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Month: January 2026

Team Finland Announces 2026 Olympic Roster

By | at January 2, 2026 10:08 am

Finland has become the second country to announce their Winter Olympic roster on Friday. The roster closely aligns with Finland’s lineup at the 2025 4 Nations tournament, with some notable additions from across the hockey world. The full roster is as follows:

Forwards

Defense

Goaltenders

The biggest difference between Finland’s 4-Nations and Olympic rosters is the addition of star defenseman Heiskanen, who was unavailable for last year’s international tourney. He may be the country’s best representation on the NHL stage, offering top-level play on both sides of the puck. Heiskanen has 35 points in 41 NHL games this season and scored a career-high 73 points in 79 games in the 2022-23 campaign. He will be leaned on as a top player for the Finnish side, and could lead the team in average ice time.

Finland has also added Lehtonen and Canadiens rookie Kapanen – two interesting additions as the country looks to add a bit more bolt to their lineup. Lehtonen is a journeyman of international hockey. He has played in five top leagues and recently found a home with the Lions in Switzerland’s National League, where he won league championships in 2024 and 2025. He currently has 16 points in 32 games this season and offers downhill offense at the expense of robust defense. Centerman Kapanen has found a similar downhill drive in his first NHL season. He has 12 goals and 21 points in 40 games for Montreal, with no signs of slowing down. Kapanen was a revelation as a young player in Finland’s Liiga, where he totaled 65 points in 124 games and three seasons.

The Finns will return their 4 Nations roster otherwise, set to lean heavily on Aho, Rantanen, and Hintz as the explosive pieces of an otherwise fundamental offense. It was Granlund who led that team in scoring, though, with four points in three games – double the scoring of Finland’s top offensive pieces.

Second and third on the 4 Nations team in scoring were Patrik Laine (three points) and Aleksander Barkov (two points), who will both miss the Olympic Games due to injury. Barkov, one of the NHL’s premier two-way centers, had to undergo ACL and MCL surgery after a preseason injury. Laine is also on the mend after undergoing surgery in October.

With the slightly shorthanded roster and brave additions of an NHL rookie and Swiss-league defender, the Finns will step up as a team to watch this tournament. They don’t seem to offer the firepower of Sweden, the USA, or Canada, but could surprise with a significant defense addition supporting a goaltending room that struggled at the 4-Nations.

0 comments Newsstand Olympics Team Finland

Team USA Announces 2026 Olympic Roster

By | at January 2, 2026 8:34 am

USA Hockey has officially announced its 25-man roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The roster was contested until the final days and features a few players who didn’t appear with the U.S. at the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off. The full roster is as follows:

Forwards

Defense

Goaltenders

As expected, Team USA is bringing a star-studded front to what’s sure to be a closely contested Olympic Games. Their strongest pillar stands in the net, where reigning NHL MVP Hellebuyck will be making his Olympic debut. Helleybuyck has fallen to a .907 save percentage in 22 games this season – but his track record of dominant play stretches back years. He has recorded a save percentage north of .910 in each of the last eight seasons, including five years north of a .920. He’s held onto those routinely league-topping numbers while playing upwards of 60 games a season.

Helleybuyck could back a potentially explosive offense. The States tied for the most goals at the 4 Nations tournament while leaning on Guentzel, Eichel, and the Tkachuk brothers to strong-arm the offense, while smooth-moving Werenski led the tourney in scoring with six assists. Boldy and Matthews were also key pieces of the 4 Nations offense, each netting three points.

Notably, the United States did not have former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes at the 4 Nations tournament. Hughes missed the tournament due to injury and was replaced by Sanderson, who did enough to earn an Olympic berth. But Hughes’ impact could be a tourney-winning X-factor. The 26-year-old has 30 points in 27 games this season and is only two years removed from a 92-point campaign with the Vancouver Canucks. He is among the – or perhaps thee – best offensive defensemen in hockey and should gel well in his first return to international play since 2019.

Speaking of 2019 – USA Hockey will finally see the fruits of the historic 2019 USNTDP class with this tournament. Jack Hughes and Boldy were stars on that lineup and have only emerged further since breaking into the NHL. Both players offer unwavering offensive impact – but the question will be whether the States feel cheeky enough to play the two together. Their chemistry in junior hockey was unrivaled in the few games they played alongside each other, though Hughes would end up taking on Cole Caufield as his de facto linemate. Still, Hughes and Boldy were the keys to the NTDP offense that season, and have now earned the right to wear the crest at the top level.

The rest of the roster is, generally, rounded out by USA mainstays like the hard-nosed McAvoy, top-end goaltenders Oettinger and Swayman, and – surely to some fans’ dismay – the winning veteran presence of Nelson. All four players were a part of the USA’s 4 Nations squad and will return to their depth roles in this tournament.

There are some new faces in the mix, though. Rather than bring Chris Kreider, the USA has opted to bring high-scoring Sabres forward Tage Thompson and reliable front-man in Utah, Clayton Keller. The two undoubtedly earned their stay during the USA’s 2025 World Championship Gold Medal run that saw Keller score 10 points and Thompson score nine in 10 games. They were two heartbeats of the lineup and should continue to offer versatile impact without the need for top minutes.

With this lineup in place, Team USA will take its stand as a true medal favorite for the 2026 Olympic Games. Their toughest test will come at the hands of Canadian and Swedish offenses capable of pouring on the scoring. Team USA found as much out at the 4 Nations, where Canada emerged with the tourney win. But with a robust goaltending room and multiple additions to fortify their scoring, the American side should bring an explosive boost to the Winter Games.

26 comments NHL Newsstand Olympics Players Team USA

Evening Notes: Horvat, Miller, Avalanche, Anderson

By | at January 1, 2026 9:29 pm

The New York Islanders are dealing with some additional concerns from their difficult loss to the Utah Mammoth earlier today. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, center Bo Horvat was apparently doubled over in pain on the bench and left the game in the third period.

The Islanders didn’t offer any updates to Horvat’s status after the game. Still, Andrew Gross of Newsday relayed a note from head coach Patrick Roy that Horvat is expected to meet with the team’s medical staff tomorrow.

Any more missed time by Horvat would obviously hurt New York’s competitive chances leading up to the Olympic Break in February. Tonight was Horvat’s third game back since returning from a separate injury, when he missed five games in mid-December. The team went 2-2-1 in his absence.

Other evening updates:

  • After sharing that Matthew Tkachuk wouldn’t be available for the Winter Classic tomorrow, the visiting team will also be without one of their better forwards. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller won’t be able to return from his upper-body injury for tomorrow’s game. Miller, who hasn’t played since December 20th, was given a week-to-week recovery timeline, which would have made a potential return tomorrow relatively early.
  • The Colorado Avalanche may be without a few depth forwards for their upcoming road trip through the Southeastern United States. Earlier today, Corey Misiak of the Denver Post passed along an update from head coach Jared Bednar, who shared that Gavin Brindley and Joel Kiviranta are each dealing with lower-body injuries. Neither injury is considered long-term, though Bednar admitted that the team may need to recall an extra forward for the three-game trip.
  • In tonight’s chaotic matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, the latter is dealing with some injury concerns up front. The Canadiens announced that Josh Anderson had exited the game due to injury. The veteran winger scored one goal on his only shot of the game, skating in 9:36 of the action.
2 comments Colorado Avalanche Injury Montreal Canadiens New York Islanders New York Rangers

International Notes: Schaefer, Jarvis, Vaakanainen, Hutson

By | at January 1, 2026 8:00 pm

Although he was ultimately left off Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer will have an opportunity to play if needed. Earlier today, Andrew Gross of Newsday reported that Schaefer is on Team Canada’s standby list and will play if the team runs into injury trouble.

Even being on the standby list is a testament to how the recent first overall pick has played for the New York Islanders this season. He’s leading the team in defensive scoring by a significant margin, recording nine goals and 25 points in 40 games while averaging nearly 24 minutes of action per game. Furthermore, his defensive metrics are notably mature for his age, with a 50.7% CorsiFor at even strength and 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Still, it’s curious that Hockey Canada has opted for Schaefer being the next man up rather than Washington Capitals blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The former 16th overall pick has been one of the most underrated defensemen in the league this season, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 40 games while managing a 23:16 ATOI. Additionally, Chychrun’s underlying metrics are better than Schaefer’s, with a 56.0% CF% and 91.8% oiSV% at even strength.

Other international notes:

  • Schaefer isn’t the only skater from the Metropolitan Division to find himself on Team Canada’s standby list. Seth Jarvis, who skated for Team Canada in last year’s Four Nations Face-Off, is also on Team Canada’s standby list, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Although arguments could be made for other forwards, it’s difficult to say Jarvis hasn’t earned it with 19 goals and 29 points in 34 games this season for the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • Moving to Group B of the upcoming international tournament, the New York Rangers will have a defenseman on the standby list — this time for Team Finland. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Urho Vaakanainen will be available for Team Finland if they run into injury trouble. Vaakanainen played in three games for Finland last season at the Four Nations Face-Off, going scoreless with a -5 rating.
  • In the World Juniors Championship, the United States is expected to return an important defenseman for their upcoming quarterfinal matchup against Finland. This afternoon, Mike G. Morreale of the NHL wrote that Cole Hutson, who hasn’t played since being hit in the head with a puck in the round robin matchup against Team Switzerland, is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow. The Capitals prospect has already registered two assists in two games with a +5 rating.
4 comments Carolina Hurricanes New York Islanders New York Rangers Olympics Washington Capitals

Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Matheson, Carlo, Canadiens

By | at January 1, 2026 7:00 pm

As much as he would have liked to, forward Matthew Tkachuk won’t play in the Winter Classic tomorrow for the Florida Panthers. The Panthers announced the news earlier today from team reporter Jameson Olive.

Still, it shouldn’t be too much longer for the two-time Stanley Cup champion. Tkachuk has been working his way back from a groin injury for the first half of the 2025-26 campaign, and has been skating in a non-contact jersey for the last handful of practices.

Although it won’t come in the Winter Classic, the return of Tkachuk will be a major boost to the defending Stanley Cup champions. Despite being outpaced by the red-hot Buffalo Sabres in the last few days, the Panthers are only one point back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Returning a player of Tkachuk’s caliber, who’s scored 88 goals and 254 points in 211 regular-season contests, should help them recoup some lost ground in the standings.

Other updates from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have a little bit of a different look to their defensive core tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Before the game, the Canadiens announced that defenseman Mike Matheson would miss the game due to an upper-body injury, and rookie Adam Engstrom would take his spot in the lineup. Matheson’s injury has caused some controversy, as it’s likely linked to being elbowed by Panthers forward Brad Marchand in yesterday’s overtime win. Marchand was penalized on the play, but didn’t receive any supplemental discipline.
  • Although they’ve lost veteran defenseman Chris Tanev for the foreseeable future, the Toronto Maple Leafs may have a different right-handed defenseman return this weekend. Earlier today, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun highlighted in his article that Brandon Carlo could be activated from the injured reserve for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. Carlo, in his first full season with the Maple Leafs, has been largely disappointing this year, registering two assists in 18 games while being injured for much of the year due to lower-body concerns.
  • Back in Montreal, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels provided a few injury updates on Kirby Dach and Kaiden Guhle. Engels suggested that the Canadiens are remaining cautious with Dach, who has missed the last six weeks with a fractured foot. He’s expected to return soon, but could need additional time before he’s fully ready to return. Meanwhile, Engels stated that the team is far more optimistic about Guhle, who could return when Montreal returns from their current road trip, which would be on January 7th against the Calgary Flames.
5 comments Florida Panthers Injury Montreal Canadiens Toronto Maple Leafs

Pacific Notes: Jarry, Hyman, Vatrano, Chiarot

By | at January 1, 2026 6:00 pm

It appears the Oilers won’t have to wait too much longer to get their new starting goalie back.  Head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters following last night’s game (video link) that they’re hoping to have Tristan Jarry back around mid-January.  That would mean he’ll miss another couple of weeks but ideally not much more than that.  Diagnosed as out week-to-week just before the holiday break due to a lower-body injury, Jarry was injured in just his third game following last month’s swap.  Connor Ingram has played well in three of his four games in Jarry’s absence and will now have a couple more weeks to make the case that he should take over as Edmonton’s backup moving forward over Calvin Pickard.

More from the Pacific:

  • While Hockey Canada didn’t reveal any of its players on their standby list for next month’s Olympics when they announced their roster yesterday, Oilers winger Zach Hyman is on that list, according to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Hyman missed the start of the season while recovering from wrist surgery but has been productive in his limited action, collecting 12 goals and 10 assists in 22 games, 16 of which have come in his last 11 outings.  That made him a candidate for the team given his chemistry with linemate Connor McDavid but he’ll now need someone to miss due to injury to have a chance to make it.
  • Unsurprisingly, following Wednesday’s announcement that Frank Vatrano will miss six weeks due to a fractured shoulder, the Ducks have moved him to injured reserve, notes Derek Lee of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Anaheim had been carrying a full 23-player roster so they now have an opening to recall someone from AHL San Diego, a move that could be made relatively soon.
  • Earlier this week, Canucks prospect Gabriel Chiarot was traded in the OHL with Kitchener announcing that they acquired him from Brampton in exchange for eight draft picks. The 19-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Vancouver back in June, going 175th overall.  He has 15 goals and 10 assists in 33 games so far this season.  Chiarot turns 20 in mid-September, meaning he is eligible to play full-time in the minors in 2026-27 so this could be a particularly expensive rental if the Canucks decide that moving to the next level is better than an overage season in junior.
0 comments Anaheim Ducks Edmonton Oilers Injury OHL Olympics Vancouver Canucks

Golden Knights Recall Jaycob Megna

By | at January 1, 2026 5:32 pm

With Brayden McNabb sustaining an upper-body injury on Wednesday against Nashville, the Golden Knights have brought up an extra blueliner.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Jaycob Megna from AHL Henderson.

The 33-year-old is in his first season in the organization after spending 2024-25 with Florida.  Vegas saw fit to give Megna a two-year, one-way deal worth $800K per season for situations like this where he could be playable depth where needed or as injury insurance so as to not disrupt the development of their prospects with the Silver Knights.

This is Megna’s third recall of the season although the first two didn’t result in any playing time.  He does, however, have 193 career NHL appearances under his belt between five different organizations where he has 27 points along with 313 blocks and 258 hits in 17:38 of playing time per game.  Meanwhile, he has two goals and four assists in 23 games so far this season with Henderson.

With Megna’s recall, Vegas is up to a full 23-player roster.

0 comments AHL Transactions Vegas Golden Knights

Blue Jackets Recall Danton Heinen

By | at January 1, 2026 4:59 pm

When the Blue Jackets placed winger Miles Wood on injured reserve earlier today, they opened up a roster spot.  They didn’t waste much time filling it as the team announced that they’ve recalled winger Danton Heinen from AHL Cleveland.  They still have one open slot on their 23-player roster.

The 30-year-old hasn’t been in the organization for very long as he was only acquired by Columbus back on Monday as part of the Yegor Chinakhov deal.  However, his inclusion was more for salary-matching purposes rather than being a specific target as Heinen has gone through waivers unclaimed twice already this season.

Heinen has split this season between the NHL and AHL, playing in 13 games at each level, including one with Cleveland following the trade.  In the minors, he has been dominant, notching six goals and 12 assists in his first taste of minor league action since 2017-18.  Meanwhile, in the NHL with Pittsburgh, he has a goal and an assist while averaging 11:40 per night of ice time.

When Heinen sees any game action with Columbus, it stands to reason that his playing time will be similarly limited.  But he does have a strong track record of being productive in a bottom-six role as evidenced by his career numbers of 243 points in 579 games despite an ATOI below the 14-minute mark.  Given their growing list of injuries, he should get a chance to add to those numbers before long.

0 comments AHL Columbus Blue Jackets Transactions

Zach Dean Exits Player Assistance Program, Assigned To AHL

By | at January 1, 2026 4:28 pm

Back in September, Blues prospect Zach Dean entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and has yet to play since then.  Today, the team announced that the forward has been cleared from the program and that he has been assigned to AHL Springfield; he’s expected to join the Thunderbirds on Friday.

The 22-year-old was originally a first-round pick by Vegas back in 2021, going 30th overall.  However, he never suited up for them as two years later while he was still playing in junior, he was moved to St. Louis in a one-for-one swap for Ivan Barbashev.

This is the final season of Dean’s entry-level deal.  In 2023-24, he got into nine games with the Blues but he is still looking for his first point at the top level.  Meanwhile, he had nine goals and five assists in 49 games for the Thunderbirds in a relatively quiet rookie campaign.

Things didn’t get any better for Dean last season.  Multiple injuries, including a long-term lower-body issue, limited him to just 11 games with Springfield where he managed one goal and three assists.  The multiple absences prevented any chance of him getting a recall to St. Louis.

Now cleared to return from the program, Dean will likely need a long runway after being off for so long (he’s played just twice since mid-February).  However, a strong showing in the second half of the season could give him another chance with St. Louis, especially if they wind up being a seller before the trade deadline in March.

0 comments AHL St. Louis Blues Transactions

Conor Garland And Marco Rossi Out At Least A Week

By | at January 1, 2026 3:26 pm

The new calendar year hasn’t started off on a good note on the injury front for Vancouver.  Sportsnet 650’s Randip Janda relays (Twitter links) that winger Conor Garland and center Marco Rossi will be out at least a week with respective lower-body injuries.

Garland sustained his injury on Tuesday against Philadelphia when he received a slew foot.  The veteran has had an okay first half to his season, notching 22 points in 33 games but just seven have been goals.  Given that Vancouver is likely to be a seller before the trade deadline in March, the 29-year-old has popped up in trade speculation again, even with a new six-year, $36MM extension set to begin next season.

As for Rossi, he was one of the pieces that came to the Canucks in last month’s Quinn Hughes trade.  Injured at the time he was acquired, he has since returned and got off to a quiet start with his new team.  In eight games since the swap, the 24-year-old has been held to just one goal and one assist but he was more productive in Minnesota, notching four goals and nine assists in 17 outings.  The hope is that he’ll be a top-six piece for the long term but that’s on hold for now with this latest injury.

Since they each will miss at least a week, both Garland and Rossi will be eligible to go on injured reserve and open up some roster flexibility.  Janda adds that the team does intend to recall at least one forward from AHL Abbotsford which would bring them back to 13 healthy options on their active roster.

3 comments Injury Vancouver Canucks
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