DENVER —The Golden Knights are easy not to like.

As the NHL’s Western Conference final opens Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, two countries should be united in rooting against Las Vegas.

The queue of reasons is longer than a hockey stick. And not just because of the juxtaposition to the Avalanche, who, you ...Read more

DENVER — The NHL Coaches’ Association said it is continuing to monitor the “unprecedented” situation involving former Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy having not yet interviewed for any job openings across the league.

“While we respect the league’s rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — It was a bad look all the way around.

John Tortorella didn’t address the media following his Vegas Golden Knights eliminating Anaheim in Game 6 of the best-of-seven playoff series on Thursday night.

Didn’t show up to the postgame press conference.

And no matter the reason — he wanted to speak first and before Ducks coach ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The NHL has handed down a massive punishment as a result of the Vegas Golden Knights’ brief media availability following Thursday’s Game 6 in Anaheim.

The Knights must forfeit a second-round pick in this year’s NHL draft, and coach John Tortorella has been fined $100,000 for not speaking to the media postgame at Honda Center...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Brett Howden had a game plan: That his Vegas Golden Knights team start so fast against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, doubt would creep into the minds of the hosts.

That the Knights would jump on top of the Ducks from the opening puck drop and be so dialed in, things would fall just as Howden’s side hoped.

And they ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Vegas Golden Knights are going to the Western Conference Final for the fifth time in nine years after defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 of the second round at Honda Center on Thursday.

The Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche. Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver will take place on Wednesday.

Mitch Marner scored a...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t get lucky in the NHL draft lottery, dropping two spots to the No. 4 pick. It puts them in a weird spot — they might not be able to draft the game-changer they were hoping for, but general manager Kyle Davidson didn’t exactly jump at the idea of trading down.

Still, Davidson said all options are on...Read more

DENVER — It took one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history, but this Colorado Avalanche team is halfway to immortality.

Brett Kulak scored 3:52 into overtime on a pass from Martin Necas, and the Avs defeated the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Ball Arena to win this series in five games. Colorado erased a three-goal ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb has been suspended for Game 6 of the team’s second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks for his hit on center Ryan Poehling on Tuesday.

It’s the first time McNabb, 35, has been suspended in his NHL career.

McNabb had a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on ...Read more

Hunched in pain and lying on the ice for several seconds, it looked like Pavel Dorofeyev’s night was over.

The puck came off the stick of defenseman Jackson LaCombe and hit Dorofeyev inside his right knee.

Dorofeyev eventually got up and skated to the back under his own power. He came back late in the second period.

“I just blocked a shot...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — In Bizarro Flyers World, in a parallel dimension where up is down and down is up and the team’s most promising player is a plodding defenseman named Morter Partone, Matvei Michkov hasn’t appeared in an NHL game yet. That scenario isn’t pure make-believe. It was supposed to play out after the Flyers drafted Michkov in 2023....Read more

BOSTON — The makeup of the Boston Bruins’ defense to start next season is still in question, but it appears Charlie McAvoy will not be in the opening night lineup.

McAvoy on Tuesday was tagged with a six-game suspension to start the 2026-27 regular season by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for his baseball swing slash of the Buffalo...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On a night where the short-handed Colorado Avalanche desperately needed contributions from some of the other guys, they delivered.

Parker Kelly and Ross Colton scored huge third-period goals Monday night to help the Avs fend off the Minnesota Wild, 5-2, in Game 4 of this second-round series at Grand Casino Arena.

The ...Read more

The Ducks’ second-round playoff showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights has become a best-of-three series.

With a 4-3 victory Sunday before a raucous sold-out crowd at the Honda Center, the Ducks evened the series 2-2 as it heads back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday. But it wasn’t easy, with the Golden Knights twice rallying from one-goal...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Vegas Golden Knights will need to try and take a commanding series lead over the Anaheim Ducks without their captain.

Mark Stone will not play in Game 4 at the Honda Center on Sunday due to a lower-body injury, coach John Tortorella said at morning skate.

Stone suffered the injury late in the first period of Game 3 on ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild finally gave the Avalanche their first loss of the playoffs.

After returning home from Colorado empty-handed, the Wild came out of a three-day break with their most quintessential effort of the series, running away for a 5-1 victory on Saturday night at a raucous Grand Casino Arena to pick up their first win of the ...Read more

Eight up and eight down.

The Carolina Hurricanes remained undefeated in the Stanley Cup playoffs, taking a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday over the Philadelphia Flyers to finish off a four-game sweep of the second-round series.

Jackson Blake’s second goal of the game, at 5:28 of overtime, propelled the Hurricanes into the Eastern Conference ...Read more

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill is determined to re-create forward Jamie Benn into his own version of Steve Yzerman, and in doing so the Stars are doing for Benn what they would not for their most celebrated player, Mike Modano.

These are different eras, and the respective managements are no longer the same, but something about this ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mitch Marner recorded the first playoff hat trick of his career, and the Vegas Golden Knights cruised to a 6-2 win in Game 3 of their second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Friday.

Marner finished with four points, and goaltender Carter Hart made 30 saves.

The Knights lead the best-of-seven series ...Read more

The Carolina Hurricanes keep on winning playoff games.

The Canes made it seven straight Thursday, taking a 4-1 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

The Hurricanes, who swept the Ottawa Senators in four games to start the playoffs, will look to close out the Flyers in Game 4 on ...Read more