Plus, all of the XP earned in Squad Battles, Rivals, and Wild Card are now combined into a single progression path. The all-new Grudge Match System keeps track of the competitive history between teams and the introduction of SAPIEN Technology to the NHL franchise takes character likenesses to a whole other level. Winnipeg hasn’t dealt with too many injuries this season but has leaned on Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov for recalls when Nikolaj Ehlers lost time with an injury a few weeks ago. The Jets could again recall one of these better prospects from their system or move stagnating forward Rasmus Kupari to the third line to create an offensive jolt in his game.

Bennett laid a similar punch to the face to Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand nhlwecast during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. The league did not discipline Bennett for his hit against Marchand. While the Panthers were ahead by a goal in the dying minutes of the game, Bennett went for a regular body check on O’Connor behind the Penguins’ net. As Bennett made body contact with O’Connor, he also landed a sucker punch to O’Connor’s face. Sam Bennett is no stranger to playing with some edge, but the NHL handed a fine to the Florida Panthers veteran forward. Late in their shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bennett was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for roughing against Drew O’Connor.

Here are all of the bucket list games, tournaments and events you can attend in 2025. The Dallas Stars' decision to hold an optional practice the day after Christmas has proved to be a costly one. There are still playoff berths on the line, plus a fight for the NFC North title. It also didn’t help that the game was uncompetitive with the Blues racing out to an early lead and never looked back in a 6-2 victory.

"We know our fans want it, our broadcast partners are highly interested in it, and most importantly our players very much want it," says Stephen McArdle, the NHL’s chief operating officer. A big night for Blues winger Brandon Saad, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines. Given his cost-effective salary and ability to play on both sides of the blue line, he should have several suitors at the trade deadline.

At the end of the league’s regular season, eight teams from each conference—the top three teams in each division and two wild-card teams with the best remaining records, nhlwebcasrt regardless of divisional affiliation—qualify for the playoffs. The champions of each conference then compete in a best-of-seven series for possession of the Stanley Cup. The National Hockey League's rules are one of the two standard sets of professional ice hockey rules in the world, the other being the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), as used in tournaments such as the Olympics. The NHL's rules are the basis for rules governing most professional and major junior ice hockey leagues in North America.

The other player trophies are voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association or the team general managers.[120] These individual awards are presented at a formal ceremony held in late June after the playoffs have concluded. The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the person deemed the best goaltender as voted on by the general managers of the teams in the NHL. Matthews missed nine games in November because of an upper-body injury before returning Nov. 30, a 5-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his recovery, he took a five-day trip to Germany to visit a doctor who both he and other Maple Leafs players have seen in the past for consultation.