Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews finally revealed why he missed the 2020-21 NHL season, saying he had "chronic immune response syndrome."

In a video announcing his return to the team on Wednesday, the team captain said: "Honestly, I haven't taken this much time off the ice probably ever, since I was a kid at least, so it's definitely nice to be back in Chicago, see some of the guys again, and slowly and surely settle into the life and routine again.

Toews said he looks forward to playing in front of fans at United Center next season.

Scott O'Neil, the CEO of the parent company that owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, has resigned after an eight-year run in which he shepherded The Process and the Prudential Center.

O'Neil announced Wednesday he was leaving Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment after he helped lead scores of projects under the HBSE banner such as the Grammy Museum at the Prudential Center and the creation of a state-of-the-art Sixers complex, both in New Jersey.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid won the Hart Trophy as NHL's MVP, becoming only the second player in the 97-year history of the award to win it unanimously.

McDavid placed first on all 100 ballots from the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Previously, only Wayne Gretzky won the Hart unanimously back in 1981-82, also with the Oilers.

Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia is traveling to Tampa on a private jet and will be a game-time decision for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, interim coach Luke Richardson said Monday.

Armia did not travel with the team originally as he was in the COVID-19 protocol. By announcing he could be available Monday night, Richardson implied that Armia had tested negative to clear the protocol.

"He got clearance, so we're excited to have him join us," Richardson said. "But we'll have to make all those decisions around game time because we don't know when everybody's getting here and who will be ready."

Montreal Canadiens winger Joel Armia will not travel with the team to Florida as it prepares for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning after entering the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, general manager Marc Bergevin announced Sunday.

It's unclear how long Armia will be in the protocol or whether he tested positive. He has not yet been ruled out for Game 1 of the series, which begins Monday night at 8.

Six-time Stanley Cup Champion Mark Messier is joining ESPN with a multiyear agreement to contribute to the network's NHL coverage, beginning next season.

Messier will be a studio analyst when NHL games return to ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu for the 2021-22 season.

Longtime coach Benoit Allaire was hired Thursday as the New York Rangers' director of goaltending, one of several moves by new general manager Chris Drury to reshape the hockey operations department.

Drury also promoted Jeff Malcolm to Hartford Wolf Pack goaltending coach, named Jean-Ian Filiatrault as the goaltending consultant in the player development department and hired Matt Hunwick to work in the hockey operations' player development department.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had no update on the health of leading scorer Nikita Kucherov, who was injured on his first shift of their Game 6 loss Wednesday night.

The Islanders won the game, 3-2 in overtime, to force Game 7 on Friday night in Tampa, Florida.

"It sucks to lose Kuch like that early," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said of Kucherov, who leads all playoff scorers with 27 points in 17 games. "Guys battled. We played short the rest of the game."

The Seattle Kraken have named Dave Hakstol as their first head coach.

Hakstol, 52, was an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the past two seasons. He previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers for three and a half seasons, before he was fired in the 2018-19 season. When he was hired by Philadelphia in 2015, Hakstol -- a longtime coach at the University of North Dakota -- became the first coach to jump from the NCAA to the NHL in 33 years.

Daniel and Henrik Sedin are returning to the Vancouver Canucks to work in the front office.

Three years after their retirement, the Swedish twins joined the Canucks' hockey operations department with the title of special adviser to the general manager, Jim Benning.