June 2025 - Hockey Wiretap

San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini was named to Canada's 25-player men's hockey roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Hockey Canada announced Wednesday.

Celebrini, 19, is third in NHL scoring behind fellow Canadians Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. He is one of six additions to the group that won the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last February.

The Sharks center joins a star-studded roster that includes McDavid, MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Brayden Point and Sam Reinhart. Canada plays its first Olympic game on February 12 against Czechia.

Six New Faces Added From 4 Nations Squad
Other newcomers at forward include Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens, Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders and Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals. Canada kept its 4 Nations defensive corps intact but made two goaltending changes.

Logan Thompson of Washington and Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings will join Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. They replace Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal's Sam Montembeault.

The 4 Nations forwards who did not make the Olympic team are Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers, Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers and Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Notable Omissions Include Bedard, Scheifele
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, currently out with an upper-body injury, was not selected. Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele, Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer were also left off the roster.

With the NHL returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014, only two players have past Olympic experience. Sidney Crosby, 38, and Drew Doughty, 36, are the lone veterans from previous Winter Games.

Canada's 2026 Olympic Roster

Forwards:
• Macklin Celebrini (San Jose)
• Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay)
• Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh)
• Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay)
• Bo Horvat (New York Islanders)
• Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado)
• Brad Marchand (Florida)
• Mitch Marner (Vegas)
• Connor McDavid (Edmonton)
• Brayden Point (Tampa Bay)
• Sam Reinhart (Florida)
• Mark Stone (Vegas)
• Nick Suzuki (Montreal)
• Tom Wilson (Washington)

Defensemen:
• Drew Doughty (Los Angeles)
• Thomas Harley (Dallas)
• Cale Makar (Colorado)
• Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg)
• Colton Parayko (St. Louis)
• Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia)
• Shea Theodore (Vegas)
• Devon Toews (Colorado)

Goaltenders:
• Jordan Binnington (St. Louis)
• Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles)
• Logan Thompson (Washington)

The NHL is experiencing unprecedented competitive balance at the season's midpoint, with 27 teams holding a points percentage of .500 or better, compared to 23 at the same point last season.

All 16 Eastern Conference teams sit at .500 or above and are separated by just 11 standings points. No Eastern team trails the final playoff spot by more than four points.

The Western Conference shows more separation, with five teams below .500 and 31 points between the leading Avalanche and last-place Blackhawks. Still, the overall clustering represents a historic shift in NHL competitiveness.

The league's hard salary cap of $95.5 million remains a primary factor in the heightened parity. This season's compressed schedule due to the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy has also contributed to the standings congestion.

"You look at the standings and if you're on the top of the mountain, you're really not on top of the mountain," Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. "You're in the middle of the forest. It's so tight."

Team transitions have further tightened the standings. The Sharks, last season's worst team, have surged into playoff contention behind teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini's scoring production.

The widespread competitiveness is boosting the league's core business metrics. Attendance has risen slightly, while many local and national broadcasters report viewership increases in double-digit percentages.

Buffalo exemplifies the competitive surge with a nine-game winning streak following Jarmo Kekäläinen's appointment as general manager earlier this month. The Sabres will pursue a franchise-record-tying 10th consecutive victory Wednesday in Dallas.

"It's a pretty good vibe around here, eh?" Sabres wing Zach Benson said. "It's awesome to be a part of and [we're] just looking to keep going here."

Buffalo's last two home games at KeyBank Center sold out, marking a significant turnaround in what had been one of the NHL's weaker attendance markets.

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun has scored 15 goals in his first 38 games this season, leading all NHL defensemen and putting him on pace to break Kevin Hatcher's franchise record of 34 goals by a defenseman set in 1992-93, according to ESPN.

The 27-year-old's performance has reportedly caught the attention of Team Canada as they finalize their roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Chychrun signed an eight-year, $72 million extension with Washington in March and has responded with one of his best starts to a season.

"This guy's ability to finish from the back end is incredibly unique, even at this level," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "His ability to beat goalies clean with his snapshot or wrist shot is as elite as there is."

Chychrun has tallied 35 goals and 41 assists in his past 112 games while skating to a plus-39 rating. He averages upwards of 25 minutes per game and quarterbacks the power play while thriving against opponents' top lines.

"He scores big goals. He scores game-winning goals. He scores overtime goals," Capitals president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan said. "He's just been a big player for us, a big presence."

MacLellan acknowledged lobbying Team Canada management about Chychrun's candidacy for the 2026 Games. The Capitals executive said he has emphasized how well Chychrun has played over the past two years since joining Washington.

"He's got some philosophical things that are probably a little on the edge of most people," MacLellan said. "He's a little quirky."

Chychrun holds dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship but grew up playing for Canadian junior teams. He wasn't invited to Olympic orientation camp this summer and said the selection process hasn't weighed on him.

"I feel like nobody really expected me to make that team or anything," Chychrun said. "It's not like I was putting pressure on myself to show that I deserve to be there."

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov on Monday, hoping the 24-year-old can fulfill his potential with a change in scenery.

The Penguins sent forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick that originally belonged to St. Louis and a 2027 third-round pick that originally belonged to Washington to the Blue Jackets for Chinakhov. Heinen, 30, is a 10-year NHL veteran who cleared waivers earlier Monday. He has been assigned to the AHL by Columbus.

The Tampa Bay Lightning secured a key piece of their defensive core by signing J.J. Moser to an eight-year contract extension worth $6.75 million annually. The deal was announced hours before the team's game against the Florida Panthers.

Moser becomes the fourth defenseman and 10th player overall on Tampa Bay's roster signed beyond three years, according to PuckPedia. That group includes Anthony Cirelli, Jake Guentzel, captain Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh.

The 25-year-old defenseman has become one of coach Jon Cooper's most trusted players during a season plagued by injuries. Moser leads Tampa Bay with 21 minutes, 41 seconds of average ice time and has appeared in 34 of 36 games.

His consistency has provided crucial stability while top-four defensemen Eric Cernak, Hedman and McDonagh have missed significant time. Each player had appeared in fewer than 20 games entering Saturday's contest.

Moser has tallied three goals and 12 points this season, sitting three points shy of his 54-game total from last year's campaign with Tampa Bay.

The Lightning acquired Moser in June 2024 as part of the trade that sent star defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. Tampa Bay also received prospect Conor Geekie and multiple draft picks in the deal.

"It's a significant commitment to a player who has proven himself under difficult circumstances," a team source said.

The extension comes as Tampa Bay (20-13-3) sits third in the Atlantic Division, four points behind first-place Detroit. The Lightning are also tied with Washington for an Eastern Conference wild-card position.

Moser will represent Switzerland at the upcoming Olympics, joining 10 other active Swiss NHL players including Kevin Fiala, Nico Hischier, Roman Josi and Timo Meier.

Max Domi scored the winner with 8:25 remaining to snap a 23-game goalless streak and added an assist to end the Toronto Maple Leafs' three-game slide with a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Domi danced around Pittsburgh newcomer Brett Kulak for the deciding goal, a few hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence for the second time this season.

"I support Craig fully. When you go through rough stretches, that's part of the business," he said. "There isn't a disconnect. We all need to be better, we all recognize that, but I think we got a really good coach."

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired assistant coach Marc Savard on Monday as the team sits second to last in the Eastern Conference. The move comes after Toronto lost four of its past five games, including back-to-back losses over the weekend.

Savard ran the Maple Leafs' power play, which currently ranks worst in the league at 13.3 percent. Toronto has recorded the same number of power-play goals as shorthanded goals allowed through 10 December games with two each on 27 opportunities.

The former NHL forward joined Toronto when the club hired coach Craig Berube in March 2024. Berube previously had Savard on his staff in St. Louis during the 2019-20 season.

Savard stepped away from hockey in September 2020 to spend time with family. He did not return behind a bench until Berube's appointment in Toronto.

The club has not announced whether it will bring in someone to replace Savard or continue with in-house personnel only. The responsibility now falls on Berube and his remaining coaches to fix what ails the Maple Leafs.

Toronto possesses high-octane forward talent including three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares. The trio has not delivered after the team dealt forward Mitch Marner over the summer.

Nylander has not scored in 11 games. Matthews has only 14 goals this season. Tavares has scored two goals in his past 14 games.

Toronto's offense ranks 12th in the league while the defense is allowing the seventh-most goals against. The Maple Leafs sit in the basement of the Atlantic Division after entering the season with playoff expectations.

Toronto faces Pittsburgh on Tuesday in its final game before the league's holiday break. The matchup provides little time for the coaching staff to implement changes following Savard's dismissal.

Savard played for four teams over a 13-year NHL career before transitioning to coaching. His playing experience included time with the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins.

The firing represents the first significant personnel move for a Maple Leafs team struggling to meet expectations. Toronto's power-play woes have been particularly glaring during December's stretch of games.

Berube must now address both special teams and five-on-five performance issues with a roster built to compete for a playoff position. The team's recent slide has created urgency around finding solutions before the season slips further away.

Newly hired Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has wasted little time reshaping the team's front office by hiring former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn to his staff.

The hirings, announced Sunday, come in Kekalainen's first week on the job and a day after he fired assistant general manager Jason Karmanos. Kekalainen took over on Monday to replace Kevyn Adams, who was fired with the Sabres already in jeopardy of extending their NHL-record playoff drought to a 15th consecutive season.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux's franchise scoring record with a goal and an assist in Sunday's 4-3 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens. Crosby now has 1,724 career points, moving past Lemieux for eighth on the NHL's all-time scoring list.

Crosby entered the game one point behind Lemieux. He tied the record at 7:58 of the first period by tipping Erik Karlsson's point shot past the goaltender.

Crosby broke the mark with 7:20 remaining in the first period. His power-play shot hit Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell tapped the rebound behind Jakub Dobes for the goal.

Crosby, Rust and Rakell embraced behind the net after the goal. The Penguins bench spilled over to congratulate their captain.

A video message from Lemieux congratulating Crosby played later in the period. The Hall of Famer praised his successor's accomplishments.

"I knew when we played together in 2005, that you were going to be a very special player, and accomplish a lot of great things in your career," Lemieux said in a message posted on the club's social media accounts. "Here we are, 20 years later, you are now one of the best to ever play the game."

Lemieux became Pittsburgh's all-time points leader on Jan. 20, 1989, when Crosby was 17 months old. Lemieux finished his career with 1,723 points in 915 games after two retirements.

Crosby has accumulated 1,724 points in 1,387 games with 645 goals and 1,079 assists. He is the seventh outright all-time points leader in 58 years of franchise history.

The No. 1 pick in 2005 previously broke Lemieux's assists record last December against the New York Islanders. Crosby trails Lemieux's franchise goal record by 45, with 645 to Lemieux's 690.

Crosby ranks third on the NHL's all-time points list with a single franchise. Only Steve Yzerman (1,755 with Detroit) and Gordie Howe (1,809 with Detroit) have more.

Crosby passed Phil Esposito for ninth-most even-strength goals in NHL history with 450. He also tied Adam Oates for eighth-most assists in NHL history during the first period.

With 20 goals this season, Crosby achieved his 18th 20-goal campaign. Only six players in NHL history have recorded more 20-goal seasons.

The victory snapped Pittsburgh's eight-game losing streak. Crosby participated in the shootout but did not score.

Lemieux, who owned the franchise after his playing career, was in the lineup when Crosby recorded his first NHL point. Crosby is the ninth active player to lead a franchise in points.

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, out since Nov.. 12 with a "freak" hand injury, will return to the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

Hughes, 24, injured his hand at a team dinner in Chicago on Nov. 13, underwent surgery on his finger and was given a recovery window of eight weeks. He has been skating throughout his rehab and was recently spotting using a stick again on the ice.