NHL

5:36 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak has been suspended for two games for elbowing Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo in the head. The NHL’s department of player safety announced the suspension Friday, a day after Cernak struck Okposo with his left elbow during Tampa Bay’s 6-5 overtime

4:50 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall grew accustomed to being booed long ago during his lengthy playing career. He’s not going to let growing frustration from Pittsburgh’s fan base sway him from how he goes about doing his job. Chants of “Fire Hextall” erupted several times inside PPG

7:00 AM ET ESPN staff The NHL trade deadline for the 2022-23 season is March 3 at 3 p.m. ET. While the final day is always a furious onslaught of trades, there have already been some major deals, including Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders, Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers and Ryan

7:10 AM ET ESPN staff The trade deadline for the 2022-23 NHL is 3 p.m. ET on March 3. Some stars have already been traded — including two 2023 All-Stars — with some impactful players remaining on the list of those potentially being moved. After discussions with folks inside the game, reporters Ryan S. Clark,

10:24 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Jakob Silfverberg scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, John Gibson made 41 saves and the Anaheim Ducks handed the reeling Capitals a sixth consecutive defeat, 4-2 Thursday night, in Alex Ovechkin‘s return for Washington. The Capitals are mired in their longest losing streak since losing

4:52 PM ET Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is expected to return to the ice against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night after missing four games following the death of his father, a source confirmed to ESPN. Ovechkin has not played in a game since Feb. 14, when he traveled home to Russia after the

7:00 AM ET At this point in the NHL, ranking the top centers is like predicting the winner of an Olympic 100 meter final when Usain Bolt was in his prime: Everyone else is just scrambling for second place, at best. Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid ranked first overall in ESPN’s 2023 NHL positional ranking

7:57 PM ET The Boston Bruins are on pace to challenge NHL records for most wins and points by a team in a regular season. But star winger Brad Marchand said that’s the last thing on their minds. “People have talked a lot about some of these records, that we could potentially hit or we

2:30 PM ET Anyone who has either attended a Seattle Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena or watched the local broadcast is aware of the relationship the team has with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. They’ve seen the pregame videos about land acknowledgments. They have watched the Muckleshoot Canoe Family perform during the team’s first Indigenous

8:15 AM ET Stacy Revere/Getty Images The NHL trade deadline is on March 3, and with just nine days to go, talks are intensifying around the league. Here’s what I’m hearing about some dynamics going on behind the scenes… We should get clarity on Kane’s decision this week. None of this has been easy for

11:00 AM ET What’s your favorite thing about Rasmus Dahlin? This is the question members of the Buffalo Sabres are being asked by their social media team after practice has ended. They say Dahlin is really funny. They say Dahlin has great hair. They say Dahlin is extremely talented in a variety of ways. One

1:09 PM ET Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar is back in the concussion protocol, coach Jared Bednar confirmed Tuesday, and is expected to miss at least the next two games. Bednar announced the update to Makar’s status during his weekly appearance with Altitude Sports Radio in Denver. Bednar is expected to address the media

7:00 AM ET After 18 seasons, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is still one of the top 10 wingers in the NHL, according to ESPN’s 2023 positional ranking surveys — but just barely. “The record he is chasing, getting ready to pass [Wayne] Gretzky, you have to tip your cap,” a Western Conference team executive

11:03 PM ET Associated Press TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec — If you enjoy do-or-die showdowns between acrimonious rivals, circle Wednesday on your calendar. After the United States took the first three games of the seven-game national women’s Rivalry Series, Canada has bounced back with three consecutive wins, including Monday night’s 5-1 victory at the sold-out Colisee Videotron.

12:09 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday, a devastating blow to the Isles’ playoff pursuit. He was injured on a hit from Boston‘s Craig Smith early in a 6-2 loss at the Bruins on Saturday. Barzal appeared to

3:44 PM ET ESPN News Services CHICAGO — Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews announced Sunday that he is dealing with symptoms of long COVID-19 and chronic immune response syndrome. Toews, 34, hasn’t played since Jan. 28. The Blackhawks placed the center on injured reserve on Wednesday with what they said was a non-COVID-19-related illness. “It has

2:02 PM ET For the second straight season, the New York Rangers have traded for forward Tyler Motte, acquiring him this time from the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers added Motte on Sunday in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional 2023 seventh-round draft pick. The pick would become a sixth-rounder if the Rangers reach

8:02 AM ET RALEIGH — When the NHL holds an outdoor hockey game, the players dress to impress. Whether it was old-time baseball uniforms at Fenway Park or beachwear in Minnesota, teams plan out their outfits weeks in advance of their stadium games. At the 2023 Stadium Series game at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium on