7:30 AM ET It’s 4 a.m., and Robert Esche is writing thank-you letters. Like many, he isn’t getting much sleep. The president of the Utica Comets uses these early hours to acknowledge hundreds of strangers for their generosity since the American Hockey League suspended its season on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic. He’s
NHL
7:30 AM ET There’s a nostalgic grin that crosses the faces of NHL players when you ask about their first linemates. It’s like they’re opening up a pack of old hockey cards or thumbing through their high school yearbook. These are the teammates who were in the proverbial delivery room when they were born into
7:50 AM ET On March 7, Kendall Coyne Schofield was eating breakfast in Tempe, Arizona — in town for the final stop of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association’s Dream Gap Tour — when she got word that the IIHF Women’s World Championships were canceled. “Initially, we were heartbroken,” Coyne Schofield said. “But with it
7:12 PM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to sign college free-agent forward Dawson DiPietro to a one-year, entry-level contract. DiPietro just completed his senior season at Western Michigan. He had 12 goals and 17 assists to finish second on the team with 29 points in 35 games. Overall, he
7:00 AM ET Game of the day: St. Louis Blues at Vegas Golden Knights, played on Feb. 13. The Blues returned to the ice for the first time since Jay Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench in Anaheim. There was some catharsis when St. Louis scored 25 seconds in, but that just foreshadowed a wide-open game
9:11 PM ET Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, a 22-year veteran in the NHL with 14 seasons in Boston, commended Tom Brady on Sunday via Instagram, lauding Brady’s years of success with the Patriots and how much it meant to New England fans. “It’s with sadness and joy I find myself reflecting on the news of
7:30 AM ET Though it feels like it’s been quite a bit longer, the NHL declared a “pause” on its 2019-20 season on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the theoretical possibility of hitting “unpause” and resuming the regular season and playoffs (or just the latter) in some fashion at some point in
5:42 PM ET New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who required 90 stitches to repair a cut around his eyelid after being hit in the face by the skate of the Montreal Canadiens left wing Artturi Lehkonen earlier this month, will return to action when the NHL resumes play, general manager Lou Lamoriello said Saturday.
1:54 PM ET A second Ottawa Senators player has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced on Saturday. They are the only known cases among NHL players. The Senators said the player was part of the team’s March 7-11 road trip, which included games in San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. There were 52 people
10:48 AM ET The 2020 IIHF men’s hockey world championships have been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event was supposed to take place in May in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland. “This is a harsh reality to face for the international ice hockey family, but one that we must accept,” IIHF president René
4:39 PM ET Seattle’s NHL expansion franchise has not ruled out unveiling its highly anticipated name and logo while many of its fans are social distancing and self-quarantined due to the coronavirus outbreak. The team told ESPN that it is still going through the name and logo trademarking process with the NHL, ensuring that it
3:45 PM ET Associated Press The Florida Panthers have been told by the Florida Department of Health that someone who works part-time at the arena where the team plays its home games has tested positive for the coronavirus. The arena worker tested positive on March 15, is self-quarantined and receiving medical care. The Panthers were
3:13 PM ET Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Predators have signed forward Patrick Harper to a two-year, entry-level contract. Predators general manager David Poile announced the deal Friday. Harper, 21, just finished his senior season at Boston University matching his career high with 37 points and a career-best 14 goals. The 5-foot-7, 150-pound forward
4:00 PM ET Tory BarronESPN Editor Close Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports. It’s a strange time of isolation and uncertainty across the globe as we collectively try to combat
12:55 AM ET Thursday night saw a busy schedule of NHL games, with 10 teams in action. That feels odd to read, because the entire NHL season is currently on pause due to concerns over the coronavirus. But teams around the league have turned to video games to entertain their hockey-starved fanbases safely practicing social
7:00 PM ET The National Hockey League has paused its season during the coronavirus pandemic, in the hopes of completing it months later. ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin knew he didn’t have that luxury. His NHL-affiliated 26-team league, with franchises in 19 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, canceled the rest of its regular season and
7:00 AM ET No one needs to admit how much they miss hockey right now. First, because if you’re a hockey fan, that’s inferred. The National Hockey League season was paused for the coronavirus outbreak just as the playoff races were rounding the corner. It’s like you’re watching “Star Wars” and the film just stops
8:34 PM ET The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings said Wednesday that no player in either organization has showed signs of having the coronavirus. Their announcements, in separate statements, came after an unnamed Senators players tested positive for the virus. The Ducks and Kings were Ottawa’s last two opponents before the NHL season was