International Notes: Worlds, IIHF Hall Of Fame, Subban
Sunday represented the end of the 2026 World Championship, with Finland taking on the host Switzerland in the Gold Medal Game. After the game was goalless in regulation, both teams drew iron with shots in first four minutes of overtime. Then, a little past the midway mark of overtime, Konsta Helenius (a late-event addition after the Sabres were eliminated from the playoffs) was able to beat Leonardo Genoni to give Finland the Gold. It’s the third straight year that the Swiss squad has made the championship game and the third straight time they failed to score a goal. Although they came up short, Predators defenseman Roman Josi was named tournament MVP.
Meanwhile, in the Bronze Medal Game, Norway pulled off the upset, overcoming a blown two-goal lead with less than two minutes to go to beat Canada 3-2 in overtime. The winner was scored by Lightning prospect Noah Steen, who finished off the season in the minors with Syracuse. Heading into the tournament, Norway’s best finish came all the way back in 1951 when they finished fourth. It’s their first-ever medal in any IIHF top-division tournament. Canada, meanwhile, has now failed to secure a medal for the third straight year.
Other news from the world of international hockey:
- As is customary on the final day of the tournament, the IIHF revealed its 2026 Hall of Fame Class. A trio of former NHL players are among the class: center Patrice Bergeron, winger Thomas Vanek, and defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Winger Andres Ambuhl, briefly a Rangers prospect, was also among this year’s class with the mandatory waiting period being waived; he played in a record 20 World Championship events for the Swiss. Former NHL head coach Ralph Krueger along with Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Florence Schelling, and outgoing IIHF President Luc Tardif round out the class.
- After failing to land a deal in North America at the start of the season, Malcolm Subban had to wait a little more than a month before he landed a deal in Czechia. He didn’t play a ton (just 11 games between two leagues) but he did well enough for the league champions to stick around. HC Dynamo Pardubice announced that they’ve inked the 32-year-old for the upcoming season. Subban is only a couple of years removed from being pressed into NHL action but with limited playing time since then, it’s looking less likely that he’ll receive another opportunity at the top level.
Theo Rochette Generating NHL Interest
This is the time of year when we start to see a lot of activity on the international front as players move during the transfer window. One of those could be Swiss forward Theo Rochette, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week in a 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that a few NHL teams appear to be taking a look at Rochette.
The 24-year-old was a prolific producer in the QMJHL. Over five seasons between Chicoutimi and Quebec, Rochette posted 115 goals and 202 assists in 271 regular season games while staying above the point-per-game mark in the playoffs as well. While he went undrafted, he seemed like a realistic candidate to sign an entry-level deal and start off at the AHL level.
But Rochette had other plans. He instead signed a two-year deal with HC Lausanne in 2023, then inked a five-year extension after that, keeping him signed through 2030-31. In three seasons with the club, he has notched at least 30 points in each of them and had his best showing in 2025-26, tallying 22 goals and 21 assists in 46 games. That earned Rochette a spot on Switzerland’s entry for the World Championship where he has been productive in a depth role, recording five points in eight games heading into today’s semi-final action.
Clearly, there is an NHL out clause in his current contract that will give Rochette an opportunity to take a shot at playing in North America. Considering the security he has in his current contract, it seems reasonable to think that if Rochette opts to sign, he’ll be going somewhere where he has a chance to play regularly in the NHL. If not, staying and playing at home would make more sense so it wouldn’t be shocking if Rochette is particularly selective when considering offers from interested teams.
Evan Bouchard Out For Remainder Of World Championship
While Canada will continue on at the World Championship following a quarterfinal victory over the United States today, they’ll be doing so without a key blueliner. In an appearance on Oilers Now (audio link), Oilers GM Stan Bowman confirmed that defenseman Evan Bouchard is out for the rest of the tournament due to injury.
That injury was sustained in today’s contest. In the first period, he received a hit to the head from blueliner Ryan Lindgren and appeared to briefly lose consciousness. He was eventually helped off the ice and did not return while Lindgren received a match penalty for the infraction.
Bouchard was believed to be playing through concussion-like symptoms during their opening-round series against Anaheim and if that’s the case, it’s safe to say that Edmonton’s preference, regardless of the severity of the hit, would be to shut him down. Bowman indicated that while Bouchard is injured, it’s not as bad as it initially looked and he should be fine for the start of training camp.
Bouchard found a new gear offensively this season in Edmonton, blasting past his previously career highs by tallying 21 goals and 74 assists in 82 games. Despite playing at less than full strength in the postseason, he still chipped in with a goal and six helpers in their six-game loss. Meanwhile, points were a little harder to come by in this tournament although Bouchard is tied for the team lead in points (with Oilers teammate Darnell Nurse) with six points in eight outings although he won’t be adding to that number now.
If Canada can find a replacement player, they are eligible to remove Bouchard from their active roster and put the new player on it. Given that they kept an open spot until just today (when Sam Dickinson was added to the roster), it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to do so. Instead, Dickinson will likely make his tournament debut in the semifinal on Saturday against Finland.
Prospect Notes: Frondell, Flames, Stars
Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell was injured in Sweden’s game against Italy on Friday, notes Hockeysverige’s Andreas Larsson. With around six minutes left, he was bumped into a partially open door at the bench and ultimately did not return. His availability for their game today against Norway is uncertain. Frondell made quite the impression when he got to the NHL back in March, putting up nine points in 12 games down the stretch and appears poised to be a Calder Trophy contender next season. The 19-year-old has two assists in two games so far at the Worlds while averaging just under 14 minutes per game of ice time.
Other prospect news from around the hockey world:
- This season, the Flames signed multiple college prospects late in the year and that might be the plan next season as well. Flames Nation’s Ryan Pyke mentions (Twitter link) that forwards Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, and Ethan Wyttenbach are all candidates to sign late in the season; accordingly, Calgary will need to leave ample room on the 50-contract limit and factor that into their offseason planning. Reschny and Potter were first-round picks last season while Wyttenbach, a fifth-round selection, was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in his first NCAA campaign.
- The Stars have invited undrafted forward Justin Larose to their upcoming development camp, notes Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 21-year-old wrapped up his junior career with QMJHL Newfoundland this season, potting 32 goals and 56 assists in 64 games while adding nine more in 12 playoff contests. He has already committed to play for the University of Michigan next season although a strong showing in camp could plausibly earn Larose an entry-level deal to change his plans.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard To Join Norway At Worlds
Midway through the World Championship, Norway will get a significant boost to its roster. NHL.com’s Patrick Williams reports (Twitter link) that winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard will fly to Switzerland to join the team for the rest of the tournament.
The 20-year-old got his first taste of NHL action this season, getting into 14 games for the Red Wings where he picked up his first point, an assist, while averaging 12:31 of ice time. Brandsegg-Nygard was much more productive in the minors, however, as he potted 20 goals and 24 assists in 60 games with AHL Grand Rapids in his first full season in North America.
Brandsegg-Nygard wasn’t expected to be available to suit up in this tournament with the Griffins being the top team in the Western Conference this season and the top seed left in the AHL playoffs after Providence was ousted early. However, Grand Rapids saw their playoff run come to an end last night, opening up the opportunity for the youngster to represent his country after putting up eight points in eight postseason contests.
Brandsegg-Nygard, the 15th overall pick back in 2024, becomes just the fifth NHL-affiliated player on the Norwegian roster. He’s the lone one of the five with NHL experience under his belt and is just one of two first-rounders, the other being Anaheim’s Stian Solberg (selected eight spots after Brandsegg-Nygard that year). Norway sits fifth in their pool standings at the moment and needs to get to fourth to qualify for the quarterfinals so they’ll be counting on Brandsegg-Nygard to come in and immediately be a key contributor.
Snapshots: Gauthier, Lee, Genborg
Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier sustained two fractured vertebrae late in the regular season and played through it in the playoffs, reports Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link). The 22-year-old had a great sophomore year, tallying 41 goals and 28 assists in 76 games to lead Anaheim in scoring. Even while playing through the injury in the postseason, Gauthier led the Ducks in scoring there as well, picking up four goals and eight helpers in 12 appearances, a strong end to his year before he reaches restricted free agency this summer.
On that front, Eric Stephens of The Athletic notes that talks on a new contract have yet to start. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has quickly earned a reputation for being a tough negotiator, with several prominent contracts dragging out into training camp in recent years, including this season with Mason McTavish. He also has Leo Carlsson as a prominent pending RFA. Gauthier is someone who Anaheim would likely want to sign to a long-term deal, with AFP Analytics suggesting that a seven-year pact could check in at around $8.5MM per season. We’ll see if this will be something that gets worked out quicker than their recent summer talks.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Predators prospect Ryker Lee won’t suit up for Team USA at the Worlds after all, relays FloHockey’s Chris Peters (Twitter link). Named to the original squad, he only played in pre-tournament action and was never formally added to the roster. That leaves an open spot for them to fill over the coming days, speculatively being someone who just has been or will soon be eliminated from the playoffs. Lee, the 26th overall pick last June, had 15 goals and 15 assists in 35 games in his freshman year at Michigan State.
- Red Wings prospect Eddie Genborg has been released from his ATO with AHL Grand Rapids, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 19-year-old spent this season with SHL Timra, picking up 25 points in 43 games and then joined the Griffins in March after signing his entry-level deal. A 2025 second-round pick, Genborg played in 13 games during the regular season for them, picking up a goal and two assists while suiting up a couple of weeks ago for one playoff contest. However, he sustained an injury and hadn’t played since. Now, his season has come to an end and he will likely return to Grand Rapids for the 2026-27 campaign.
Evening Notes: Avalanche, Trocheck, World Championship
Yesterday, Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar called Cale Makar, Josh Manson, Brent Burns, and Artturi Lehkonen day-to-day, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. However, after today’s skate, Bednar has a positive update this afternoon on their current injury list, saying, “I think everyone is going to be available, but we will see.”
During this afternoon’s skate, Manson was on the ice in a regular jersey, which is a great sign. Additionally, Sam Malinski, who had been skating in a non-contact jersey, returned to full participation today, though he has not been listed day-to-day. Makar, Burns, and Lehkonen were still not on the ice. Taking necessary precautions with a banged-up D-corps, defenseman Alex Gagne was at practice with the Avalanche today.
The Avalanche still have two days off before they begin their Western Conference Final matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night. The Avalanche bested Vegas in their regular-season meetings this year, going 2-0-1. However, when they last met in Round 2 of the 2021 postseason, Vegas eliminated Colorado in six games. With a Cup Final appearance on the line, the extra rest could prove pivotal for a banged-up Avs squad.
Additional evening notes:
- New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck’s name has been circulating amongst trade rumors for some time now. The Rangers are trying to get rid of his contract, per Darren Dreger of TSN, which has three more years remaining at a $5.63MM AAV. The original asking price for the 32-year-old center was a first-round pick, a top-level prospect, and an additional asset, and according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, that remains unchanged. It is no secret that teams around the NHL are always interested in a first or second-line center, as they seldom become available, so this will be an intriguing story to follow throughout the summer. Trocheck had 16 goals and 53 points in 67 games last season.
- Day three of the IIHF Men’s World Championship concluded this afternoon in Switzerland. Through two games, Group A is led by Austria, Finland, and Switzerland, tied with six points each, with Austria holding the tiebreaker in goal differential. Group B sees a similar logjam at the top, as Canada and Slovakia are also deadlocked at six points apiece, with Canada owning the tiebreaker. Team USA bounced back this afternoon with a 5-1 victory against Great Britain after suffering a tournament-opening loss to the Swiss on Friday. Former NHL forward Jesse Puljujärvi leads the tournament in scoring through two games with three goals and five points. The action starts back up for day four tomorrow with Finland vs USA and Canada vs Denmark, both starting at 9:20 AM CST.
Evening Notes: Kuemper, Granlund, Avalanche
Heading into the offseason, the Los Angeles Kings will have just over $18MM in cap space. Los Angeles will use some of that to retain defenseman Brandt Clarke, and could burn through much of the rest if they wish to retain Andrei Kuzmenko, Scott Laughton, and Mathieu Joseph.
In a new article on Mayor’s Manor, Scott Coffman opined that the Kings could look to move netminder Darcy Kuemper to open up additional breathing room and pursue a top-six center. Kuemper, 36, managed a 19-14-15 record in 50 games this past season with a .891 SV%. Additionally, he’s one year removed from being a Vezina Trophy finalist and one year remaining on his contract.
Despite Anton Forsberg‘s strong performance last season, Los Angeles lacks a reliable starting goaltender if they trade Kuemper. However, they could form a competent goaltending committee. Erik Portillo is signed through next season, and the Kings brought in another prospect, Hampton Slukynsky, after his collegiate season ended. It would be putting a lot of faith in a pair of unproven talents at the NHL level, but it might be a risk the Kings have to take.
Additional evening notes:
- Now that the Anaheim Ducks’ season has ended, it was expected that a few players could make their way to Switzerland for the IIHF World Championships. One of them has done just that, as it was announced that Mikael Granlund will be joining Team Finland for the remainder of the tournament. Although he didn’t play for his home country last spring, Granlund represented Finland well at the Olympic Games in February, scoring one goal and three points in six games.
- Earlier today, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports reported that Cale Makar, Josh Manson, Brent Burns, and Artturi Lehkonen are all nursing day-to-day injuries for the Colorado Avalanche. Despite Game 1 of the Western Conference Final being four days away, each of the injured members of the Avalanche is expected to play.
Blackhawks’ Teuvo Teravainen To Miss Remainder Of World Championship
Winger Teuvo Teravainen will miss the remainder of the 2026 IIHF World Championship with an undisclosed injury, Team Finland announced on Saturday. Teravainen recorded two assists in Finland’s win over Team Germany to start the tournament.
This will be an irreplaceable loss for the Finns. Teravainen led the team in scoring at the 2025 World Championships with 11 points – including a tournament-leading 10 assists – in seven games. He failed to keep that hot scoring rolling in the 2026 Winter Olympics, with just one point in six games. Still, Teravainen’s two-way, veteran presence has proved to be a reliable part of Finland’s top-six.
That is the same role he has brought to the Chicago Blackhawks over the last two seasons. He reached 58 points in the 2024-25 season, his first year back on the middling Blackhawks lineup. Those numbers fell to 35 points in 76 games this year, though Teravainen still seemed to stand out on a nightly basis while supporting Blackhawks youngsters Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.
Teravainen’s summer focus will now turn towards working back to full health before returning to that spot in Chicago’s lineup next season. It will be the final year on his current contract and should go better than last season, thanks to the addition of Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov.
Team Canada Notes: Crosby, Barzal, Mercer
Sidney Crosby will join Team Canada at the IIHF Men’s World Championship tournament, Hockey Canada announced today. Crosby’s decision marks the second consecutive season in which the Penguins’ captain has decided to head to IIHF Worlds. Crosby scored 12 points in eight games at last year’s edition of the tournament, although Canada was upset in the quarterfinals by Denmark. One of the game’s greatest players of all time, Crosby has already represented Canada on numerous occasions. He’s a member of the Triple Gold Club, meaning he has won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, and IIHF World Championship.
Crosby joins a Canada roster that is already looking like the strongest in the tournament by a wide margin. The Canadians are set to be captained by 2024 No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini. It is unclear if Celebrini will hand over the captaincy to Crosby, who has served as captain for Canada every time he’s represented them over the past decade. If nothing else, it would be quite the sight to see Celebrini, 19, serving as Crosby’s captain. In any case, the announcement is a good sign for Crosby’s health. He briefly left the bench during game five of the Penguins’ first-round loss to the Flyers to get his knee checked, but it appears that he has not suffered an injury of any sort.
Other notes from Hockey Canada:
- While Canada has added one of the game’s top forwards in Crosby, they’ve also lost another premier NHL forward: Mathew Barzal. The New York Islanders star will miss IIHF Worlds as what Hockey Canada describes as “a precaution” due to a “minor, pre-existing injury.” Barzal, who scored 19 goals and 72 points this past season, has played at two prior IIHF Worlds tournaments. He scored eight points in nine games during the 2022 tournament, and had seven points in 10 games at the 2018 championship. He won a silver medal for Canada in 2022 but is still waiting on his first gold.
- Team Canada also added another forward from the Metropolitan Division today: Dawson Mercer of the New Jersey Devils. Like Barzal, Mercer has also represented Canada at IIHF Worlds on two occasions: first in 2022, and again in 2024. Mercer won a silver medal with Barzal in 2022 and has scored nine points in 19 career games at the World Championships. The 24-year-old can play both center and on the wing, and scored 20 goals and 42 points for New Jersey this past season.