NHL

5:52 PM ET ESPN News Services WASHINGTON — Penguins star Sidney Crosby was back for Pittsburgh’s game at Washington on Sunday night after he and three teammates were activated from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. Coach Mike Sullivan, who also rejoined the Penguins on Sunday after exiting COVID-19 protocol, said all four of those players

6:27 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals re-signed forward Nic Dowd to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.3 million. The Capitals announced the move Sunday before their game against Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old has one goal this season, but provided good depth in the 2020-21 season with a

2:56 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, defenseman Brian Dumoulin and head coach Mike Sullivan are scheduled to rejoin the team in Washington D.C. on Sunday after exiting the COVID-19 protocol. Crosby and Dumoulin went into the protocol on Nov. 3. Sullivan joined them a day later as part of

5:21 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL on Friday for high sticking Colorado Avalanche forward Kiefer Sherwood. Poolman was assessed a match penalty midway through the third period in the Canucks’ 7-1 loss in Denver on Thursday night. The

7:00 AM ET Early in the 2021-22 NHL season, rookies aren’t just building their respective cases for the Calder Trophy. Many of them are helping to change the trajectory of their teams — in most cases for the better, in some cases for the worse. Here’s a look at which rookie forwards, defenseman and goaltenders

12:03 AM ET ESPN News Services DETROIT — Zach Fucale became the first goaltender in Capitals history to post a shutout in his NHL debut, stopping 21 shots as Washington beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 Thursday night. Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller scored 10 seconds apart in the first period as the Capitals ended

11:33 AM ET Colby Cave left an indelible mark on the NHL community, which is continuing to honor his legacy. The Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins announced that Thursday’s game will be a celebration of Cave’s life, cut tragically short in April 2020 by a brain bleed. Cave was just 25 years old. Before the

5:23 PM ET Associated Press OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators placed two more players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol Thursday, hours before they were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Kings. The Senators added forward Alex Formenton and goaltender Matt Murray to the COVID list, bringing the number of their players in protocol to

1:49 PM ET The NHL is in talks with Las Vegas officials about holding two new All-Star Game skills competition events outdoors on the Las Vegas Strip, a source tells ESPN. League executives were in Las Vegas this week to present the plan to city officials, local police and at least one hotel, The Bellagio.

9:00 AM ET When the Buffalo Sabres finally traded Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights last week, it didn’t just mark the end of the NHL’s most contentious standoff — it marked the end of an era. The Sabres literally ruined themselves for the chance to draft Jack Eichel in 2015. (Or Connor McDavid

7:54 PM ET Bob Murray has resigned as executive vice president and general manager of the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced on Wednesday. The move is effective immediately, and Murray will enroll in an alcohol abuse program. The decision was made one day after the Ducks placed Murray on administrative leave pending an internal investigation

6:36 PM ET ESPN News Services PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins might be nearing the end of a COVID-19 outbreak that has sent eight players and coach Mike Sullivan into the NHL’s protocol in recent weeks. Defensemen Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson practiced Wednesday, and assistant coach Todd Reirden — who is filling in while

7:00 AM ET Into the second week of the second month of the 2021-22 NHL season, two Western Canadian teams have continued their climb up the power rankings, making homes in the Top 5 this week. Plus, which players are the most underrated for each team? We’ve identified one for all 32 clubs here. How

5:09 PM ET Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon missed practice on Tuesday with a lower-body injury, and his status for Thursday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks is not known. J.T. Compher jumped up to the first line at practice, taking the center position, flanked by Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen with MacKinnon out. The second

7:00 AM ET Sergei Bobrovsky is feeling philosophical. The Florida Panthers goaltender is trying to describe what’s made him and rookie Spencer Knight so formidable together sharing Florida’s crease this season. But how to articulate the unique alliance of a goalie tandem? Teams match players and hope for the best. Spend over a decade in

7:00 AM ET The Chicago Blackhawks‘ fall from grace has been one of the steepest in NHL history. The team’s calamitous mishandling of former player Kyle Beach’s claims that he was sexually assaulted by former video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010 has led to sweeping changes. General manager Stan Bowman and senior director of hockey

10:45 PM ET ESPN News Services WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 741st career goal to tie Brett Hull for fourth on the NHL’s all-time list, and the Washington Capitals outlasted the Buffalo Sabres 5-3 Monday night. Ovechkin also assisted on two goals, and was around the puck all night as the hungry Capitals snapped

3:57 PM ET Jack Eichel doesn’t want another NHL player to face the stalemate he experienced with the Buffalo Sabres over his medical decisions. Eichel had his first official news conference as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, after the team acquired him from the Sabres in a Nov. 4 blockbuster. The