The Pittsburgh Penguins will mandate neck protection for their AHL and ECHL teams while urging players at the NHL level will do the same, coach Mike Sullivan told reporters Tuesday.

The decision to mandate neck protection for farm teams comes days after the death of former Penguins forward Adam Johnson. He was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in England's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) when his throat was cut by a skate blade during a collision in a Champions Cup game Saturday against the Sheffield Steelers.

The Boston Bruins are keeping Matthew Poitras.

Boston had until Tuesday to decide whether the 19-year-old rookie would remain with the NHL club beyond nine games -- and kick in the first year of his entry-level contract -- or return to the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm.

Bruins' coach Jim Montgomery didn't need long after practice wrapped Tuesday to summarize Poitras' status:

"He's sticking around. He just belongs."

Captain Connor McDavid returned from injury on Sunday night, and the Edmonton Oilers defeated the rival Calgary Flames 5-2 in the NHL's Heritage Classic outdoor game.

McDavid, 26, a three-time Hart Trophy recipient initially thought to be out for one to two weeks with an upper-body injury, returned early and rejoined a struggling team that had lost four in a row before Sunday's offensive breakout.

"It's such a unique experience, maybe it's something you get to experience once or twice, if you're lucky," McDavid said of the outdoor atmosphere. "You just try to soak it all in. And obviously, it was a big win for our group."

Former NHL player Adam Johnson died after a "freak accident" during his English team's game Saturday. He was 29.

The Nottingham Panthers, who play in England's Elite Ice Hockey League, announced Sunday that the organization is "heartbroken at the news of Adam's passing."

Officials stopped the Panthers' game Saturday against the Sheffield Steelers after Johnson was involved in a collision on the ice during the second period. Johnson received emergency treatment on the ice, and players eventually returned to the locker room after he was taken to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital.

Joe Thornton has officially announced his retirement from the NHL following a 24-year career as one of the game's top playmakers.

The 44-year-old Thornton hadn't played since the 2021-22 season with Florida but hadn't made an official declaration about his plans until releasing a video Saturday through the San Jose Sharks.

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic was placed on long-term injured reserve Saturday.

Lucic has missed the Bruins' past two games due to a lower-body injury he sustained after taking a puck to the ankle during Boston's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 21.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton will have a hearing with the NHL department of player safety on Saturday following his illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier.

The Ottawa Senators placed star defenseman Thomas Chabot on long-term injured reserve Saturday morning.

Chabot is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks with a fractured hand, coach D.J. Smith announced Friday. Chabot was injured while blocking a shot early in the second period of Ottawa's 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday

 The Carolina Hurricanes have activated forward Andrei Svechnikov from injured reserve.

The team announced the move Friday, hours before facing the San Jose Sharks at home. Svechnikov suffered a serious knee injury last season, sidelining him for the last part of the regular season and the team's push to the Eastern Conference final in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett, who has yet to play this season, has returned to practice and could be back in the lineup when Florida hosts the Seattle Kraken in Sunrise on Saturday night.

Bennett, who scored 44 goals over the past two seasons, sustained a lower-body injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning in an Oct. 5 preseason game.

"It feels great," Bennett said of his recovery. "When you've been out for a while, you really miss being out there."