NHL

1:13 PM ET Associated Press SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken are free to make trades and sign players after making their final expansion payment to the NHL. Seattle owners paid $650 million to become the 32nd franchise. The Kraken begin play next season. “On behalf of the board of governors, I am delighted to officially

7:02 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. The all-Canadian North Division has been a fun one to watch during the 2021 NHL season, featuring some of the NHL’s most ancient rivalries that have been rejuvenated with a new collection of

7:00 AM ET NHL Insiders The end of the 2021 NHL season is fast approaching. While COVID-19 postponements have resulted in games extending until May 19, many of the playoff positions will have been solidified before then. As we begin predicting what the 2021 playoffs will look like — and who will ultimately win the

5:26 PM ET Associated Press CALGARY, Alberta — Byron “B.J.” Seaman, one of the founding owners of the Calgary Flames, has died. He was 97. He died Saturday in Calgary, according to McInnis and Holloway Funeral Home. James and his late brother Daryl “Doc” Seaman were co-owners of the NHL franchise for 30 years. They

4:01 PM ET Associated Press KLADNO, Czech Republic — Jaromir Jagr was celebrating on the ice again Thursday. The 49-year-old right winger had an assist to help his hometown club Kladno Knights return to the top Czech league by beating Jihlava 5-2 to clinch their playoff series 4-3. Jagr made his debut for Kladno as

4:03 PM ET Associated Press The American Hockey League will not crown a Calder Cup champion for a second consecutive season amid pandemic scheduling concerns. The trophy had been awarded every year from 1937 to 2019. The AHL allowed each of its five divisions created for this season to decide a playoff format. Only the

11:35 AM ET Anaheim Ducks goalie Ryan Miller is retiring at the conclusion of this NHL season, ending a career highlighted by a star-making run for Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Miller, 40, has played 794 games in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and the Ducks. He

9:00 AM ET Connor McDavid is going to win the Hart Trophy this season. They literally should just list his name three times as the winner and the finalists. No one else should even be in the conversation. As an example, Matt Larkin of The Hockey News noted that through April 26, the Edmonton Oilers

7:00 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. On Wednesday in this space, we pondered whether any of the West Division teams would spoil a matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the playoffs

2:33 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin practiced on Wednesday, indicating he is near a return from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out since mid-March. Malkin wore a white “no contact” jersey during Pittsburgh’s skate, but coach Mike Sullivan said the Russian star was a full participant and will

6:48 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. There have been many surprises during the 2021 NHL season, a campaign that has been quite different than usual thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, one reality on April 28 that shocks

7:00 AM ET With the 2021 NHL season winding down, some playoff races have yet to be determined — but each team’s identity has been clarified. For this week’s ESPN NHL Power Rankings, we identified the breakthrough player for all 31 teams. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1

9:50 AM ET ELMONT, N.Y. — New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz surveyed the skeletal confines of UBS Arena, scheduled to open in November as his team’s new home. He could tell the sight lines around the rink would be good. His suggestions on how to make the arena more player-friendly had been implemented. But

7:10 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. The Dallas Stars‘ 2021 season got off to a delayed start due to COVID-19 postponements, and through the season they’ve had some extra games remaining compared to their competition — a welcome sight

4:29 PM ET ESPN News Services CALGARY, Alberta — Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin will need season-ending shoulder surgery. The 24-year-old was injured early in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Hanifin was tangling with Canadiens forward Corey Perry along the boards near the Flames bench when his left leg went

6:57 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. The West Division has given us the first three teams to clinch playoff spots in 2021: the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Los

7:00 AM ET The NHL is a league of time-tested traditions, and one of the players’ favorites is the rookie solo lap. Last week, before Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight made his NHL debut, it was his turn. “Usually guys are excited, pumped up, going full speed,” said former NHL goaltender Roberto Luongo, who now

11:19 AM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Blackhawks have agreed to a three-year contract extension with defenseman Riley Stillman. The team announced the deal Sunday. The contract runs through the 2023-24 season and carries an annual cap hit of $1.35 million. The 23-year-old Stillman was acquired in a multiplayer trade with Florida on April