Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury
The Minnesota Wild lost key centerman Joel Eriksson Ek to injury in Thursday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Eriksson Ek sustained the injury after getting tangled up with another player near his bench, but avoided the worst case scenario, head coach John Hynes told Sara McLellan of the Star Tribune. Eriksson Ek will be questionable for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.
Minnesota will be noticeably shorthanded without Eriksson Ek in the lineup. His veteran, two-way presence has served as a pillar of the Wild’s center depth, allowing more offensively-inclined centers like Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman a bit more room to play downhill. Eriksson Ek has offered that support while putting up strong scoring of his own – 11 goals and 32 points in 45 games, good for fourth on the team in total scoring. He is one of six Wild players to appear in every game so far this season, a streak that could change on Saturday night.
The Wild will need to push extra forward Tyler Pitlick into action if Eriksson Ek has to sit. Pitlick is back in the NHL this season after spending the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. He has had a quiet showing in Minnesota, so far with only one goal and 24 penalty minutes in 23 games. Pitlick will fill a minimal, fourth-line role in the lineup while Marcus Foligno and Hartman earn a bump in minutes. Hartman has three points in his last five games and could bring a spark to the top-six in Eriksson Ek’s place. That is what the Wild will have to hope for as they look to snap a scoring funk. Three of Minnesota’s last five games have gone to overtime, with two ending in shootout losses.
Blackhawks Activate Connor Bedard, Recall Kevin Korchinski, Drew Commesso
1:43 p.m.: The Blackhawks announced they’ve activated Bedard from injured reserve. They also recalled defenseman Kevin Korchinski and goaltender Drew Commesso from AHL Rockford to account for their game-time decisions tonight. Korchinski, the seventh overall pick in 2022, would be making his season debut if he draws into the lineup. He hasn’t exactly been lighting up the AHL, but has 19 points and a -12 rating in 32 showings for Rockford. Commesso, on the other hand, has been a strong starter with a .909 SV% and 2.72 GAA in 19 games.
12:00 p.m.: The Chicago Blackhawks will have their lineup star back from injury when they host the Washington Capitals on Friday night. Connor Bedard confirmed that he will return to the lineup after missing the last 12 games due to a shoulder injury to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Bedard skated on the top power-play unit at Friday morning’s practice.
Bedard was injured in the final second of Chicago’s Dec. 12th loss to the St. Louis Blues. He was on a scoring tear before his injury, with five goals and 11 points in his last seven games. Those marks brought Bedard up to 19 goals and 44 points in 31 games on the season. That ranked the Blackhawks youngster third in points and fourth in goals in the NHL.
Naturally, Chicago hit a skid once Bedard fell out of the lineup. Their average goals per game fell from 2.9 to 2.1 over their remaining eight games in December, leading to a 1-6-1 record to end 2025. Surprisingly, the young roster snapped out of that struggle in the New Year. Chicago is currently riding a four-game win streak, capped off by a 7-3 win over the Blues on Wednesday. That win was spurred by young forwards Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, Landon Slaggert, and Ryan Greene.
With that quartet now clicking down the lineup, Chicago will be in a perfect position to add their top scorer back to the lineup. Bedard spent most of his time next to Greene and Andre Burakovsky prior to his injury. That line outscored opponents 13-to-6 at even-strength, the most of only four Blackhawks lines with a positive goal-differential. The chances that Bedard returns to that line on Friday could be slim, though, as Greene has taken on the second-line center role with Frank Nazar also injured.
Chicago will need to spread their depth after forwards Nick Foligno and Ilya Mikheyev, goaltender Arvid Soderblom, and head coach Jeff Blashill all missed Friday’s morning skate. The team isn’t yet sure which of those four will be available for Friday night’s game, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. The four seem to have fallen victim to a flu bug making its way through the Blackhawks locker room right now. The injury-ridden Blackhawks have two extra forwards – Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert – but had to call upon famous emergency backup goaltender Scott Foster to backup at practice. They would be eligible for an emergency recall should they need to fill an additional spot.
Should Blashill need to sit on the side, Chicago would likely ask Anders Sorensen to fill the head coach spot. Sorensen coached the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs from 2022 to 2025, then earned a promotion to an interim head coach role partway through last season. He remains with Chicago as an assistant coach this year.
Sabres Pushing To Host 2026 NHL Draft
The NHL Draft could be returning to Buffalo, New York this year. The Buffalo Sabres have made an earnest push to host the First Round of the 2026 NHL Draft, sources told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. A potential return to draft day in Buffalo was first teased by broadcaster John Buccigross on Thursday.
Buffalo has hosted three other NHL Drafts. It became the third American city to serve as host in 1991, seven years after the NHL moved away from a yearly trip to Montreal. The Quebec Nordiques drafted centerman Eric Lindros first-overall in Buffalo, but the future Hall-of-Famer refused to sign with the club, prompting a trade to Philadelphia in 1992. Meanwhile, the NHL Draft didn’t return to Buffalo until 1998, when the Tampa Bay Lightning drafted Vincent Lecavalier with the top pick. By then, the league had begun traveling to a new city every year for the Draft, which kept the league from returning to Buffalo again until 2016, when Auston Matthews landed with the Toronto Maple Leafs at first-overall.
The 2026 Draft will be unlike any previously held in Buffalo, though. NHL general managers voted to decentralize the NHL Draft beginning last season. This format is more in-line with other professional sports leagues, like the NFL, and saw NHL management teams stay in their home city while draft prospects were greeted on stage by league personnel. The change in format was criticized by fans and media after the 2025 Draft wrapped up but NHL managers voted to uphold it headed into 2026.
That places a unique challenge on the next host to try and spark a format that landed flat last year. The heap of talent set for the first-round in 2026 could make that task a bit easier. The hockey world is in the midst of debating the first-overall chair after hopefuls Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, and Chase Reid dueled out at the 2026 World Junior Championships. Stenberg – a standout in Sweden’s top pro league – earned the last laugh of the tournament with a Gold Medal win. Whether that trend will continue through June – and into host city Buffalo – is yet to be seen.
Luke Schenn Reportedly Open To Trade
The Winnipeg Jets have been arguably the NHL’s most disappointing team this season, as last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners have fallen to last place in the league standings.
Owners of a 10-game losing streak, the Jets look increasingly unlikely to return to the postseason this Spring, and as a result, increased focus is being paid to whether or not the Jets might look to trade away some veteran assets to help re-tool their roster.
While it appears highly unlikely that Winnipeg would pursue major roster surgery — much of the lineup that got 56 wins and 116 points last season remains intact — it could be that the club looks to replenish some of its lineup by trading away a few pending free agents that it may not have interest in re-signing. One name that looks poised to be a trade candidate is that of 1,100 game veteran Luke Schenn.
Schenn, 36, is playing out the final year of the $2.75MM AAV free agent contract he signed in 2023 with the Nashville Predators. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that while Schenn hasn’t requested a trade, “there is some word” that he “wouldn’t mind a change of scenery.”
Schenn is Winnipeg’s most sparingly-used defenseman, averaging just 13:32 time on ice per game. While he’s still playing a role on the penalty kill (1:44 per game) his usage is well below where it was in Winnipeg (17:28 per game) last season. Schenn has also been a healthy scratch at times this season, including four times in the team’s last eight games.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston listed Schenn No. 8 on his third trade board of the season today, writing that the veteran will “carry value as a right-shot defenseman ideally suited for third-pairing duty.”
The Jets surrendered two draft picks (second and fourth-round choices) to acquire Schenn, and it’s unlikely, as Johnston noted that they’d be able to get that kind of value back in any Schenn deal.
But even if they won’t end up getting a huge amount back in a trade, a Schenn deal could accomplish two key, useful objectives for the club.
Firstly, if Schenn indeed would prefer a deal away from Winnipeg, trading him would be doing right by a well-respected veteran player. Clubs are always striving to build a reputation as a place that treats its players well, and the Jets would be able to enhance their reputation in that area by giving Schenn the chance to compete for another Stanley Cup ring elsewhere.
Secondly, trading Schenn would not only clear the pro-rated portion of his $2.75MM cap hit off their books, it would also open up a roster spot, and some ice time, for some of the other Jets blueliners. 21-year-old Elias Salmonsson, for example, could benefit from the additional ice time.
In addition, the Jets have a few other defensemen playing at the AHL level that could stand an increased chance at getting an NHL look if Schenn is traded. 6’4″ right-shot blueliner Tyrel Bauer, for example, plays a similar style to Schenn on the Moose and plays a regular role on their penalty kill. The Jets have yet to test him at the NHL level, though he has nearly 200 games on record for the Moose.
He’s a pending restricted free agent, and trading Schenn could allow the Jets to give Bauer a look at the NHL level, which could go a long way in informing what kind of deal they’re prepared to offer him in his upcoming restricted free agency.
Ultimately, while the Jets certainly aren’t in the on-ice position they hoped, or expected, to be in 2025-26, there are still steps they can take to make the most of what has thus far been a miserable NHL season. Trading Schenn, who would be open to a deal per Pagnotta, could be the start of a set of moves in Winnipeg designed to reboot the roster.
Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Oilers’ Adam Henrique Out Long-Term, Placed On IR
Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique is set to miss nearly two months of action after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators. The Oilers placed Henrique on IR and announced that he is expected to return after the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics, which ends on February 24th.
When Henrique sustained his injury isn’t entirely clear. Henrique did block a shot from Predators’ winger Filip Forsberg with his wrist in his final shift of the game but didn’t appear to be in pain for the rest of his time on the ice. Whether that caused his injury or not, the veteran forward will now be forced to miss the next 14 games, at least.
Henrique has had a quiet year on the scoresheet. He only has 10 points and 12 penalty minutes in 43 games this season – a career-low scoring pace. The 35 year old has made up for that lack of scoring away from the puck. He leads Edmonton’s forwards with 57 shot blocks, ranks second among the club’s usual centers with a 54.8 faceoff percentage, and ranks fifth on the offense with 24 hits. He’s continued to fill a core, bottom-six role in Edmonton that will be hard to fill.
The Oilers will bring Trent Frederic back into the lineup in Henrique’s spot. Frederic has had a year much quieter than his rich extension would suggest, with only three points and a minus-10 in 41 games. He has posted 103 hits, though, good for second on the team behind Vasily Podkolzin. Edmonton also has Andrew Mangiapane, who has 11 points in 40 games, in the press box. They oculd also recall Quinn Hutson, who leads the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 27 games.
Edmonton could be afforded a chance to figure out Henrique’s replacement by Kasperi Kapanen‘s return from a three-month long injury absence. Kapanen scored two points in Edmonton’s 6-2 win over the Predators on Tuesday. That win ended a three-game losing skid and brought Edmonton up to a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games. Comfortably in a playoff position, Kapanen’s return could help buoy the offense while they address a new hole on the fourth line.
Blackhawks Legend Glenn Hall Passes Away At Age 94
Tragic news has come through the hockey world. Legendary goaltender Glenn Hall has passed away at the age of 94, per an NHL press release. Hall played four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, four seasons with the St. Louis Blues, and 10 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won two Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.
Few hockey careers were as prolific as Hall’s. He earned the monichre ‘Mr. Goalie’ by the end of his career, in part thanks to how consistent of a presence he was in net. Hall rarely missed a game, setting an NHL record for 502 consecutive starts (552 including playoffs) between the start of his career in 1955 and his eighth season in 1962. That stretch spanned a move from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks and saw Hall play more than 30,000 minutes of hockey.
Even more impressive, Hall acheived the record without wearing a mask, which wasn’t popularized until Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jacques Plante took up the protective gear in 1959. Hall wouldn’t wear a mask until November 1968, at the age of 37. He allowed a goal on one of the first shifts of the game and earned an ejection on the very next shift. Ironically, Plante was the one to replace Hall. The duo of Hall-of-Fame goaltenders would go on to combine for 13 shutouts and collectively win the Vezina Trophy that year.
Hall earned attention for much more than his propensity for playing every game, and not wearing a mask. His career began with the Humboldt Indians and Windsor Spitfires of Ontario’s early junior leagues. He signed with the Red Wings in 1949, while in juniors, and spent his first pro year in 1951 assigned to the AHL’s Indianapolis Capitals. Hall played 68 games for the Capitals and earned a call-up to fill Detroit’s backup position behind Terry Sawchukin the 1952 playoffs. He didn’t appear in a single game but still had his name placed on the Cup by the Red Wings.
Hall, already decorated a champion, finally usurped Sawchuk in 1955, when the latter was traded to the Boston Bruins. His rookie season was when Hall’s run of consecutive games kicked off. He recorded 30 wins and a .925 save in 70 games that season – enough to take home the 1955 Calder Trophy. Those numbers grew to 38 wins and a .928 save percentage, both league-bests, in his second season. He was named a first-team all-star – then, a way of being named the top goalie.
Despite that status, the Red Wings aimed to find a way to bring back Sawchuk, prompting one of the NHL’s great blockbusters. Detroit sent Hall and forward Ted Lindsay – a veteran of 14 seasons in Detroit – to the Black Hawks in exchange for Bill Preston, Forbes Kennedy, Johnny Wilson, and Hank Bassen.
Hall’s status as one of the league’s best goaltenders continued through his days in Chicago, though his stat line took an initial hit on a club near the bottom of the standings. Hall recorded the most losses in the league in 1957-58, with 39, but still finished the season fifth in Hart Trophy voting. He reduced that to 29 losses in 1958-59, though did lead the league with 208 goals allowed that year. Despite a rocky first two seasons, Hall climbed back to a save percentage north of .915 in his third year, sparking a run of all-star bids that would stretch through the next 11 seasons, save for one year.
Hall became the core piece of a true turnover in Chicago. He began with the club as a proven 26-year-old playing next to a rookie Bobby Hull and bruisers like Eric Nesterenko. 10 seasons later, he was backing the likes of Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, and Dennis Hull (and, still, Nesterenko). That run came to a close in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, when Chicago protected 28-year-old Denis DeJordy over Hall. The veteran would go to the St. Louis Blues with the third-overall pick, after Sawchuk and Bernie Parent were selected with the first two picks.
The Blues would go on to make the Stanley Cup Finals in their first three seasons, largely thanks to Hall’s continued dominance. That run ended in one of the most iconic moments in NHL history, when legendary defenseman Bobby Orr scored his famous “flying goal” on Hall to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup in overtime. Hall played one more season but called his career to a close in 1971. He ended with 906 games played, 407 wins, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals-against-average.
Like many goalies of his era, Hall’s career is remembered with deep admiration. The city of Humboldt, where he began his career, erected a monument to Hall in 2005. He was named a Top 100 hockey player of all-time by The Hockey News in 1998, a status that the league cemented in their inagural top-100 list in 2017. Hall is a true great of the sport who’s name, shutdown ability in an old era, and lack of mask will ring on for many years to come. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Hall’s family, friends, and many fans.
Matthew Tkachuk To Join Panthers On Road Trip, Return Uncertain
The Florida Panthers could receive a superstar addition during their upcoming six-game road-trip through Canada and the American East Coast. Winger Matthew Tkachuk has been practicing with the club for the last week and has a loose target for his return – but hasn’t yet stepped up to full-contact practice – per David Dwork of The Hockey News. Tkachuk added that he may have stretched the truth when he returned from his injury for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tkachuk played in all 23 games of Florida’s run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Tkachuk has taken a long road to recovery for a adductor injury sustained during the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off. He opted to undergo surgery early in September and had an estimated return of January, which he is on track to uphold with a return soon.
The Panthers have found their way to a successful record without Tkachuk and star two-way center Aleksander Barkov this season – but their absences have still been strongly felt. Florida ranks 15th in the NHL in goals scored after finishing first, sixth, and 11th in that mark over the last three seasons. Those finishes – and a dip outside of the top-10 last year – can be largely attributed to Tkachuk’s impact on the top line. The American star recorded 40 goals and 109 points in 79 games of the 2022-23 season, when Florida topped the league in goals. He followed that with 88 points in 2023-24, then 57 points in 52 games last year. All throughout, his mix of top-level skill and unrelenting grit have served to set the tempo of Florida’s forecheck.
Tkachuk didn’t seem to mind the injury in his brief return last season. He scored 23 points in the postseason, continuing a near-point-per-game streak that stretches back to the 2023 postseason. With three months of recovery under his belt, it seems the last step for Tkachuk will be to donn the full-contact jersey and boost his conditioning. The Panthers face tough competition throughout their upcoming road trip, including matchups against the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals. Adding Tkachuk to the lineup against that level of competition would be a quick way to boost Florida’s odds of snapping a recent 2-3-1 skid.
Adding Tkachuk back to the lineup will likely knock Jack Studnicka back to the extra forward role. Studnicka has no points in 14 games this season and has received as few as four minutes of ice time while playing games from his bottom-line role. He’ll be a certain choice to move into a depth position, while A.J. Greer and Eetu Luostarinen could see some knocked minutes in favor of the Panthers’ star.
Jets’ Logan Stanley Suspended One Game
4:30 PM: A second player has received discipline today, as Stanley is suspended one game for yesterday’s actions, per the NHL Department of Player Safety. The decision proves to be Stanley’s first supplemental discipline in the NHL.
An imposing force at 6’7″, the defenseman has really leaned into physicality to make an impact at the highest level. He has already surpassed his career high in penalty minutes, at 82, in just 40 games this season. Stanley will have to miss Tuesday’s home tilt against Vegas, but figures to return Thursday as Winnipeg hosts Edmonton in step two of a five game home stand.
10:40 AM: The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that a second player will have a hearing for actions in a game last night: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley. More specifically, Stanley will have a hearing for roughing committed against Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
The incident in question occurred away from the play, near the Senators’ bench. Stanley and Tkachuk were engaged with one another and Tkachuk ended up losing his helmet in the process. After shoving Stanley, Tkachuk grabbed onto his stick, after which Stanley dropped his gloves and delivered a punch to Tkachuk’s face. In that moment, Tkachuk did not appear to be looking at Stanley when Stanley delivered the punch.
The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie wrote yesterday that the Senators were left “outraged” by the incident and its aftermath, and head coach Travis Green spoke on it after the game, saying: “You never like to see a guy get suckered in the face. It’s unfortunate, we’re lucky he came back. He’s an All-Star player. I’m sure their team wouldn’t be happy if (Kyle) Connor got suckered in the face and there was just a two-minute minor for roughing called.”
Tkachuk managed to finish the game and registered an assist, beating the Jets by a score of 4-2 and handing Winnipeg its ninth straight loss. Based on today’s announcement from the Department of Player Safety, it appears the Jets may be forced to try to end their losing streak without Stanley, as he could miss their next game (or more) with a potential suspension.
Stanley, 27, skated on the Jets’ third pairing last night. He’s been Winnipeg’s No. 5 defenseman in terms of ice time this season, averaging 16:09 per game with only sporadic usage on special teams. He has seven goals and 13 points in 40 games this season, and is playing out the final year of a two-year, $1.25MM AAV contract. Barring an extension, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Team USA Announces 2026 Olympic Roster
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
- LW Matt Boldy (Wild)
- LW Kyle Connor (Jets)
- C Jack Eichel (Golden Knights)
- LW Jake Guentzel (Lightning)
- C Jack Hughes (Devils)
- LW Clayton Keller (Mammoth)
- C Dylan Larkin (Red Wings)
- C Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs)
- C J.T. Miller (Rangers)
- C Brock Nelson (Avalanche)
- RW Tage Thompson (Sabres)
- LW Brady Tkachuk (Senators)
- RW Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)
- C Vincent Trocheck (Rangers)
Defense
- D Brock Faber (Wild)
- D Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights)
- D Quinn Hughes (Wild)
- D Seth Jones (Panthers)
- D Charlie McAvoy (Bruins)
- D Jake Sanderson (Senators)
- D Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes)
- D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)
Goaltenders
- G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)
- G Jake Oettinger (Stars)
- G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
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.
Evening Notes: Hutson, Plante, Sherwood, Leddy
Washington Capitals defense prospect Cole Hutson and Detroit Red Wings prospect Max Plante are both dealing with day-to-day injuries with Team USA at the 2026 World Junior Championship per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Hutson was injuried when a stray puck hit him in the back of the head in Saturday’s game against Switzerland. It was a scary moment that ended with Hutson being carted off the ice and transported to the hospital. Luckily, he left the hospital later that night avoided the worst case scenario. He returned to Team USA’s practice on Monday morning.
Plante hasn’t yet returned to practice after sustaining an injury in the second period of Monday’s game against Slovakia.
Both players sat out of USA’s Wednesday matchup against Team Sweden. The Americans lost that matchup 3-6. Hutson led the 2025 World Juniors in scoring with 11 points in seven games. Plante led the NCAA in scoring before leaving for this tournament. He has 30 points in 20 games. The two are major pillars of the American lineup. Their day-to-day status will be a silver lining as the Americans eye a tough elimination round.
Other notes from around the league:
- The San Jose Sharks have expressed interest in Vancouver Canucks scorer Kiefer Sherwood per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in a recent interview on the FAN Hockey Show. The 30-year-old winger would be an interesting buy for a Sharks club well outside of playoff contention. He has offered Vancouver a unique mix of goal-scoring and heavy-hitting. Sherwood recorded 19 goals, 40 points, and an NHL record 462 hits in 78 games last season. He is continuing in that line this year, with 16 goals and 184 hits in only 39 games. Those numbers put him on pace for 34 goals and 387 hits in 82 games this season. Bringing in that impact could help San Jose protect their young stars and add a bit more veteran shooting to the mix as they eye cheap additions to the lineup.
- Sticking in San Jose, young defender Shakir Mukhamadullin rotated back into the lineup for Nick Leddy in Wednesday’s shootout win over the Minnesota Wild per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. He recorded two shots on goal and no points. The Sharks have rotated between the two defenders over their recent stretch. Mukhamadullin has managed six points, 10 hits, and 21 shot blocks in 21 games. Leddy has three assists and 20 shot blocks in 15 games. The two will continue rotating while San Jose waits on Timothy Liljegren‘s nearing return.