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Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov Placed On IR, Could Miss Second Half

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The Carolina Hurricanes have placed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve. Kochetkov has been battling a hip injury since the start of the season. He missed all of October and the last week of November due to the issue. Now, after being forced out of the lineup for a third time, Kochetkov has elected to undergo surgery to address the injury head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of The News and Observer.

Kochetkov has only played in nine games this season. He was successful in those appearances, posting a 6-3-0 record, .899 save percentage, and 2.33 goals-against-average. He also had one shutout on the year. Kochetkov’s stat-line ranked second in Carolina’s goaltending room across the board, behind emerging starter Brandon Bussi.

Bussi will be who Carolina leans on in Kochetkov’s absence. The 27 year old has posted 12 wins, a .910 Sv%, and a 2.10 GAA in the first 14 games of his NHL career this season. He has been a standout in the minor-leagues since signing with the AHL’s Providence Bruins out of college in 2022. Bussi posted a first .922 Sv% in the first 37 games of his AHL career, spanning the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. That entrance into the league earned Bussi an AHL all-star recognition in 2023 – an accolade he followed with 23 wins and a .913 Sv% in 41 games with Providence in 2023-24.

In competition with Michael DiPietro, Bussi fell to a .907 Sv% in 33 AHL games last season. That slip prompted a move to the Hurricanes this summer, which has quickly paid off. Bussi has not appeared in the AHL yet this season and could have a clear path to a true starter’s role ahead of struggling veteran Frederik Andersen.

In a corresponding move to Andersen’s IR designation, the Hurricanes have also recalled defenseman Gavin Bayreuther. He will help the team back up a handful of game-time decisions on defense, Brind’Amour told NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Bayreuther spent last season with Lausanne HC in Switzerland’s National League. He scored 23 points in 52 games, a small scoring spark that seems to be bleeding into this season. His 13 points in 24 games ranks second on the Chicago Wolves’ blue-line behind Domenick Fensore. Bayreuther hasn’t yet played in the NHL this season – leaving his last NHL game back in 2023 – though he has been recalled as a backup option once by Carolina.

Through their shifting lineup, the Hurricanes will have to hope that surgery will help Kochetkov return to form. He has posted a sub-.900 save percentage across his last 56 NHL games, dating back to the start of 2024-25. The performances have been a steep drop from the 38 wins and .910 Sv% Kochetkov recorded in 69 games through his first three NHL seasons. He is a fringe starter when healthy and should still fill a need in Carolina’s lineup on the other side of his recovery. Kochetkov carries a $2MM cap hit through the end of next season.

Penguins Acquire Yegor Chinakhov From Blue Jackets

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Forward Yegor Chinakhov will finally have his trade request honored. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Columbus Blue Jackets are trading Chinakhov for draft capital. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman later shared that Chinakhov is headed to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In exchange, Pittsburgh is sending Columbus winger Danton Heinen, the St. Louis Blues’ 2026 second-round pick, and the Washington Capitals’ 2027 third-round pick. The Blue Jackets confirmed the deal.

Chinakhov’s story in Columbus is well known up to this point. The 21st overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft has been with the Blue Jackets for much of the last five years, though the relationship began souring last season after Columbus hired Dean Evason as the team’s head coach.

Before Evason’s hire, during the 2023-24 season, Chinakhov had the strongest campaign of his career. The young Russian finished ninth on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games, averaging 15:10 of ice time per game. Had he played the whole season at the same pace, Chinakhov would have finished with around 25 goals and 45 points.

Still, despite the strong offensive performance, there were legitimate concerns with other areas of Chinakhov’s game, particularly on defense. He finished that season with an 89.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength despite starting a majority of his shifts in the offensive zone. Unfortunately, nothing has improved since.

Since Evason took over behind the bench, Chinakhov’s ice time has been limited. He has yet to replicate his output from the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 59 games since, averaging 13:03 of ice time. His possession metrics have improved mildly, though his metrics on the defensive side of the puck have continued to fall.

Chinakhov became so disheartened with his role with the organization that he eventually requested a trade from Columbus last summer. There were reportedly teams interested in his services, though General Manager Don Waddell was only willing to include him in a player-for-player swap, thus limiting his market. By the time that preseason action had begun, there were some indications that Evason and Chinakhov had improved their relationship.

Regardless of the perceived improvements to their relationship, that hasn’t turned into more ice time for Chinakhov. In fact, he’s averaged the lowest ATOI of his young career this season. Now, instead of being isolated to a fourth-line role with the Blue Jackets, he has the opportunity to crack a middle-six role with a different Metropolitan Division team.

Given their recent play, it’s highly unlikely that the Penguins are going to break up either of their top two lines. However, Chinakhov would be an immediate improvement on Ville Koivunen, who has scored one goal and four points in 25 games on the team’s third line. Additionally, Chinakhov could find his way onto Pittsburgh’s second power-play unit.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images. 

Oilers, David Tomasek To Terminate Contract

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Dec. 29th: Insider Frank Seravalli confirmed that Tomasek has cleared waivers after being designated yesterday. Both sides are now free to officially terminate his contract.

Dec. 26th: Oilers forward David Tomasek is expected to sign with the Swedish Hockey League’s Färjestad BK after the holiday roster freeze lifts on Sunday, Jonas Griberg and Johan Ekberg of Värmlands Folkblad report.

Tomasek has already left Edmonton and returned to Sweden, according to the report. The Oilers can place Tomasek on unconditional waivers on Sunday, allowing him to formalize the termination and register a new contract with Färjestad on Monday.

The 29-year-old right winger is ticketed to return to the squad where he had immense success over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons before attempting to kickstart an NHL career by signing a one-year, $1.2MM deal with Edmonton in April. He led the league in at least one major statistical category on both occasions and was named the SHL’s Most Valuable Player last season with a 24-33–57 scoring line and +5 rating in 47 games.

Tomasek was technically left off the Oilers’ opening-night roster due to salary cap constraints, taking advantage of his waiver-exempt status to send him to AHL Bakersfield. However, he was recalled the next day and made his NHL debut on the fourth line with Adam Henrique and Isaac Howard. He recorded an assist, but the lack of ice time wasn’t conducive to his ability to make an impact on the scoresheet.

The one-time World Championship gold medalist has good size at 6’2″ and 210 lbs, but doesn’t play a particularly physical game, profiling more as a one-way offensive threat and power play specialist. That made him an unnatural fit in a bottom-six checking role, serving the dual purpose of not allowing him to demonstrate enough skill to push his way into a top-nine job and see meaningful even-strength time with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Tomasek will end his stint in Edmonton with three goals, two assists, and a -6 rating in 22 appearances, averaging 10:46 of ice time per game. He had been a healthy scratch in six straight contests, last appearing against the Maple Leafs on Dec. 13.

The cap impacts are significant for the Oilers, who will be immediately relieved of his $1.2MM cap hit upon termination. Since they’re dipping into their LTIR pool to stay cap-compliant, they’re not accruing cap space. Removing Tomasek won’t change that, but it will increase their current cap space from $612.5K to $1.81MM, giving them more flexibility to reinstate one of their four LTIR-bound players in Connor Clattenburg, Kasperi Kapanen, Noah Philp, and Jake Walman.

Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Hurricanes Claim Noah Philp Off Waivers, Reassign Bradly Nadeau

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According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Carolina Hurricanes claimed center Noah Philp off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. The Hurricanes shared that they’ve reassigned forward Bradly Nadeau in a corresponding roster move.

Interestingly enough, Friedman reported this morning on 32 Thoughts that this could be coming down the pipeline for Philp. Friedman suggested that multiple teams had contacted the Oilers regarding Philp. It stands to reason that the Hurricanes were one of those teams.

It would have been much easier for Edmonton to trade Philp after he had cleared waivers, given that he wouldn’t have to be waived again for some time if a team was wishing to stash him in the AHL. Given that the Hurricanes claimed him today, they’ll need to attempt to pass Philp through waivers again should they try to reassign him to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

Regardless, Philp will have a new opportunity in Carolina for the time being, though it’s not clear where exactly he fits into the lineup. Seth Jarvis is currently the only injured forward on the team, and there’s little chance of Philp taking a hold of a first-line role.

Realistically, if the Hurricanes want him in a consistent role, Philp will take over for Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Mark Jankowski, each of whom has disappointed throughout the season. Philp doesn’t have much experience to fall back on, though, scoring two goals and five points across 30 games in Edmonton.

Still, his relatively large frame and respectable output in the AHL likely inspired Carolina to take a flyer on him. Despite briefly retiring for the 2023-24 season, Philp owns a 38-34-72 scoring line in 130 AHL contests.

Meanwhile, Nadeau returns to AHL Chicago after being recalled to replace Jarvis on the active roster. The 20-year-old winger played in two games for the Hurricanes throughout the recall, scoring one goal while averaging 13:54 of ice time per game.

Lightning Sign J.J. Moser To Eight-Year Extension

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Dec. 28th: PuckPedia provided the yearly breakdown of Moser’s new extension:

  • 2026-27: $881K salary, $7.9MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $1.381MM salary, $7.4MM signing bonus, full no-trade clause
  • 2028-29: $8.777MM salary, full no-trade clause
  • 2029-30: $6.584MM salary, full no-trade clause
  • 2030-31: $5.27MM salary, 16-team no-trade clause
  • 2031-32: $4.269MM salary, $1MM signing bonus, 16-team no-trade clause
  • 2032-33: $4.269MM salary, $1MM signing bonus, 16-team no-trade clause
  • 2033-34: $4.269MM salary, $1MM signing bonus, 16-team no-trade clause

Dec. 27th: The Tampa Bay Lightning have locked in one of their best defensemen from this season. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Lightning are closing in on an eight-year, $54MM ($6.75MM AAV) extension with J.J. Moser. Tampa Bay confirmed the extension a few moments later.

Moser, 25, is in his second year with Tampa Bay after being one of the pieces brought back in the trade that sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Salt Lake City two summers ago. He was headed toward restricted free agency after this season, with arbitration rights, but will now wait until after the 2033-34 season to sign his next deal.

The Biel, Switzerland native has gotten much more attention this year, largely due to the number of injuries the Lightning have dealt with on their blue line. He’s scored three goals and 12 points in 34 games, equating to the second-best performance of his career on an 82-game basis.

Still, despite his boxcar stats being somewhat mediocre, they don’t come close to painting the whole picture regarding Moser’s value.

His even-strength metrics are some of the best in the league and are in most categories. He’s managed a 57.8% CorsiFor% and 94.6% on-ice save percentage throughout the year, both of which are first on the team among defensemen by a significant margin.

Additionally, according to MoneyPuck, out of the 218 defensemen that have played over 200 minutes this season, Moser is first in the league in on-ice Goals% with a 73.8% mark. Cale Makar, who is again the favorite for the Norris Trophy, is in second place with a 72.7% output.

That level of performance made an extension a priority for General Manager Julien BriseBois in Tampa Bay. Moving forward with Moser locked in, the Lightning have the combination of Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh signed through the 2028-29 season, and Erik Černák locked in through the 2030-31 campaign.

If Moser can continue his current level of productivity, even if only for the next few years, this contract will quickly become a bargain if it isn’t already. Assuming the upper limit of the salary cap remains relatively similar to the projections, Moser’s contract will account for 6.49% of the salary cap next season and will drop to 5.94% by the second year of the deal.

Given that Tampa Bay didn’t attempt to line up Moser’s contract to expire alongside another blue liner, as they did with Hedman and McDonagh, it’s clear that the Lightning have high expectations for him moving forward.

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images. 

Philadelphia Flyers, Christian Dvorak Discussing Extension

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In yesterday’s rendition of Saturday Headlines with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the insider suggested that the Philadelphia Flyers are working toward an extension with center Christian Dvorak, and it could get done relatively soon. Since he signed a one-year deal with the Flyers last summer, Dvorak isn’t eligible to sign an extension until January 1, 2026.

Although he has to wait a few more days until he can finally put pen to paper, Friedman articulated that the deal is as good as done. Friedman said, “He’s played very well there. From what I can say, there are other teams out there who do no expect Dvorak to hit the market. They think he’s going to sign, but both sides have to make it work.”

As Friedman noted, if Dvorak signs an extension in Philadelphia, that removes another potential option for teams leading up to the trade deadline. Of centers that are projected to hit unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign, Dvorak is third in scoring.

However, there’s no indication the Flyers were going to be in a position to trade Dvorak, even if they weren’t close to extending him. Surprisingly, Philadelphia enters tonight’s action in a divisional playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and is second in points percentage in the Eastern Conference. Given how good he’s been for them this season, the Flyers could have kept Dvorak as a pseudo rental as they look to return to the playoffs.

Barring any injuries or significant setbacks to his on-ice performance, the 2025-26 season will be the best of Dvorak’s career. He’s scored eight goals and 24 points in 35 games for the Flyers this season, averaging 17 minutes of ice time per game. His current career-high in points came during the 2019-20 season with the Arizona Coyotes, when Dvorak scored 18 goals and 38 points in 70 games.

Aside from his offensive output, the best news for Philadelphia is that Dvorak is still relatively young. At 29 years of age, Dvorak could hold down the fort in the Flyers’ middle-six for the next few seasons as they introduce younger talent to the team. His career 53.1% faceoff percentage could make him one of the better third-line center options for years to come.

Senators’ Linus Ullmark Taking Leave Of Absence, Out Indefinitely

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The Senators announced Sunday that starting goaltender Linus Ullmark will be taking a leave of absence from the team for personal reasons.

“Linus has the full support of our organization during this time,” general manager Steve Staios said. “Out of respect to Linus, we will not be making any further comments.”

Ottawa is eligible to designate Ullmark as a non-roster player for however long his leave lasts. Technically, he’ll be listed as indefinite, with the details of Ullmark’s absence at his discretion to disclose.

After last night’s wild 7-5 loss to the Maple Leafs, the Senators have a relatively easy schedule to contend with while they deal with the absence of their No. 1 netminder. Tomorrow’s game against the Blue Jackets kicks off a four-game homestand with two of those games against teams not in playoff position (Columbus and Winnipeg). Ottawa hits the road again to face the Mammoth on Jan. 8, a trip they’re hoping Ullmark can attend.

The Senators acquired the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner from the Bruins in the 2024 offseason in a blockbuster deal, eventually signing the then-pending free agent to a four-year, $33MM extension that kicks in this season. While Ullmark had a strong first effort in Ottawa last year despite injuries limiting him to 43 starts, he’s been among the league’s worst starters in 2025-26.

Under Ullmark’s 14-8-5 record in 28 starts this season lies a .881 SV%, 2.95 GAA, and -11.5 goals saved above expected that ranks worst in the league, per MoneyPuck. Ottawa’s top-10 offense and league-best 2.22 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 have helped limit the damage and kept them in the playoff race with an 18-14-5 record, but with backup Leevi Merilainen logging an even worse .874 SV%, goaltending has put the Sens’ chances of a second consecutive playoff appearance in extreme jeopardy.

Nonetheless, the 23-year-old Merilainen now figures to see the majority of action until Ullmark returns. The Sens have multiple recall options from AHL Belleville but will almost surely opt for sixth-year pro Hunter Shepard, who’s logged a .905 SV%, 3.16 GAA, and 5-5-1 record in 11 games.

Kraken Activate Jared McCann

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The Kraken will see Jared McCann return to the lineup against the Flyers tonight, teammate Matty Beniers told reporters (including Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). The team subsequently announced he’s been activated from injured reserve. With an open roster spot, there’s no need for a corresponding move.

McCann’s return comes a few days ahead of schedule. The 29-year-old sustained a lower-body injury against the Kings on Dec. 10 that was expected to keep him out for three weeks. That would have put his return late next week.

Lower-body issues have kept McCann on the sidelines for much of this season. His latest seven-game absence teamed up with a weeks-long one earlier in the year. All told, he’s been limited to 11 appearances but has kept up his longstanding role as the Kraken’s top offensive weapon, totaling five goals and eight points.

Seattle’s woeful offense, 31st in the league at 2.54 goals per game, now gets back its franchise-leading scorer on the heels of a three-game win streak leading into the holiday break. The Kraken were 11-5-5 through their first 21 games, putting themselves in the playoff conversation, before undoing all that work with a 1-9-1 run over their next 11. That win streak has them back above .500 and three points back of the Sharks for the wild-card cutoff with three games in hand, though.

For a group that’s been without Jaden Schwartz for several weeks due to a lower-body injury and lost Mason Marchment when he was traded to the Blue Jackets earlier this month, getting McCann back in on the wing is a true needle-mover. Seattle has gone 4-5-2 with McCann in the lineup this season.

The Kraken will also be getting top-pair staple Vince Dunn back in the lineup on the back end, head coach Lane Lambert said (via Alison Lukan of NHL.com). He missed Seattle’s last game before the break with an upper-body injury but, along with McCann, was a full participant in yesterday’s practice. With 19 points in 34 games this season, he leads Kraken defenders in scoring and is fifth on the team overall but has a team-worst -15 rating.

Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Lightning Activate Brandon Hagel From Injured Reserve

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12:02 p.m.: McDonagh in fact won’t be available tonight. He’s been placed on injured reserve while defenseman Maxim Groshev was recalled from Syracuse in the corresponding move for Santini’s demotion, the team announced. While Groshev’s been recalled multiple times this season without making his NHL debut, that will change as he’s one of only six defensemen on Tampa’s active roster.

11:32 a.m.: The Lightning have activated left winger Brandon Hagel from injured reserve, Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reports. Tampa returned defenseman Steven Santini to AHL Syracuse in the corresponding move, indicating Ryan McDonagh could be back in the lineup after sitting out last night’s win over the Panthers with an undisclosed injury.

Hagel has been dealing with an upper-body injury since the Bolts’ second-most recent rivalry game against Florida back on Dec. 15. He’s missed the last four games and nearly two weeks as a result. They’ll welcome him back to the lineup this evening against the Canadiens.

The 27-year-old is now in his fifth season in Tampa, continuing to pay dividends after they gave up a steep package to acquire him from the Blackhawks at the 2022 trade deadline. He’s continued to hover near a point per game with an 18-15–31 scoring line in 32 appearances this season. Named to the league’s second All-Star Team last year while finishing top 10 in Selke voting, Hagel’s 121 points in 114 games since the beginning of 2024-25 are tied with Lucas Raymond for 20th in the league.

Tampa dealt with his absence quite well, though. They went 3-1-0 in four games without him while outscoring opponents 15-9, scoring four-plus goals three times. His return will give the Bolts a fully healthy forward group for just the third time this season.

With Erik Černák, Victor Hedman, and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg on IR, Santini was summoned yesterday to fill the gap after they received word that McDonagh couldn’t go. The 30-year-old saw 7:58 of ice time in what was his ninth appearance of the season for Tampa Bay, recording a +1 rating with a hit and a block.

The injury keeping McDonagh out of action was a re-aggravation of the undisclosed issue that sidelined him for over a month, head coach Jon Cooper said yesterday. He returned to play in three straight before the holiday break, but evidently needed some more load management before getting back into the lineup. Whether the extra day of rest ends up being enough to get him back to 100% – or at least healthy enough to play every night – will be something to watch.

Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.

ECHL Players Go On Strike, New CBA Pending Approval

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Dec. 27th: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the ECHL and PHPA have reached a tentative agreement to end the strike. Multiple outlets reported that players will return to their teams in the next few days in “good faith”, assuming that each side ratifies the new deal.

Dec. 26th: ECHL players officially commenced a strike effective today at noon Eastern. All games scheduled for tonight have been postponed. Multiple teams have announced plans to bring in new sets of players to avoid further postponements. Those players will presumably come from the SPHL and FPHL, the fourth and fifth tiers of pro and semi-pro hockey in North America.

Dec. 22, 7:15 PM: Sure enough, in an update shared by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (Twitter Link), the ECHL players will go on strike effective December 26, after concerns on unfair labor practices have not been heard, and their new Collective Bargaining Agreement has not yet materialized.

In the announcement, PHPA Executive Director Brian Ramsay emphasized that members are simply seeking basic fair standards for working conditions and are eager for a resolution, remaining hopeful that the ECHL will negotiate, reach an agreement, and soon resume play. Teams are currently inactive until 12/26 due to the holidays, raising speculation of the strike today before it became official.

Later in the evening, the ECHL issued an official update regarding the strike. They outlined their goal of reaching an agreement that supports the players while maintaining a “sustainable business model” that remains accessible to fans. Although it touches on a potential 16.4% salary cap increase, travel restrictions, and holiday breaks, there is no discussion of the equipment issue raised by the players.

Dec. 22, 5:00 PM: Amidst ongoing negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the ECHL Players released a statement, shared through the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (Twitter Link). Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also shared that a possible five-year deal on a new CBA between the PHPA and the AHL is closing in, but there has been little progress on a deal for the ECHL, and a strike may result. 

The message emphasized that, despite nearly a full calendar year of bargaining, a new collective agreement has not been secured. The players noted the ECHL’s “unlawful conduct”, in which they made changes related to mandatory subjects of bargaining, even engaging in regressive bargaining. 

Ultimately, the players’ concerns about health and working conditions continue to be disregarded. The statement also mentioned that the league recently sent direct communications “in an attempt to bully and intimidate players with tactics that violate US labor law”. Therefore, it appears that the latest development has only further widened the gap between the league and its players in potential negotiations, and a strike could be on the horizon.

The statement ended with “The ECHL appears by their behavior to prefer bullying to bargaining and does not respect the process nor the players’ right to negotiate a fair settlement”. 

One such concern, voiced by the players, is the need for properly fitting helmets. The ECHL has an equipment deal with Warrior, a major supplier of ice hockey equipment, which originated in 2019-20. Such deals in minor league hockey are not uncommon, as the AHL also has a deal with CCM. However, aside from not being able to select their preferred option, ECHL players say they have even been supplied with used equipment, which is simply unacceptable at this level of professional hockey. 

Regarding player conditions, travel schedules are a major concern. According to the players, the ECHL considers bus trips home as days off, even though travel time can be nine hours or more. Thankfully, it appears the league is now willing to give players one day off each week; however, it has shown no interest in negotiating a proper holiday break. 

Teams have not played since December 21, which especially puts them into the spotlight for a possible strike; however, they are scheduled to jump right back into action on December 26, an especially short turnaround considering the rigorous travel schedules, if players were to have any chance to spend time with family and friends for the holidays. 

Overall, such developments are extremely unfortunate for the league. Over the past decade, the ECHL has expanded across the country, far beyond the East Coast, even north of the border into Quebec. New franchises in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and Augusta, Georgia, have been announced for 2026; however, given recent news, it may be a turbulent start. 

Besides offering another level of professional hockey closer to home for those coming out of the NCAA, CHL, and USports, allowing lower-level players to follow their dreams and play for a living, the ECHL brings the sport to dozens of communities across North America. With most teams operating on razor-thin profit margins and heavily reliant on ticket sales, the league offers a tightly knit community-first culture. It offers market testing for cities to make their case. Although the league’s Utah Grizzlies are set to move to New Jersey, they played a vital role in setting the foundation for hockey in Utah, building up to the state taking in the Utah Mammoth. 

Additionally, while any NHL-signed prospect who is assigned to the ECHL faces a serious uphill battle to reach the highest level, that does not mean it does not happen. To start the 2025-26 NHL season, 60 ECHL alums were on opening-night rosters. The number continues to grow. Today, many NHL organizations lean on the ECHL to send overlooked young AHL prospects down another level to get vital ice time in a bid to extend their careers. 

Late bloomers such as Carter Verhaeghe, Yanni Gourde, and Jordan Binnington, all longtime NHLers who have won Stanley Cups, spent time in the ECHL on their path to the top. For any player in the ECHL, such hope persists that they could be next in line. 

Now at a crossroads as they’ve grown into 32 teams, the hope is that the ECHL will hear the concerns of its players, who help drive so much of the game’s development in North America’s smaller communities, and work out their differences for a better tomorrow. For now, eyes will be on the ECHL for a possible strike, which could occur as soon as December 26. 

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