluded with a bitter taste for the Vegas Golden Knights. The surprising Montreal Canadiens, who finished the regular season 18th in the NHL with 59 points, won the best-of-seven series 4-2 to advance to the Stanley

6:45 AM ET The Montreal Canadiens are going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993. Who will they face? We’ll all find out tonight, because we have the two best words in hockey coming up: Game 7. Check out the ESPN NHL Playoffs Daily to catch up every day of the

6:26 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — An unidentified former Chicago Blackhawks player says in a lawsuit against the team that a then-assistant coach sexually assaulted him in 2010 during a playoff run to a Stanley Cup title and that the team did nothing after he informed a now-retired employee. After leaving the Blackhawks, former

9:30 AM ET Tell me you know NHL playoff officiating is atrocious without telling me that you know NHL playoff officiating is atrocious. “We’re going to have situations where things don’t go our way. We can’t control what their thought process or decision-making is,” said Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher, when asked his thoughts about

7:01 AM ET After the New York Islanders took Game 6 on Wednesday night, the NHL is officially two wins away from having the Montreal Canadiens and the Islanders playing for the Stanley Cup — although the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning may have something to say about that before it can happen.

12:21 AM ET UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Tampa Bay Lightning had no update on the health of leading scorer Nikita Kucherov, who was injured on his first shift of their Game 6 loss on Wednesday night. The Islanders won the game, 3-2 in overtime, to force Game 7 on Friday night in Tampa. “It sucks

6:03 PM ET Associated Press VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Daniel and Henrik Sedin are returning to the Vancouver Canucks to work in the front office. Three years after their retirement, the Swedish twins joined the Canucks’ hockey operations department with the title of special adviser to the general manager, Jim Benning. “We’re coming in as

6:36 AM ET The New York Islanders need to win tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning to keep their season alive — and they’ll get to do it at Nassau Coliseum, the building to which they’ll bid adieu when this playoff run is over. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights laid an egg at their home

New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal draws fine, but eligible to play in Game 6 after dodging suspension Mathew Barzal, who has 12 points this postseason, was fined $5,000 Tuesday, the maximum allowable under the NHL CBA, for cross-checking Tampa Bay defenseman Jan Rutta in Game 5, but the Islander was not suspended, and will play

7:18 AM ET Game 5 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders was an absolute blowout, with Tampa taking a 3-2 series lead in an 8-0 win. Hopefully, Game 5 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens back in Sin City is a more competitive affair. Check out the ESPN NHL

7:00 AM ET There are two major factors that will shape NHL free agency when it officially begins on July 28. The first takes place a week before the market opens for business: the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, in which every team not named the Vegas Golden Knights offers up a player to the NHL’s

12:30 AM ET TAMPA, Fla. — After the Tampa Bay Lightning steamrolled his New York Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup semifinals, coach Barry Trotz had a simple message for his players in the locker room: They’ll have to earn the right to keep playing because another effort like the one Monday

2:17 PM ET Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. — Former NHL player and Minnesota Wild assistant general manager Tom Kurvers died Monday from lung cancer, the team and University of Minnesota Duluth said. He was 58. Kurvers served as Minnesota’s assistant general manager since 2018. Minnesota Duluth athletics spokesperson Brian Nystrom said the hockey program

6:44 AM ET The New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning are deadlocked at 2-2. Who takes control of this series in a pivotal Game 5? Meanwhile, Vegas Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer made a gutsy decision switching goalies in Game 4, and it paid off in a big way, as they knotted up their

1:02 AM ET Robin Lehner knew the Vegas Golden Knights‘ decision to start him in Game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens would be viewed by some as controversial. So he decided to relish in the moment. “Not many people know, I come to the game four hours early, I get my own bus,” Lehner said.

2:54 PM ET The Vegas Golden Knights are turning to Robin Lehner as their Game 4 starter, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN. Lehner was the first goalie off the ice at Sunday’s morning skate, which is typically an indicator of who will start that night’s game. According to sources, the goalies were notified of the

7:16 AM ET The Vegas Golden Knights had Game 3 in their hands until one bad mistake from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury opened the door for the Montreal Canadiens to win in overtime. As their goalie moves past that gaffe, the Knights are wondering how to get pucks past the opposing goalie to avoid a huge