Elias Pettersson Out, Marco Rossi Could Make Canucks Debut
The whirlwind around the Vancouver Canucks will continue into Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Vancouver will be without their star forward Elias Pettersson, but could return Marco Rossi back from injury, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Rossi has missed over a month of action with a lower-body injury. He has been considered as day-to-day over the last week and could now get the chance to make his Canucks debut in the first possible opportunity.
Rossi should be a major addition to a Vancouver side that’s struggled to fill their top-center role all season long. He scored 13 points in 17 games with the Wild to start the season, and is coming off a career year with 24 goals and 60 points last season. He was a fringe top-line center to start the year, rotating with Joel Eriksson Ek for minutes. That’s a standing he earned in the latter half of last season, when injuries to Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman pushed Rossi into a premier role. He hung onto it, despite a playoff series with minimal usage, and now has a chance to grow into a much larger role for Vancouver. The 24 year old scored 49 goals and 114 points in 202 games, and five seasons, in Minnesota.
Even with that production, Rossi could face an immediate challenge stepping in for Pettersson, who hasn’t played in over a week due to an upper-body injury. Pettersson has continued to serve as Vancouver’s top forward. He led the offense in average ice time (20:37) prior to injury and continues to lead the forwards in points (22). Vancouver has struggled in his absence, with only six goals in their last three games – tied for third-worst in the league over the last week.
With a return from injury and recent move weighing him down, Rossi likely won’t be the one to relight Vancouver’s offense out of the gates. His return will be a great indication of what Vancouver will have to offer on the heels of a historic trade. They acquired three young and promising pros and could slot two of them – Rossi and defenseman Zeev Buium – into top-line roles right away. How they’re able to perform under the pressure of a losing season could go far in forecasting Vancouver’s next era, now shaped around three former Minnesota Wild, Pettersson, and inevitably high draft capital.
Four-Time Cup Champion Bobby Rousseau Passes Away At Age 85
Former Montreal Canadiens forward Bobby Rousseau has passed away at the age of 85, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Rousseau was a part of the Canadiens’ push to two rounds of back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, in 1965 and 1966, then 1968, and 1969. He also won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie in 1962, after posting 21 goals and 45 points in 70 games.
Rousseau, born Joseph Jean-Paul Robert Rousseau, began his career in the QMJHL. He led the league in scoring as a rookie, with 85 points in 44 games. Montreal acquired his rights soon after, and loaned him to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Eastern Professional Hockey League for the 1960-61 season. That same year, Rousseau was also loaned to the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, who represented Team Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. He would take home a Silver Medal from that tourney, in a year where USA won Gold and the Soviet Union won Bronze.
All of that came before Rousseau’s NHL career, which kicked off in-full in the 1961-62 season. He took home the Calder that year, en route to planting his feet as a routine 20-goal, 50-point challenger in the Canadiens’ lineup. He held that role through his age-24 season in 1964-65, but broke out in the 1965-66 season with 30 goals and 78 points in 70 games – all career-highs. Rousseau bounced between 60 and 70 points for the next three seasons, before dipping back to 58 points in the 1969-70 campaign.
That was enough to turnover his position in the Canadiens’ lineup. Rousseau was traded to the Minnesota North Stars, where he spent one season before again being traded to the New York Rangers. He was technically a later-named future considerations in the latter trade, a move that would prove foolish after Rousseau posted 157 points in 236 games, and four seasons, with the Rangers. His career came to a gradual close in the 1973-74 season, and officially in 1975 – the same year that his Montreal Canadiens would kick off another spree of Stanley Cup wins.
Rousseau is remembered for his fast skating and hard shot. More than that, he’s remembered for taking over games with bouts of skill, and the dynamic option that skill offered Jean Béliveau and Henri Richard in some of their best years. Rousseau was a key winger for Montreal, alongside the links of Gilles Tremblay and Claude Provost.
Rousseau’s older brother, Roland, also won the Memorial Cup. The family completed the Memorial Cup hat-trick when Rousseau’s grandson, William Rousseau, won the 2023 Cup with the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. William went on to win the QMJHL’s ‘Goaltender of the Year’ award in 2024 and now plays professionally with the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders.
Bobby Rousseau will forever be rememebred as one of 119 players to have their name on the Stanley Cup four different times. He leaves behind his wife, Huguette, as well as eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His name is among Montreal’s true greats. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Rousseau’s family, friends, and the Montreal faithful. For more insights and quotes, visit NHL.com’s story remembering the Canadiens legend.
Jets Activate Connor Hellebuyck
The Winnipeg Jets will get an MVP-boost to Saturday’s match against the Washington Capitals. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was activated off of injured reserve just in time for Hellebuyck to take on the starting role. He underwent an arthtroscopic knee procedure on November 21st that was originally expected to hold him out for four-to-six weeks. He now returns just three weeks later.
This will be some great news for the Jets, who have posted a dismal 2-7-1 record since Hellebuyck’s exit. They’ve been among the NHL’s worst performers in that stretch, allowing the second-most goals against (38) and the third-worst goals-against per-game average (3.80) of any team. Their offense has struggled just as much, only scoring 24 goals, or 2.40 goals-per-game.
Winnipeg was rock solid before losing their superstar goaltender. They had a 12-7-0 record and 64-to-52 goal-differential prior to Hellebuyck’s absence. The three-time Vezina Trophy-winner himself had eight wins and a .913 save percentage in 14 games. That’s his lowest save percentage since the 2021-22 season, but still ranks as the sixth-highest in the league among goalies with 14-or-more starts.
Hellebuyck’s precedent often sits far above sixth-best. He led the NHL in wins (47), save percentage (.925), and goals-against-average (2.00) among goalies with at least 35 starts last season. It was enough to earn Hellebuyck MVP acknowledgement, making him the first goaltender to take home the Hart since Carey Price in 2015. Hellebuyck certainly sits in-line with that company – boasting a career-long .918 Sv% in 582 games, to Price’s career .917 Sv% in 712 games.
The Jets’ goalie room quickly dries up with their starter on the shelf. Eric Comrie took on the starting role over the last few weeks, but only managed to bring his stat line up to six wins and a .886 Sv% in 15 appearances. Thomas Milic also posted a .871 Sv% in three appearances. The 22-year-old is only one season removed from an extended run in the ECHL. With these shifts, Hellebuyck will return to an unrivaled role in Winnipeg’s starter’s crease, while Milic heads back to a competition for the AHL starting role.
Finland Announces Roster For 2026 World Juniors
Finland has become the second-to-last country to announce their roster for the 2026 World Junior Championships. This news leaves Team Latvia as the only country yet to announce their tournament roster. Finland’s roster features 25 players, indicating that no cuts will be made from this group. Finland will be led by returnees Emil Hemming, Heikki Ruohonen, and Aron Kiviharju, who joined the country for a Silver Medal finish last year. The full roster is as follows:
F Emil Hemming (Stars, 2024, 1-29)
F Atte Joki (Stars, 2025, 5-146)
F Onni Kalto (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Aatos Koivu (Canadiens, 2024, 3-70)
F Jasper Kuhta (2026 draft eligible)
F Julius Miettinen (Kraken, 2024, 2-40)
F Kasper Pikkarainen (Devils, 2024, 3-85)
F Heikki Ruohonen (Flyers, 2024, 4-107)
F Joona Saarelainen (Lightning, 2024, 5-149)
F Oliver Suvanto (2026 draft eligible)
F Leo Tuuva (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Matias Vanhanen (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Roope Vesterinen (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Max Westergard (Flyers, 2025, 5-132)
D Lasse Boelius (Ducks, 2025, 2-60)
D Mitja Jokinen (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Aron Kiviharju (Wild, 2024, 4-122)
D Daniel Nieminen (Predators, 2025, 6-163)
D Niklas Nykyri (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Juho Piiparinen (2026 draft eligible)
D Veeti Vaisanen (Mammoth, 2024, 3-96)
D Arttu Vailila (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
G Patrik Kerkola (2026 draft eligible)
G Petteri Rimpinen (Kings, 2025, 5-152)
G Kim Saarinen (Kraken, 2024, 3-88)
The Finns will bring yet another formidable group to what’s shaping up to be a fantastic World Juniors tourney. Their offense and top powerplay units will be led by volume-shooter Hemming and playmaking-center Ruohonen, who both scored four points in seven games. They built out the team’s second-line, in rotation with Lightning prospect Benjamin Rautiainen and Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen. Hemming has ramped up to above point-per-game scoring in the OHL this season, while Ruohonen has taken on the third-line center role as a freshman at Harvard University. That should be a nice boost for both forwards as they look to take on push forward Finland’s offense.
The duo of returning forwards will get a ton of help from Finland’s new additions. Aatos Koivu, son of 1,124 NHL game-veteran Saku Koivu, is in his second season of routine pro minutes. He brings a hot shot and quick playmaking, attributes that have helped him score eight points in 10 games with Finland’s international juniors roster already this season. Miettinen and Vanhanen have taken on star roles with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, where their mix of chemistry, hard hits, and quick passing have overwhelmed junior competition. The side will also be supported by top draft eligible Suvanto – one of the youngest players in Finland’s Liiga, and the 2026 draft class. He has matched Koviu’s Liiga scoring this season, and is considered a top-25 prospect by many public scouts.
More important than their returning forwards will be Finland’s returning starter. Rimpinen played in the most games, and posted the second-highest save percentage, in last year’s tournament with five wins and a .933 Sv% in seven games. His performance was pivotal to Finland’s tournament success and quickly earned him attention from NHL scouts. Rimpinen went on to win the Liiga’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award at the end of the 2024-25 season. He has cooled slightly after posting a .912 Sv% in 40 games last year, now down to an .894 Sv% in 23 games this year. But that shouldn’t keep Rimpinen from fortifying Finland’s net at the World Juniors. Saarinen, who has 48 games of Liiga experience, will serve as backup.
The question marks around this lineup will be concentrated around the defense. No one defender brings a full-ice impact, leaving Finland to take a bit of a committee approach. Kiviharju and Boelius will dominate puck-movement for the top defender pairs and power-play units, while Nykyri, Piiparinen, and Vaisanen bring a physical and shutdown presence. The rest of the bunch will fall somewhere in between, looking to help control the neutral zone for a Finnish squad that isn’t expected to dominate transition. Piiiparinen will be a particular name to watch. He is another top prospect in the 2026 draft, with commendable shutdown qualities and a quick jump. He’s been graded as a first-round talent by many public scouts.
This lineup notably exlcudes Buffalo Sabres top prospect Konsta Helenius, who is no longer expected to be loaned out for the tournament despite previous reports. Helenius ranked second on the team in scoring at last year’s tournament with six points – all assits – in seven games. He would be a serious addition to the lineup should Rochester have a change of heart. That seems unlikely, though, as Helenius has racked up a team-leading 23 points in 25 AHL games this season while serving as the team’s top center. Should he be added late, it would likely be Tuuva or Kuhta cut to make space.
Photo courtesy of Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
Latest On Olympic Rink Construction
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met with the media to share the latest on the ice rink construction for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, with updates summarized by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Daly confirmed that the rink will finish construction on February 2nd, just three days before the women’s tournament is scheduled to begin. The men’s tournament is set to start on February 11th. Daly added that the NHL has sent their own ice technicians and experts to Milano Cortina to support the construction, saying:
We’re basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that’s acceptable for NHL athletes. And I’m cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful.
The NHL is hearing positive updates, per Daly, and doesn’t view the construction challenges as an insurmountable barrier. At the same time, Daly said the NHL won’t send players if the ice conditions are deemed unsafe to play on. The ice sheet itself is set to be a standard international size – 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet (60 meters by 26 meters). That was the sized used in past Olympic events, but goes against an agreement made this summer between the NHL and IIHF. The NHL found out about the improper sizing last week. They okayed the it for 2026 but will expect proper dimensions for the 2030 Winter Olympics, per Daly.
The NHL is set to pause play for two weeks for the Winter Olympics. With an insistance that there is no contingency plan – Olympic hockey will only play at this newly-constructed arena next year – the NHL could find themselves in a true all-or-nothing situation. Daly spoke to the league’s optimism but also acknowledged that they may need to come up with an emergency solution, if faced with worst case scenario. What that solution would look like will be up to little more than speculation. The NHL set history with the 4-Nations Face-Off – an international, best-on-best tournament hosted by the NHL – last February. That could be a framework that let’s jettisoned Olypmians get back on the ice, while not disturbing the vacation plans of those not headed to Italy.
Golden Knights Recall Dylan Coghlan, Assign Jaycob Megna
The Vegas Golden Knights have swapped depth defenseman on the NHL roster. Dylan Coghlan has been recalled, while Jaycob Megna has been reassigned to the AHL. Neither player has appeared in an NHL game this season.
Megna, 32, was recalled to the Golden Knights roster on December 1st. He has been rotated between the NHL and AHL roster three times since clearing waivers on October 2nd. Through that movement, he’s managed to appear in 15 games with the Henderson Silver Knights. He’s recorded five points, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-six in those appearances. That includes two points, four penalty minutes, and a plus-three in his last four games. Megna also has eight seasons of NHL experience. He has appeared in 193 games, and scored 27 points, through stints with the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Florida Panthers.
Coghlan, 27, has performed well in-line with Megna. He has 10 points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-four in 20 games with Henderson. This is his recall of the season. He appeared in six games with the Winnipeg Jets, with no scoring, last year and 18 games with the Carolina Hurricanes between 2022 and 2024. Coghlan has appeared in 112 games across six seasons, and three teams. He has 22 points and a minus-10 in those appearances.
This swap surely has more to do with roster technicalities than it does lineup implications. Megna will only be able to spend 15 more days on the NHL roster, before he will have to clear through waivers to be reassigned to the minors. The Golden Knights appear to be using those days sparingly, after recalling Megna for one week in October and the first week of December.
Canadiens Reassign Kaapo Kahkonen
12/8: The Canadiens have reversed this move with Montembeault feeling better.
12/7: The Montreal Canadiens have recalled goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen from the AHL. He will backup Jakub Dobes with Sam Montembeault under the weather, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli.
Kahkonen has served as backup for the AHL’s Laval Rockets this season. He has a 6-2-0 record and .895 save percentage through nine games. Those numbers pale in comparison to rookie starter Jacob Fowler, who has 10 wins, three shutouts, and a .919 save percentage in 15 games. Recalling the veteran Kahkonen will allow Montreal to keep Fowler in a starting net with three games ahead this week.
Kahkonen has fallen down the depth chart, but still brings plenty of experience to the fill-in role. He has appeared in 140 games across seven NHL seasons. That includes a nightly backup role through two years with the Minnesota Wild, and two years with the San Jose Sharks, between 2020 and 2024. He routinely eclipsed a .900 save percentage through his first five seasons in the NHL. That includes a .913 save percentage in 36 games of the 2021-22 season, which he split between Minnesota and San Jose. His performance fell off with a move to the Colorado Avalanche last season, landing him in a routine AHL role. That role has now stretched across four AHL clubs – three last season, then a move to Laval this year. He isn’t likely to curb the slow years on this recall, but should offer a steady hand if the Canadiens need it.
Lightning, Flyers Swap Roman Schmidt, Ethan Samson
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers have swapped minor-league defenseman. Tampa Bay has sent Roman Schmidt to Philadelphia in exchange for Ethan Samson. Schmidt is in his second season in the AHL, while Samson is in his third.
This move swaps an imposing, physical defender for a more mobile, two-way option. Schmidt stands at 6-foot-5 and 215-pounds. He uses that heft, and a long reach, to shut down entry into the defensive zone and control space in front of his own net. That focus has held Schmidt to just one point in 13 games this season and six points in 62 career AHL games. He has led the Syrcause Crunch in penalty minutes in each of the last two seasons – with 38 PIMs this year and 79 PIMs in 49 games last year. Tampa Bay originally drafted Schmidt in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, out of the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Samson has offered a bit more offense through his AHL career. He has four assists, and only four penalty minutes, in 10 games this season – after missing the start of the year due to a training camp injury. He’s continued to offer a physical and engaged presence on defense, with a bit more downhill drive with the puck on his stick. He has 40 points, a minus-19, and 100 PIMs in 142 career AHL games. The Flyers drafted Samson three rounds after Schmidt in 2021 from the WHL’s Prince George Cougars.
This move will provide the Flyers with a bit more grit behind a young depth chart filled with skill-first players. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay will look to bank on Samson’s upside. The Lightning are no strangers to rewarding AHL defenders on NHL contracts. They have had 10 different defenders appear in NHL games this season and briefly had Schmidt on their roster, though he didn’t make his NHL debut.
Blues Recall Hugh McGing
The St. Louis Blues have recalled center Hugh McGing with their open roster spot. He will join the Blues with three games ahead of them this week. McGing has six points, 25 penalty minutes, and a minus-seven in 18 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds this season.
McGing has been near the top of St. Louis’ call-up sheet since 2022. He has appearead in six NHL games in that span, with no scoring, no penalties, and a minus-five. He brings a hard-working energy to the bottom of the lineup. Despite his 5-foot-8 frame, McGing isn’t afraid to get involved with puck battles in the corners or in front of the net. That grit has earned him a key role as Springfield’s third-line center. He has also appeared on the team’s penalty-kill.
The Blues will be looking for any help they can to keep their recent hot streak going. They have won their last two games by a combined score of 6-4 – after losing eight of their previous 11 games. The Blues face two of the top 15 offenses in the league through their next five games in Boston (ranked seventh in goals-for) and Chicago (ranked 14th). They’ll get a bit of respite with two matches against the Nashville Predators, who are one of only five teams with fewer goals than the Blues this season.
McGing will offer an alternative for Matt Luff, who made his Blues debut on Suunday. Luff recorded one hit, two shot blocks, and a minus-one in eight minutes of ice time.
Mammoth’s Logan Cooley Out With Lower-Body Injury
Dec. 8th: The Mammoth confirmed that Cooley will miss his second straight game with his lower-body injury, and could be out much longer. Utah shared that Cooley would be out indefinitely, though they didn’t confirm whether or not they would place him on the injured reserve.
Dec. 6th: The Utah Mammoth have announced that star center Logan Cooley will miss Saturday night’s game against the Calgary Flames due to a lower-body injury. He will be re-evaluated when Utah returns home on Monday. Cooley crashed hard into the net-posts late in Friday night’s win over the Vancouver Canucks. He was able to finish the game and it is not clear if that was the incident that led to this new injury.
Cooley’s timeline isn’t yet clear, but even one game without him will be too much. He leads the Mammoth with 14 goals, and also has 23 points, 13 shot blocks, and 34 hits in 29 games. He’s also served a key role on Utah’s top power-play unit. It’s a breakout year for the 21-year-old centerman, who seems capable of leading a next generation of Utah hockey alongside youngsters Dylan Guenther and JJ Peterka.
Barrett Hayton will return to the lineup for the first time since December 1st in Cooley’s absence. It has been a down year for Hayton, who only has five points in 24 games so far. He has struggled to click with a reshaped Utah top-six and doesn’t offer the strength away from his skill to fit above Jack McBain or Kevin Stenlund in the bottom-six. That made Hayton a difficult asset to manage for the Mammoth. He’ll look to curb the slow streak in between rookie winger Daniil But and star Guenther on Saturday.