Heart inflammation nixes Henrik Lundqvist’s attempt to play for Capitals this seasonVideo
WASHINGTON — Henrik Lundqvist is abandoning a long-shot attempt to return from open-heart surgery in time to play for the Washington Capitals this season after a checkup last week showed some inflammation. Lundqvist tweeted Sunday that the inflammation around his heart requires a few months of rest and recovery. The...
Virus-battered Canucks aim to complete condensed seasonVideo
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks are recovering from the NHL’s worst covid-19 outbreak and believe they can complete the pandemic-condensed season. An outbreak has ripped through the team over the past week and a half with 25 people — 21 players and four members of the coaching staff...
NHL grapples with vaccine inequity between U.S., CanadaVideo
His smile covered by a light blue surgical mask, Jacob Trouba’s eyes shined as the needle went into his left arm. The New York Rangers gave players, coaches and staff a day off this week so they could get vaccinated against covid-19. “We’re very fortunate to be able to get...
Islanders acquire Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac from DevilsVideo
The New York Islanders acquired veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in a move to improve their Stanley Cup chances. The teams announced the deal Wednesday night, with the Devils getting the Islanders’ first-round pick this year, a conditional fourth-round choice next year and...
Canucks say 25 players and coaches have tested positive for covid-19Video
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks said 25 players and coaches have tested positive in a covid-19 outbreak involving a variant of the virus. The team said Wednesday that 21 players, including three from the taxi squad, and four members of the coaching staff have tested positive, and one other player...
Cratering Blues running out of time to salvage season
Craig Berube stood back and watched his St. Louis Blues practice battle drills so he could see how players handled the situation amid a seven-game losing streak. Anyone looking in from the outside can spy a team in deep trouble. Berube’s Blues have lost 12 of their last 14 games...
Sabres sitting Taylor Hall in anticipation he’ll be traded
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres are taking the precautionary step of scratching forward Taylor Hall for their Tuesday game at New Jersey in anticipation the NHL’s 2018 MVP will be traded in the coming days. Team spokesman Chris Dierken announced that Hall will not be in the lineup in...
Buffalo’s Taylor Hall among top NHL players available for tradeVideo
The NHL trade deadline is less than a week away and teams willing to deal have some potentially intriguing options. Most franchises might be idle or severely limited because 18 teams have $1 million or less of salary cap space available, and the ceiling for what they can spend will...
NHL’s North Division reacts to Canucks’ covid-19 situation
The Vancouver Canucks’ season being brought to a standstill by the covid-19 pandemic makes players and coaches elsewhere in the all-Canadian North Division uneasy for that team and their own. Sixteen of the 22 players on the Canucks’ active roster were on the NHL’s protocol list with Sunday’s addition of...
Flat cap, unique season make for tight NHL trade deadlineVideo
Acquiring Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow at the 2020 NHL trade deadline helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup. No such moves will be possible in their attempt to repeat. “We have zero dollars of cap space to acquire a player between now and the trade deadline,” general...
NHL postpones 3 more Canucks games because of covid-19
The Vancouver Canucks have had their games postponed through April 6. The Thursday announcement by the NHL comes a day after Vancouver’s game against the Calgary Flames was postponed because two Canucks players and a member of the coaching staff were entered into the league’s covid-19 protocol. Pending test results...
First Call: Former WVU star visits Steelers; Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert at Notre Dame’s Pro Day; Sabres finally win
The Steelers may try to snag a defensive free agent away from the Cleveland Browns. They are also looking at some draft prospects from Notre Dame and North Carolina. Postseason odds are getting even longer for the Pirates. Plus, the Buffalo Sabres’ losing streak is finally over. And guess who...
Sabres end 18-game skid with 6-1 win over FlyersVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots, and the Buffalo Sabres snapped an 18-game skid — the NHL’s longest in 17 years — with a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was the first off the bench as the final horn sounded and...
Flyers place defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on waivers
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Flyers placed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on waivers on Tuesday, a surprising move that comes as Philadelphia is attempting to stay in the playoff hunt. Gostisbehere has five goals and six assists for 11 points in 25 games, and he was benched for a three-game stretch two...
First Call: Sam Darnold trade idea tied to Steelers; Ex-Pirates bust tries a comeback; Sabres lose 18th in a row to Philly
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a trade idea for the Steelers to consider. It involves a young quarterback. The Buffalo Sabres found another creative way to lose. Some interesting dirt about the New England Patriots and Jimmy Garoppolo. And an infamous name from the Pirates’ past is trying to make a...
Flyers make ugly plunge from contenders to a mess in MarchVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Shayne Gostisbehere came out swinging on the state of the Flyers, and the maligned defenseman sprinkled profanities in his R-rated critique of the team. Seems appropriate these days in Philly. The Flyers are certainly NSFW: Not Suitable For Watching. A crowd of about 2,800 inside a dreary Wells...
Sabres begin overhaul by trading Eric Staal to CanadiensVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres’ overhaul has begun, with the spiraling team trading veteran center Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. Buffalo acquired the Canadiens’ third- and fifth-round selections in the 2021 draft. The Sabres also agreed to retain $1.625 million of the final year of Staal’s...
Blues hockey great Bob Plager dies in car accident
ST. LOUIS — Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. He was 78. Police said Plager was alone in his vehicle when it collided with a vehicle carrying two women on Interstate 64 in St. Louis about 1:30 p.m. One...
NHL referee caught on hot mic wanting to call penalty on Predators
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tim Peel’s career as an NHL referee is over after his voice was picked up by a TV microphone saying he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators. The league on Wednesday announced that Peel “no longer will be working NHL games now or in...
NHL makes draft lottery changes, spots up for grabs cut to 2Video
NEW YORK — The NHL is instituting changes to the draft lottery that make it more difficult for the last-place team to drop out of the top three in the selection order. Beginning with the 2021 draft, only the first two picks will be subject to the lottery instead of...
First Call: Steelers in touch with 2 draft targets; tempers flare after former Penguins goalie prospect gets 1st win
Tuesday’s “First Call” features some national media types who aren’t high on the Steelers offseason. We track some Steelers scouting efforts in advance of the draft. The Baltimore Ravens aren’t giving up on their quest for a free-agent wide receiver. And a new definition of “puck battle” emerges to help...
NHL pauses Bruins after 4 players go in covid protocol
The NHL has paused the Boston Bruins after four more players entered the league’s covid protocol. Bruins games Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres and Tuesday against the New York Islanders were postponed and team facilities closed until at least Wednesday. They’re the 36th and 37th games to be postponed this...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster waits; Zach Banner will play right or left tackle; humiliating loss for Flyers
As Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster waits for a new contract, another one of his receiver peers found one in Washington. Offensive tackle Zach Banner talks about the process that kept him in Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia Flyers suffered humiliation while the New York Islanders absorbed an injury. And the ties between...
Rangers hand Flyers historic beatdown
NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad had three goals and three assists in New York’s seven-goal second period, and the Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 9-0 Wednesday night. Pavel Buchnevich had two goals and two assists — all in the second period — and Brendan Lemieux, Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba and...
Sabres fire coach Ralph Krueger after losing streak hits 12 games
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Twelve consecutive losses — and with no indication of the skid ending — were enough for Sabres first-year general manager Kevyn Adams to determine it was time to fire coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday. The Sabres made the move the morning after a 3-2 loss at New...
