NHL

11:44 PM ET Associated Press WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Kyle Connor set a franchise record with his 41st game-winning goal, scoring on a power play at 5:38 of the third lead as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Friday night. Connor’s record-setting goal moved him past Ilya Kovalchuk for the most winners

Jan 6, 2023 The 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park set merchandise sales records for an NHL outdoor game, according to the league. Game-day concession merchandise sales for the Jan. 2 matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Boston Bruins were the highest ever recorded for an outdoor event. They rose 61% from the 2022

Jan 6, 2023 Shane Wright, who went fourth in last summer’s NHL draft, was sent to juniors by the Seattle Kraken on Friday. The move comes a day after Wright captained Canada to an overtime win against Czechia at the IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships. He scored in the win against Czechia while finishing the

9:00 AM ET The NHL Awards races had an upheaval since our last edition. (Well, except for the one where Patrice Bergeron is the leader. You know, like every year.) But the races for MVP, best defenseman, top rookie, most dominant goalie and coach of the year all have new favorites. Such are the unpredictable

Jan 6, 2023 Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists in his return from a lower-body injury and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Thursday night. Vegas leads the Western Conference and is tied for second in the NHL at its midway point of the

7:00 AM ET The mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 NHL regular season is close at hand, and some teams have already played in their 41st game. Sounds like the perfect time to take the temperature of each club against their preseason over/under point projections from Caesars Sportsbook. How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey

8:40 PM ET ESPN staff The 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend will take place on Feb. 3 and 4, hosted by the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. The All-Star Skills competition is scheduled for Friday and will be broadcast on ESPN, with the All-Star Game slated for Saturday, broadcast on ABC with a simulcast on ESPN+.

8:15 AM ET Over the past two seasons, Nicklas Backstrom faced conversations that frankly, he had no interest in having. The Washington Capitals center’s nagging left hip had deteriorated to the point where he had a hard time putting on his socks and shoes. He struggled to play with his kids (ages 9, 6 and

9:28 PM ET ESPN News Services HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Connor Bedard scored in the second period, igniting a rally and electrifying a hungry home crowd, as Canada defeated the United States 6-2 in the semifinals of the world junior championship Wednesday. Team Canada will play host to the Czech Republic in the tournament’s title

7:39 PM ET Ottawa Senators goalie Cam Talbot decided to use his new mask to send a not-so-subtle message to actor Ryan Reynolds about his potential ownership stake in the team. Of course, a lack of subtlety is expected when it comes to Deadpool, the Marvel character Reynolds had embodied for two films. Latest mask

9:00 AM ET The NHL season is nearing its midpoint, which means teams separating out into the hopeful and the hopeless. Here are the Stanley Cup Hope Tiers as they are currently constituted. The projected points and playoff probabilities are through Monday’s games and provided by FiveThirtyEight. The Stanley Cup champion probabilities are via Money

11:29 PM ET ESPN News Services WASHINGTON — Damar Hamlin was at the forefront in the minds of the Buffalo Sabres from the time they woke up on a game day through the end of their 5-4 overtime victory at the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. It was evident from the “LOVE FOR 3” shirts

10:36 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Artemi Panarin, K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil scored third-period goals as the New York Rangers rallied to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Tuesday night, snapping their 11-game winning streak. Jacob Trouba and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who are 10-2-1 in their last

3:08 PM ET The Detroit Red Wings placed forward Jakub Vrana on waivers Tuesday, less than three weeks after he returned to the team following a stint in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Vrana is midway through a three-year, $15.75 million deal that carries a $5.25 million cap hit. Vrana, 26, sought treatment through the

6:53 PM ET ESPN News Services MONCTON, New Brunswick — Logan Cooley had three goals, and Red Savage and Cutter Gauthier had two each, as Team USA cruised past Germany 11-1 in the world junior championship Monday, securing a spot in the tournament’s semifinals. The win was the Americans’ third straight after a surprising loss

5:32 PM ET BOSTON — The Boston Bruins defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 to win this year’s Winter Classic in front of 39,243 fans at Fenway Park on Monday. Winger Jake DeBrusk scored two third-period goals, including the game-winner with 2:33 left to break a 1-1 tie. “This is an event that’s a dream come

2:47 PM ET Time to go play outside. The NHL Winter Classic on Monday features the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. This is the NHL’s second time playing in front of the Green Monster, the first coming in 2010. Since the Winter Classic began in

1:38 PM ET The Dallas Stars have signed 38-year-old center Joe Pavelski to a one-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season. The contract is worth a base salary of $3.5 million and includes $2 million in potential performance bonuses. Pavelski has 12 goals and 25 assists in 38 games this season. Since signing with Dallas