[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons”] It has been four years since Dominik Hašek last played in the NHL and it has been 13 years since the first time he retired. But according to a newspaper report in the Czech Republic, Hašek is currently negotiating a deal to return to the NHL next […]

The Los Angeles Kings entered the Stanley Cup Finals on a roll, having lost just two games in their first three playoff series. Well, things haven’t changed much as the Kings took the New Jersey Devils to overtime, and then scored 8:13 into the first overtime period to give the […]

He will never admit this publicly, but if you could inject NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman with some truth serum, deep down, he had to be hoping for the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference Finals and set up a dream New York-L.A. matchup with the Los Angeles Kings […]

[credit provider=”Bruce Bennett/Getty Images”] When the Washington Capitals beat the Boston Bruins in the NHL Playoffs, it was one of the league’s few black players, Joel Ward, who scored the winning goal.After the game, a bunch of people said horrible, racist things about Ward on Twitter. 

The Los Angeles Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals after eliminating the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 5 Tuesday night.

The NHL Eastern Conference Finals will go at least six games after the New Jersey Devils steamrolled over the New York Rangers to even the series at two games a piece, and a late-game punch from Rangers centre Mike Rupp instigated a melee.

The Staples centre in Los Angeles hosted four playoff games this weekend in the span of 36 hours.

It will be a busy weekend at the Staples centre that will feature four playoff games with three different home teams in two different sports.

The best team doesn’t always win the Stanley Cup. The hot goalie often does. And right now, there is no hotter goalie than Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings.

It used to be that Rangers head coach John Tortorella was a reporter’s dream. Never afraid to offer his opinion. Never afraid to attack an opponent with his words. But in this year’s NHL playoffs, things have changed, and now we wouldn’t blame the reporters if they were ducking for […]

Chris Kreider, the 21-year-old winger who the New York Rangers plucked out of Boston College just a month ago, notched a goal and an assist in last night’s big Eastern Conference Finals win over the Devils.

Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as president of Russia for a third term early this week. And part of the celebration included an exhibition hockey game between a team led by Putin and a team of Russian hockey legends.

[credit provider=”NBC Sports Network”] With less than a minute remaining in game five of their second round series against the Washington Capitals, the New York Rangers trailed 2-1, and they needed a miracle to avoid facing elimination in game six.The hockey gods answered with a gift penalty, a tying goal […]

Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers completely laid out New Jersey Devils’ centre Dainius Zubrus with a vicious hit to the head Sunday.

[credit provider=”AP”] Earlier this week we took a look at the 20 highest-paid teams in the world, in terms of average salary per player. Now let’s look at the cheapskates.But rather than focus on some obscure teams such as Hamilton of the Scottish Premier League or a slew of Major […]

The New York Rangers took a 2-1 series lead over the Washington Capitals with a marathon triple-overtime win in D.C. last night.

Deadspin unearthed this wild picture from Chicago Blackhawks player Sami Lepisto of what his knee looks like a week after blocking a shot in a playoff game against the Coyotes.

[credit provider=”NBC Sports”] When this month started, Chris Kreider was playing in the Frozen Four and helping Boston College win a college hockey championship. Three weeks later, he is scoring important goals for the New York Rangers, helping them become the favourites to win the Stanley Cup according to Bovada.lv.Just […]

This game seven between the New Jersey Devils and the Florida Panthers just had that feeling from the start that it was heading towards sudden death overtime. And the teams didn’t disappoint, taking it into double-overtime before this game-winner by Adam Henrique of the Devils after the puck to a […]

The New Jersey Devils beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night to extend their series to seven games.

[credit provider=”NHL.com”] Phoenix Coyotes television broadcaster Tyson Nash went on ESPN Radio in Chicago (via SportsRadioInterviews.com) to discuss his controversial comments immediately following a hit that sent a Chicago Blackhawks player to the hospital.And during the interview, Nash reveals that his defence of the hit has led to death threats.

The Ottawa Senators evened their series with the NY Rangers 2-2 last night with an overtime win at home.

The increasingly violent NHL Playoffs got their scariest moment yet last night. Chicago Blackhawks defenseman forward Marian Hossa was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital on a stretcher after a brutal hit from Phoenix’s Raffi Torres.

The Boston Bruins took a 2-1 series lead over the Washington Capitals with a 4-3 win in D.C. last night.

[credit provider=”NBC”] Over the last two weeks the NHL Playoffs have descended into an exhibition of violence in all its forms.The games have been secondary to the ritualized violence of fighting, and the outlawed violence of cheap shots and head hunting.

In the second period of last night’s playoff game between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, Henrik Sedin was laid-out by Dustin Brown, with one of the more violent collisions you will see in the NHL.

Yesterday’s Flyers-Penguins game was 60 minutes of fighting, slashing, and head-hunting interrupted briefly by short bursts of actual hockey.

For the second straight game, the Chicago Blackhawks tied their first-round playoff game against the Phoenix Coyotes in the closing seconds. And unlike game one, Chicago took advantage of the opportunity and evened the series with a goal in overtime.

Unfortunately, the lasting memory from the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs is the Vancouver Riots. And that is unfortunate, because these might be the best playoffs in pro sports.

If the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to advance past their hated rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the first round of the NHL playoffs, they will need Sidney Crosby playing at his best.

At the end of Game one of the NHL playoff series between Nashville and Detroit, Predators defenseman Shea Weber slammed Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass.

Chris Kelly saved the Boston Bruins from a Game 1 embarrassment against the 7th-seeded Washington Capitals with a sizzling slap shot in overtime. The Bruins won 1-0.

We got our first thrilling moment of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night.

Nashville’s huge Game 1 win over the Detroit Red Wings was completely overshadowed by Shea Weber slamming Henrik Zetterberg’s face into the glass in the final moments.

With the NHL playoffs set to begin tonight, NBC Sports unveiled a two-story tall Stanley Cup in Times Square today. The trophy will double as a water fountain so that fans can “drink from the Cup.”

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] The NHL Playoffs start tonight.The means you can finally start to watch hockey and pretend like you know what you’re talking about.

During the 1995-96 season, both Mario Lemeiux and Jaromir Jagr scored 60 goals. Since then, it had only happened once, when Alex Ovechkin scored 65 goals for the Washington Capitals in 2007-08.

Near the end of today’s match-up between in-state rivals Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, a brawl erupted on the ice that nearly spilled over into the bench.

OK, so this isn’t quite as crazy as the scene in “Slap Shot” when a brawl broke out during warm-ups. But when three different fights break out right after the puck was dropped, you know the players had other things on their mind than, you know, playing hockey.

Christina, a Senators fan proposed to her girlfriend, Alicia, a Leafs fan, at their game this weekend in Ottawa.

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] Sidney Crosby returns to the ice tomorrow for the Pittsburgh Penguins, three months after his most recent comeback attempt was cut short. And in a smart move, NBC Sports has scrapped their originally scheduled Thursday night game in favour of the Penguins showdown with the New York […]

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, took in the Los Angeles Kings’ game against the Anaheim Ducks this weekend. And in a move that we wish would happen more often, the “Kiss Cam” found the famous couple and egged them into a fun smooch for the fans.

[credit provider=”NBC Sports”] Last night, on “Costas Tonight,” both NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA commissioner David Stern sat down with Bob Costas. And at one point, Costas brought up the criticism the commissioners are subjected to, specifically mentioning a hateful comment made by Bryant Gumbel.Back in October, during the […]

The Minnesota Wild needed Devin Setoguchi to score in order to prolong a shootout with the Montreal Canadiens last night.

Minor league hockey coach Nick Vitucci became incensed last weekend after an opposing player started a fight with one of his Toledo Walleye players and the refs didn’t do anything about it.

[credit provider=”TNT”] Kobe Bryant was listed as day-to-day after suffering a concussion on a senseless foul from Dwyane Wade in the All-Star Game.In December, the NBA joined the other pro sports leagues in instituting new rules regarding how quickly a player can return to the court after sustaining a concussion.

Yes, it is hockey, and yes this goal happened when the score was already 5-1, and yes this goal was scored against my beloved Tampa Bay Lightning. But when Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins beats five defenders and the goalie to light the lamp, well, it can’t be ignored.

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A-Rod_Damon_adjusted.jpg”] This post originally appeared at 24/7 Wall St.

In a move that shows how some athletes transcend their sport and are inextricably intertwined with a certain city, the Montreal Canadiens held a tribute, prior to yesterday’s game, for Gary Carter who recently passed away.

[credit provider=”Sun Sports”] While sponsors on sports uniforms and playing surfaces is an accepted part of sports throughout the world, the major sports leagues in North America have so far resisted the temptation, likely fearing backlash from the fans who consider the uniform and courts/ice/fields a sacred items that should […]

The puck was barely settled in the back of the net when Philadelphia Flyers winger Scott Hartnell and Maple Leafs defender Dion Phaneuf dropped the gloves and went at it last night.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin turned to the spin-o-rama to keep pace with the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout last night.

During a recent game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, Thunderbug, the mascot for the Lightning was attacked by a fan, leading to what appeared to be that fan’s ejection. Well, after the video started to made the rounds and became a YouTube hit, the Lightning dismissed […]

[credit provider=”AP”] The Boston Bruins had their standard White House ceremony yesterday honouring their 2010-11 Stanley Cup Championship. But one player, goalie Tim Thomas, refused to show up because of his dislike for the federal government.Thomas explained his decision on his Facebook page (via ESPN.com).

[credit provider=”www.marianneprendergast.com and AP Images” url=”http://www.marianneprendergast.com/properties/listing/672″] Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin bought a $4.2 million house in McLean, Virginia earlier this month.The house features 5 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and a massive 11,000 square feet of space.

Edmonton Oilers player Taylor Hall got his head stepped on by one of his teammate’s skates in warmups two days ago.

Taylor Hall, a winger for the Edmonton Oilers, needed 30 stitches after he fell during warmups last night and a teammate’s skate sliced across Hall’s forehead.

A lucky Chicago Blackhawks fan not only got a chance to take part in the United centre’s shoot the puck contest, but he was also interviewed by Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Sarah Kustok.

[credit provider=”AndrewHorne/Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MichiganStadium2010.JPG”] According to Jeff Arnold of Yahoo! Sports, the NHL is close to finalising a deal that would have the 2013 Winter Classic played in Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan. And if it happens, they will likely set a record for largest crowd to ever […]

[credit provider=”Summum and Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustin_Penner”] We told you about NHL player Dustin Penner’s “pancake injury” earlier this week. Penner became an overnight sensation because of the story, and now he’s come back to tell us the real story.He wrote a column for MayorsManor.com explaining what really happened, naming the […]

[credit provider=”flickr”] Olivia Munn broke up with New York Rangers star Brad Richards today. Just tabloid fodder, right?Think again.

[credit provider=”Getty Images and Wikimedia Commons”] Olivia Munn broke up with New York Rangers player Brad Richards, a source told Us Weekly.The couple had a short stint, they just started dating in November, but a source told Us, Munn felt it was necessary to end the relationship:

[credit provider=”Summum and Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustin_Penner”] Hockey players are supposed to be tough, especially when they are 6-foot-4, 245 pounds. But apparently the routine of constantly being checked into boards and punched in the face is not nearly as debilitating as a stack of pancakes.According to Daniel Girard of the […]

Monday’s fifth instalment of the NHL’s Winter Classic featured much more than just a compelling 3-2 New York Rangers victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Despite concerns earlier in the week due to the possibility of nice weather, and recent concerns of the last-minute change to the start of the game, the Winter Classic was resounding success. And the great game, was capped by an even more incredible finish.

[credit provider=”AP Images”] Krys Barch, a forward for the Florida Panthers, was ejected on Saturday night after an official reportedly heard Barch direct a racial slur at an opponent.The incident occurred after a fight, at the end of the first period in the Panthers’ game against the Montreal Canadiens. According […]

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] After being sidelined for 11 months with post-concussion syndrome, Sidney Crosby finally returned to the ice in November. But he only played eight games before being sidelined again.And this time, some are worried that it could be permanent.

Paying attention to anything Canadian hockey analyst Don Cherry says without being severely distracted by his strange, colourful suit du jour is hard enough.

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] As professional sports leagues are becoming more international, communication with players and coaches is more challenging than ever.But should the head coach of a team also be required to speak the official language of the local population?

[credit provider=”YouTube” url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUMq72nkgU&feature=fvst”] Versus NHL analyst Mike Milbury has been charged with assault and battery after an incident at a youth hockey game in Brookline, Mass., ABC5 in Boston reports.Milbury is the assistant coach of a youth team, and the alleged victim was a 12-year-old player on the opposing team.

The Philadelphia Flyers Ilya Bryzgalov in a rather unique individual with some fascinating thoughts.

Anyone who’s seen “Mighty Ducks” knows about the triple deke.

[credit provider=”WKBW” url=”http://www.wkbw.com/news/crime/Matthew-Barnaby-Picked-Up-For-DWI-135016588.html”] Matthew Barnaby pleaded guilty to DWI and made a tearful apology in Erie County court yesterday, the AP reports.Barnaby was fired by ESPN after being arrested for driving a Porsche Cayenne with a missing front tire for nine miles while drunk two weeks ago.

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] In today’s depressing hockey news, Sidney Crosby has suffered a setback due to recurring concussion symptoms and is now out indefinitely.Crosby first noticed the recurrence during a 3-1 loss to Boston last week.

Derek Boogaard was in 66 fights as an NHL player. As a minor league player and a junior level player, he was in many, many more. An exact number we cannot possibly figure out, but we do know that Boogaard was punched in the head more times than any man […]

[credit provider=”itgtradingcards.com”] Fighting is very much a part of hockey. But, with the deaths of three enforcers in a recent four-month stretch, now seems like a bad time to celebrate the ugly side of the sport. But that is just what one card company is doing.In The Game, a hockey […]

WKBW

Things got crazy in Nashville last night when the Predator’s Jordin Tootoo got into a nasty collision with Sabres’ goalie Ryan Miller.

Russian NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin told the world that he and Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko are dating this afternoon.

The Washington Capitols fired head coach Bruce Boudreau today.

[credit provider=”Getty”] When all else fails for a hockey team, sign the 51-year-old friend of an assistant without any professional game experience.That’s what the Minnesota Wild did Wednesday.

The Christmas sweater. 

[credit provider=”currizzy.tumblr.com” url=”http://currizzy.tumblr.com/”] Retro is in.That should come as no surprise.

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] He’s BACK!It’s been 320 days since Sidney Crosby laced his skates for an NHL game. But Monday night marks the return of “Sid the Kid” for the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

[credit provider=”AP”] The 2011 year in sports may forever be known more for battles in the courtroom than battles on the court (or field).But this is nothing new. labour disputes have affected every major professional sport at one time or another.

Nothing riles up a crowd more than an old-fashioned hockey fight.

[credit provider=”flickr”] The New York Rangers are undefeated since Brad Richards starting going out with vaguely famous actress/model/comedian Olivia Munn.The two starting dating in late October, according to Just Jared.

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada (their version of Veterans Day). It is also called Poppy Day which is why you see lots of people at NHL games this week wearing red poppies.

Major League Soccer set an all-time attendance record this season, drawing 17,872 fans per game. That surpassed the previous mark (17,406) set in the league’s inaugural season in 1996. But more importantly, MLS is doing so well on the local level that they are drawing more fans per game than […]

[credit provider=”AP Images”] The owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers have recently agreed to sell the team, following a bankruptcy filing in June of this year. The team may sell for more than $1 billion — the highest in baseball history and a premium on the $800 million value Forbes […]

[credit provider=”Flickr/clydeorama” url=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/clydeorama/5157431508/”] The biggest complaint that was filed in regards to last Friday’s Morning Skate was a simply fair one: If you’re going to complain about how horrible shootouts are, you have to present some sort of solution. We all agree that ties suck, and shootouts are the best solution we […]

[credit provider=”AP” url=”AP”] Sidney Crosby hasn’t played a game for the Pittsburgh Penguins in nearly a year. But the wait may soon be over as the NHL’s biggest star says he could return to the ice on Friday.Crosby missed the final 41 games of the 2010-11 season, and has yet […]

[credit provider=”Wikimedia Commons” url=”http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nani_-_Oct_2010.jpg”] Promotion and relegation is a popular process in professional sports in which teams are demoted or promoted based on how well they play from one year to the next.Relegation is considered by many to be a very important part of sports, but it has yet to […]

The Washington Capitols came from behind last night to beat the Anaheim Ducks in overtime. And with less than two minutes left in regulation, coach Bruce Boudreau drew up a play that Alex Ovechkin did not like.

Celebrating a hockey goal by hugging it out is pretty standard.

[credit provider=”David Fulmer via Flickr” url=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveynin/5100562051/”] The sports gambling business— legal and illegal — is worth several hundred billion dollars worldwide. Of that, only $2.6 billion is wagered legitimately in the U.S. through the sports desks at Las Vegas casinos. According to 24/7 Wall St. research, most of the bets […]

With the NBA lockout still in full-swing, now would seem like a golden opportunity for the NHL. But early returns from the ticket office are not encouraging.

For an NHL goalie, the hockey mask is the greatest form of expression. 

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane supplied one of the best highlights of the early NHL season with a smooth spin-move assist against the Ducks last night.

[credit provider=”AP Images”] Fans of the NBA love to make fun of Craig Sager and his colourful suits. But that may be only because we don’t watch enough hockey. If you are not familiar, Don Cherry is an NHL commentator for CBC in Canada and occasionally for ESPN here in the […]