National Hockey League
Hockey History: How Guy Lafleur Became a Montreal Canadien
National Hockey League General Managers are not usually know for being altruistic. They rarely voluntarily reach out to strengthen a rival team, but when they do there’s usually a hidden agenda behind their action. But in January of 1971 when Montreal GM Sam Pollack sent veteran center Ralph Backstrom to the Los Angeles Kings, there was nothing at all hidden about his agenda.
Safe in Anaheim
The Anaheim Ducks haven’t made the playoffs in years, though they’ve had an influx of talent of late and certainly have high expectations for their squad. Now, they’ve done what they think is the next logical thing in their progress back to the post-season and maybe, someday, to the Stanley Cup. That move is to hire Joel Quenneville as Head Coach.
Playing Three Third Periods
The LA Kings would be best advised to secure all future wins early, because if they’ve proved one thing in the first five games in their series with the Edmonton Oilers, it’s that they are not capable of securing much of anything late.
Panthers Finish Lightning to Assume NHL Playoffs Path
The Florida Panthers seemed to always have the elixir for whatever Tampa Bay threw at them throughout their 4-1 domination of the opening round of the NHL Playoffs. Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen posted a goal and three assists as Florida took a 6-3 win to clinch...
Kings Romp To 2-0 Series Lead
Would the late-awakened beast known as Connor-Leon be alive two days after their near come-from-behind victory of Monday in Los Angeles? That’s the question people who filled the LA home of hockey had on Wednesday after the Kings won 6-5 in game one of the two teams’ playoff series.
Panthers’ Defense Stalls Lightning in 2-0 Win
An extreme hush draped Amalie Arena as the Florida Panthers maintained a 1-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning midway through the third period. Living through every shift was a test of will for the denizens who had hoped to see the Bolts draw even after the Game 1 loss.

From the Sharks to the Stars, here are 12 teams most impacted by offseason moves -- for better and for worse. [...]
How well has each GM done so far this summer? The grades are in, from one A+ down to a D. [...]
The Penguins shored up the goaltending position, acquiring Arturs Silovs from the Canucks in exchange for forward Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick. [...]
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded rugged forward Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday for defenseman Henry Thrun. [...]
The Avalanche signed defenseman Josh Manson to a two-year contract extension through 2027-28 on Thursday. [...]
The Stars and Penguins swapped defensemen Thursday with Dallas sending Matt Dumba to Pittsburgh in return for Vladislav Kolyachonok and a 2028 second-round pick. [...]
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have re-signed forward Mackie Samoskevich to a one-year deal, the team announced Thursday. [...]
The Lightning traded reigning Hobey Baker award winner Isaac Howard to the Oilers Tuesday for prospect center Sam O'Reilly. [...]
Gavin McKenna, 17, the projected No. 1 pick of 2026 NHL draft, is committing to Penn State, he announced on 'SportsCenter' on Tuesday, telling ESPN that he feels "this is [...]
Start preparing for 2025-26 fantasy hockey drafts, with rankings for the top players broken down by position. [...]
Did someone say sports trivia? As "SportsCenter" continues its summer road trip, we're back for our third "state check." [...]
Our updated list features details on every player signed beginning on June 30. [...]
The Phoenix Suns shooting guard's deal gives him the richest average salary in NBA history. [...]
The Avalanche added former Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol to their staff Tuesday as an assistant to boost a power-play unit that struggled in the postseason. [...]
The NHL and NHL Players' Association have ratified their four-year extension of the CBA, which includes an 84-game regular season, through 2030. [...]
The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain, 25, who set a career high of 27 points while playing in all 82 games last season, to a five-year contract worth $21.25 [...]
