The New Core Four
You might think you know where Leafs Nation is. Perhaps in the downtown arena where the team plays. Perhaps in Maple Leaf Square outside that rink, where fans congregate to watch away games on big screens. Maybe, even, it’s in Florida, where Toronto fans figured out how to get tickets despite a scheme by the Panthers to limit Canadian buyers’ access.
Not Where We Thought We’d Be
Toronto, ON—Sometimes real life interferes with the best-laid plans. Such is the case with the Los Angeles-Edmonton NHL series being played out this week. Inside Hockey happily reported on the third and fourth games, played in LA, bringing you on-the-spot coverage of the Kings as we have done for fifteen years and two Stanley Cups. I was all primed to do game six, happening a full three days off after the prior game, played Tuesday night in Edmonton.
Is Korpisalo McDavid’s Kryptonite?
Is talking about kryptonite still a thing? If so, here’s a question: Are the LA Kings Connor McDavid’s kryptonite? He had to be wondering it himself in advance of Sunday night’s 6pm contest in LA. Why else would he not have taken over the teams’ first-round series that coming into Sunday night saw the Edmonton team down by a game? They could have used his help.
Quiet Building, Loud Game
The arena in Los Angeles was full Friday night. This is a departure from normal, where a full house includes a lot of ghosts in seats that are sold by license. That is, a good deal of the lower bowl—empty. However it happened, there were very few gaps for empty seat...
Which 2023 playoff teams will miss the field next spring? Which non-playoff clubs are ready to make the leap? Here's one for each category by division. [...]
An historic regular season was followed up by postseason heartbreak -- and the retirement of a legend. Here's how the next era begins. [...]
Sportswriter turned NHL executive Chris Snow has died at age 42 after a long battle with ALS. [...]
New Anaheim Ducks forward Alex Killorn will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a broken finger, the team announced Saturday. [...]
Connor Bedard played in his first preseason game with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, and fans of the Original Six franchise were ready. [...]
Minnesota Wild signed forwards Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno to contract extensions on Friday. [...]
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper made it clear that the Lightning will be without a "luxury" with Russian goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to miss the first two months of the [...]
The Ottawa Senators appointed Steve Staios as president of hockey operations on Friday. [...]
Lightning star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to miss the first two months of the regular season after having back surgery. [...]
From young players set to level up to superstar, to those on new teams (or with new teammates), here are 25 picks. [...]
FANTASY HOCKEY
Fantasy Defense Rankings: 2022-23
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect fantasy defenseman than Cale Makar, who combines elite skating and playmaking skills to consistently deliver point-per-game (or better) production from the blue line. Perhaps most importantly, he plays for an excellent Avalanche team, ensuring that his plus-minus rating should be a help as well.
Fantasy Goalie Rankings: 2022-23
It will be difficult for Igor Shesterkin to top his terrific Vezina Trophy-winning season, but with a young roster jelling in front of him, their improvements could make his job quite a bit easier. In particular, more goal-scoring support could certainly help improve his regular season won-loss record.
Connor missed practice Saturday with an illness, according to Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update. [...]
Vilardi didn't take part in Saturday's practice because of an illness, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update. [...]
Gibson (upper body) is fine after leaving Friday's game against the Kings in the second period and should be ready for the start of the regular season, according to Eric [...]
Killorn is expected to be unavailable for four-to-six weeks after suffering a fractured finger in Wednesday's preseason contest versus San Jose. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update. [...]
Matheson (lower body) skated Saturday, Patrick Friolet of RDS.ca reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update. [...]
NCAA HOCKEY
Don Adam Out as Director of Officiating
During the summer months, not a lot happens in college hockey. We're kind of in the dead period before the 2023-24 season begins. Sure, you have roster moves and coaching additions and subtractions, but there's not a lot is going on. After a relatively uneventful...
Former UND Hockey Players in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Who from Nodak Nation is going to be playing in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs? At first look, it doesn't appear there will be a lot of former UND hockey players playing for Lord Stanley's Cup. More on that later. NoDakSens During the University of North Dakota Hockey...
Last year, Quinnipiac proved once again that all the high-end, highly-drafted elite talent in the world can be overcome by a well-honed, experienced college hockey team [...]
Cole Eiserman, one of the top 2006-born players in the United States, has decommited from Minnesota, according to New England Hockey Journal. He was expected to play there starting in [...]
Austen Swankler, who left Bowling Green with just weeks to go before the start of the season, announced he has committed to CCHA rival Michigan Tech [...]
Providence and Holy Cross applied for a waiver to play an exhibition game before the official start of the college hockey season (Oct. 7) but had that waiver denied by [...]
Nic Kerdiles, who played two seasons for Wisconsin before turning pro, was killed in a motorcycle accident early Saturday morning, according to the Nashville Police Department. He was 29 [...]
Austen Swankler, the standout forward who has since entered the transfer portal, took to social media Friday to say he was a victim of hazing at Bowling Green [...]
The more things change, the more things stay the same. That should be true, at least for the top of the college hockey food chain. Four top-five teams in our [...]
Doug Christiansen, who played at Union from 1998 to 2002, took over as ECAC commissioner from Steve Hagwell during the offseason. A Wisconsin native, Christiansen coached in the USHL and [...]
HOCKEY VIDEO GAMES
NHL 23 Coming on October 14th
EA Sports’ annual hockey video game – NHL 23 – will be released on October 14th, and as always, Inside Hockey will be here to cover it. The cover athletes for NHL 23 are Trevor Zegras (Anaheim Ducks) and Sarah Nurse (Team Canada). Nurse is the first woman to appear on the cover of the EA NHL hockey video game.
Review: NHL 22 Makes Huge Strides
It’s been 30 years since Electronic Arts released the original NHL Hockey for the Sega Genesis, and each year since, an updated version of the game has built upon its predecessor. This year’s game manages to hit on all fronts, offering a huge leap forward with regard to both presentation and gameplay.
HOCKEY HISTORY
Hockey History: When the NHL Cracked Down on Gambling
On March 9, 1948, NHL President Clarence Campbell announced that Billy Taylor of the New York Rangers and Don Gallinger of the Boston Bruins would be banned for life for betting on hockey games. Campbell claimed to have conclusive evidence that Taylor was involved with a known criminal and gambler.
Retro Rangers: Remembering “Leapin’ Louie” Fontinato
“Leapin’ Louie” Fontinato was one of the most popular players to ever don a New York Rangers sweater. The 6-1. 195 pound defenseman was born in January 1932 in Guelph, Ontario and came up through the Guelph Biltmore pipeline that provided the Rangers with so many young prospects such as Harry Howell, Dean Prentice, Ron Murphy and later Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert.
NHL Hockey Jerseys
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