Tag: NHL

Why Buffalo Sabres fans keep trolling their GM with inflatable palm trees at home games

Who says Buffalo doesn’t have palm trees?

Move over, Buffaslug, there’s a new bizarre mascot for the Buffalo Sabres and it has the dual meaning of both fan support as well as an epic troll: inflatable palm trees.

No, seriously. They’ve been popping up all over KeyBank Center in the last week after Sabres general manager lamented the difficulties of building a contender on shores of Lake Erie.

“We’re not a destination city right now. We don’t have palm trees, we have taxes in New York and these are things you deal with. I’m in conversations every day and there’s a lot of players that we’re on their (no-trade) list,” Adams said last week. “We need to earn the respect and it starts with getting over the hump, getting in the playoffs and competing.”

You can see how a comment like that wouldn’t sit well with Buffalonians. The Sabres, after all, have a proud history littered with hockey royalty like Tim Horton, Dave Andreychuk, Pat LaFontaine, Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek and Rick Jeanneret.

Unfortunately, the Sabres have also been stuck in quite the rut for the last decade or so. Buffalo hasn’t reached the postseason since 2010-11 and the prospect of ending that streak in 2024-25 looks bleak. The Sabres are 11-14-4 (26 points) and have the second-worst record in the Atlantic Division.

Fortunately, Sabres fans heard Adams’ concerns and quickly sprung to action to make Buffalo a destination.

It’s worth noting many of those same Sabres fans were also chanting “Fire Adams” during the December 7 loss to Utah — the first game after his palm tree comments. It’s also worth noting the NHL’s first place Winnipeg Jets also have zero palm trees within the city limits and are doing just fine.

Still, maybe the palm trees are just what this Sabres team needs to turn the vibes around.

“I have never seen so much unity across Sabres fans as I have with these stupid palm trees,” Buffalo season-ticket holder Rebecca Way told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “I hate it because we are a joke, but I love it because it’s funny. It brings us together.”

While some fans told ESPN that ushers at KeyBank Center have been patrolling for inflatable palm trees, the team’s president of communications, Nicole Hendricks, clarified the franchise’s stance:

“The only policy we have, which is the same for everything, is you just can’t have something that’s obstructing the view of other fans,” Hendricks told ESPN. “If it is not obstructing a view of other fans, it’s fine to have.”

And if the Sabres do turn things around this season, expect the team to embrace the mighty power of the palms.

“My dream is we turn things around, make the playoffs, and our playoff giveaway is rally towels with palm trees all over it,” Hendricks said.

The 9 biggest snubs (Tage Thompson!) from each country’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Which players were snubbed from the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament?

The rosters have officially been revealed for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off and hockey fans are buzzing with the news.

In February 2025, the NHL will be replacing its typical All-Star weekend with the 4 Nations Face-Off, a round robin international tournament featuring some of the top names in the sport. And on Wednesday, the rosters for the tournament were revealed for the participants: the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.

The rosters feature 23 players each, with 20 skaters and three goalies. However, with such limited rosters, some real good players were left off the lineup in favor of others.

With the rosters finally revealed, these are the biggest players that we believe were snubbed from the 4 Nations Face-Off.

United States: F Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

While it hasn’t been a banner year for the Canadiens, Cole Caufield is leading the team in goals (16), is second in points (23) and is currently on pace for a career-year in his fourth full season in the league. Not sure what else Caufield could have done here to earn a spot.

United States: F Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres

Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Likewise, Tage Thompson is the Sabres’ leading goal scorer (13) past the quarter pole of the season and is a point per game player despite losing time due to injury. I get that Thompson hasn’t hit the highs he hit in his 94-point season a few years ago, but he deserved a better look here from the Team USA brass.

United States: G Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The goaltender selections for Team USA are all really solid, but Joseph Woll has put together quite a season so far in limited games since his return from injury. In eight games played in the 2024-25 season, Woll is 6-2-0 with a .923 save percentage for the Maple Leafs. If Team USA’s goaltending falters, one has to wonder if Woll would have been a better fit.

Canada: F Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Yes, Bedard hasn’t been playing well this season, but he’s an exciting hockey player all the same and honestly, probably would perform better with actual talent around him. At least this snub is for a mid-season tournament and not for, say, the Olympics.

Canada: D Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Coming off last season’s over point-per-game pace, Evan Bouchard received a lot of hype from the hockey community. Unfortunately, his slower offensive pace this season seemingly sidelined Bouchard here for more well-rounded defensemen for Canada.

Canada: G Joey Daccord, Seattle Kraken

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

There was buzz that Joey Daccord could be chosen for a Canadian team with a weaker goaltending pool. However, this never manifested because Daccord — while a Canadian citizen and born to Canadian and Swiss parents — doesn’t have a Canadian passport and cannot play for Team Canada. A shame, because he’s played really well with the Kraken this year (11-6-1 record and a .912 save percentage).

Sweden: F William Eklund, San Jose Sharks

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

The Sharks might be one of the NHL’s worst teams, yet William Eklund is still finding success as a play-driving forward on the ice. With five goals and 18 points — second overall on the team — at just age 22, Eklund’s exclusion from Sweden’s roster feels like a mistake when the team could have opted for a younger forward.

Sweden: F Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Rickard Rakell is likely due for his best NHL season in some time in Pittsburgh, even with the Penguins in a bind this year. Of course, Sidney Crosby and company rule the roost in Pittsburgh, but Rakell is tied with 4 Nations Face-Off bound Erik Karlsson with 16 points and he leads the team in goals with 10 on the season.

Finland: G Joonas Korpisalo, Boston Bruins

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Juuse Saros was always going to be a lock for Finland in goal, but it’s interesting that Joonas Korpisalo didn’t make the cut. Korpisalo did his best to hold the Bruins together while Jeremy Swayman was out at the beginning of the season, an effort that has gone unrewarded so far. Plus, he’s an experienced goaltender who only sits behind Saros in total games played for a Finnish netminder (286 versus 371 games played).

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Full 4 Nations Face-Off rosters for Team USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland

The official rosters for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off have been revealed!

Fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the winner of the first 4 Nations Face-Off in February, but on Wednesday, the full rosters for the tournament were officially unveiled.

In place of the NHL’s hit-or-miss All-Star Weekend, the league and the NHLPA have teamed up to put on the 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025. The round robin tournament will include NHL players from four countries — the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland — and will be played in both Boston and Montreal across the seven-game slate.

It’s all very reminiscent of the NHL’s attempt to make the World Cup of Hockey happen back in 2016, so we’ll have to see how fans take to this version of a best-on-best international tournament. However, considering the amount of talent on these rosters — featuring the likes of Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid —  we should be in for a treat.

Here’s the full set of rosters for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off!

United States 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
  • F Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • F Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • F Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers)
  • F Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators)
  • F Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild)
  • F Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets)
  • F Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
  • F Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils)
  • F J.T. Miller (Vancouver Canucks)
  • F Chris Kreider (New York Rangers)
  • F Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings)
  • F Brock Nelson (New York Islanders)
  • F Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)
  • D Adam Fox (New York Rangers)
  • D Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks)
  • D Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins)
  • D Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild)
  • D Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes)
  • D Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
  • D Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • G Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
  • G Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars)
  • G Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)

Canada 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
  • F Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguns)
  • F Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
  • F Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
  • F Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
  • F Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
  • F Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes)
  • F Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
  • F Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers)
  • F Sam Bennett (Florida Panthers)
  • F Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • F Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • F Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning)
  • F Travis Konecny (Philadelphia Flyers)
  • D Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
  • D Devon Toews (Colorado Avalanche)
  • D Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • D Alex Pietrangelo (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • D Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets)
  • D Colton Parayko (St. Louis Blues)
  • D Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers)
  • G Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues)
  • G Adin Hill (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • G Sam Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens)

Sweden 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Andre Ringuette/Getty Images
  • F Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators)
  • F William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • F Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers)
  • F William Karlsson (Vegas Golden Knights)
  • F Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils)
  • F Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks)
  • F Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota Wild)
  • F Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles Kings)
  • F Elias Lindholm (Boston Bruins)
  • F Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)
  • F Gustav Nyquist (Nashville Predators)
  • F Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings)
  • F Viktor Arvidsson (Edmonton Oilers)
  • D Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning)
  • D Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins)
  • D Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers)
  • D Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames)
  • D Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres)
  • D Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton Oilers)
  • D Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild)
  • G Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)
  • G Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils)
  • G Linus Ullmark (Ottawa Senators)

Finland 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
  • F Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)
  • F Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
  • F Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche)
  • F Roope Hintz (Dallas Stars)
  • F Joel Armia (Montreal Canadiens)
  • F Mikael Granlund (San Jose Sharks)
  • F Erik Haula (New Jersey Devils)
  • F Kaapo Kakko (New York Rangers)
  • F Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche)
  • F Anton Lundell (Florida Panthers)
  • F Patrik Laine (Montreal Canadiens)
  • F Eetu Luostarinen (Florida Panthers)
  • F Teuvo Teravainen (Chicago Blackhawks)
  • D Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
  • D Esa Lindell (Dallas Stars)
  • D Jani Hakanpää (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • D Niko Mikkola (Florida Panthers)
  • D Olli Maatta (Utah Hockey Club)
  • D Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia Flyers)
  • D Juuso Valimaki (Utah Hockey Club)
  • G Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators)
  • G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres)
  • G Kevin Lankinen (Vancouver Canucks)

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4 Nations Face-Off, explained: The NHL’s new international tournament schedule, rules and more

The new hockey tournament, explained.

New tournaments are sprouting up everywhere in the 21st century from the NBA Cup to the World Baseball Classic.

And now, the NHL has a new one: the 4 Nations Face-Off, which is coming in February (that’s closer than you think!). Why talk about it now, as of publishing this? Because the rosters of hockey players will be announced, and it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

If you’re totally confused? We’re here to help you. Here’s a breakdown of the tournament and why it’s going to be awesome.

Let’s dive in and talk about all things 4 Nations:

What’s the 4 Nations Face-Off?

It’s a new hockey tournament between — as you guessed — four nations of NHL players: United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.

When is the 4 Nations Face-Off?

It’s taking place from February 12 to the 20th in 2025.

Where is the 4 Nations Face-Off being played?

Another great question! It’ll be in Montreal and Boston.

What’s the format of the 4 Nations Face-Off?

Each team will have 23 NHL players. The games will be played with NHL rules and ice size, and it’ll start with three round-robin games, with three points for a regulation win and two for an overtime victory. A loss in overtime gets one point, and zero for a loss in regulation.

The two winners with the most points will play in a final.

What’s the schedule of the 4 Nations Face-Off?

All times are Eastern!

Feb 12: Canada vs. Sweden on TNT at 8 p.m.

Feb 13: USA vs. Finland on ESPN at 8 p.m.

Feb 15: Finland vs. Sweden on ABC at 1 p.m.

Feb 15: USA vs. Canada on ABC at 8 p.m.

Feb 17: Canada vs. Finland on TNT at 1 p.m.

Feb 17: Sweden vs. USA on TNT at 8 p.m.

Feb 20: The championship game, 8 p.m. on ESPN

Will there be an NHL All-Star Game in 2025?

Nope. This is replacing the All-Star Game.

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Report: With Greg Norman out, LIV Golf tabbing new CEO with major sports experience

A former executive with the NHL and NBA appears ready to assume the post.

With Greg Norman’s turbulent reign as the CEO of LIV Golf in the rearview mirror, a new report indicates that a former executive with the NHL and NBA is ready to assume the post as the league enters its fourth season.

According to a report at Sports Business Journal, Scott O’Neil has been tabbed to take over the league, which disrupted the sport as a whole, but has yet to gain major traction in the sports universe.

O’Neill served as the CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and then added a similar role above the New Jersey Devils as part of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

Norman’s tenure was stormy as the 20-time PGA Tour winner and former world No. 1 has butted heads with numerous organizations, made outlandish claims about the league’s ascension and even showed up at major events using tickets from a secondary market.

Scott O'Neil
New Jersey Devils CEO Scott O’Neil. (Andy Marlin/Getty Images)

Although it’s yet to crack the TV market with a major network deal, LIV Golf announced 10 of the expected 14 for next year. Returning to the schedule are LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook Golf Club from Aug. 8-10, LIV Golf Dallas at Maridoe Golf Club from June 27-29, LIV Golf Andalucia at Valderrama from July 11-13 and LIV Golf UK at JCB Golf and Country Club from July 25-27.

Two new venues will bring the league to Korea and Indiana for the first time. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea will host LIV Golf Korea May 2-4 and The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana, will host LIV Golf Indianapolis from Aug. 15-17. The Indianapolis event will be the individual season finale, which was in Chicago this year.

Here’s a look at the known events on the LIV Golf schedule for 2025.

Date Tournament Course Location
Feb. 6-8 Riyadh Riyadh Golf Club Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Feb. 14-16 Adelaide The Grange Golf Club Adelaide, Australia
March 7-9 Hong Kong Fanling Golf Course Hong Kong
March 14-16 Singapore Sentosa Golf Club Sentosa Island, Singapore
May 2-4 Korea Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea Incheon, South Korea
June 27-29 Dallas Maridoe Golf Club Carrollton, Texas
July 11-13 Andalucia Valderrama Sotogrande, Spain
July 25-27 UK JCB Golf and Country Club Rocester, England
Aug. 8-10 Chicago Bolingbrook Golf Club Bolingbrook, Illinois
Aug. 15-17 Indianapolis The Club at Chatham Hills Westfield, Indiana

LIV Golf has directly impacted the PGA Tour, which now allocates millions more for its players through signature events and the Player Impact Program.

The tour pumped millions into its purses and billions into the game with a $3 billion deal with Strategic Sports Group that includes an initial investment of $1.5 billion into the launch of a commercial venture, PGA Tour Enterprises.

The Tour’s top money winner, Scottie Scheffler, saw his bank account grow by more than $54 million this year from his prize money and bonuses.

On the course, Jon Rahm, LIV’s most significant signing since the first season, won the 2024 individual championship joining previous champions Talor Gooch (2023) and Dustin Johnson (2022). Bryson DeChambeau became the second LIV golfer to win a major championship, capturing the U.S. Open. Brooks Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship.

Alex Ovechkin’s injury amidst Wayne Gretzky record hunt left NHL fans distraught

This injury could not have come at a worse time for Alex Ovechkin.

While certainly not the worst case scenario, Alex Ovechkin’s quest to break Wayne Gretzky’s goals scoring record will be put on pause for a few weeks due to an unfortunate injury.

On Monday, Ovechkin was pulled in the third period from the Washington Capitals’ game against the Utah Hockey Club due to an injury. Ovechkin and Jack McBain collided knee-on-knee in the middle of the ice on accident and the Capitals forward had to be helped off the ice after the hit.

Ovechkin had already scored two goals in Monday’s game, bringing him within 26 goals of tying Gretzky’s record.

Then on Tuesday, the Capitals announced that Ovechkin would be out week-to-week with an injury to his lower leg and would be reevaluated in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

The news is an incredible blow to Ovechkin’s chase to break Gretzky’s record, if only because the 39-year-old was on such a tear in recent games. Over the last two games, Ovechkin put up five — yes, five — goals and was making a real push to close the gap on Gretzky. Not only that, Ovechkin’s recent surge has him sitting at the top of the NHL in goals scored this year with 15, marking an incredible start to his season.

It’s a shame Ovechkin will be out for a few weeks during this exciting chase, but at least he’s set to return sometime this season to continue the hunt. NHL fans, however, were distraught at the news amidst a historic race.

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4 NHL head coaches on the hot seat, including Mike Sullivan and the woeful Penguins

Which NHL head coaches are on the hot seat in the early goings of the 2024-25 season?

The 2024-25 NHL season is about a month and change old now and it’s definitely not panning out the way many were expecting. Sure, the early-season rust and chaos spun everyone for a loop, but as things have settled, there are a fair number of teams still performing more poorly than anticipated.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, for instance, have been one of the biggest disappointments of the NHL season so far. While we weren’t high on this version of the Penguins from the outset, Pittsburgh’s defense and goaltending are sinking this team faster than anyone could have imagined. And as such, calls for Mike Sullivan’s firing have escalated in volume over the last few weeks as the Penguins look to right the ship.

So, with Sullivan and the Penguins clearly in mind, let’s dive a bit deeper into the four NHL head coaches that are on the hot seat to begin the 2024-25 season.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins

Number one with a bullet on this list is by far Sullivan, whose miserable Penguins suffered their worst loss of the season yet on Monday in a 7-1 drubbing to the Dallas Stars. Things have gotten so dire that general manager Kyle Dubas has stated that anyone not named Sidney Crosby is on the trade block, and we’re not even at Thanksgiving yet!

There’s a lot of blame to go around in Pittsburgh for how disappointing things have been, and Sullivan did help the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups, but something has to give with the Penguins. It’s time.

James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Lalonde, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings nearly made the playoffs last season, so a 6-7-1 start is not what you want to see out of Detroit amidst an eight-year postseason drought. General manager Steve Yzerman definitely deserves some heat for his plan that has yet to fully manifest itself into tangible results, but the first domino to fall in Detroit if they deem this start unacceptable will likely be Derek Lalonde.

Is it unfair, given the lack of playoff talent on this roster? Perhaps, but head coaches don’t have a long shelf life in the NHL and Lalonde is in his third season with the club. A firing could be the spark the Red Wings need to get themselves on track again.

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators

The Predators swung for the fences in the offseason with their stunning additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei to their roster. And what has it got them? A 5-9-2 record — putting them in a tie for last in the NHL in points percentage — and just 23 combined points between their big name additions in 16 games.

Sure, we’ve seen talented rosters come back from the brink to make a playoff run, but Andrew Brunette might have to take the fall in Nashville if things continue to look grim.

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens

At the time in 2022, the Canadiens hiring first-time NHL head coach Martin St. Louis seemed like a poetic start to this new era in Montreal. The Canadiens’ youth would be fostered and nurtured by a young, promising head coach beloved by the fanbase as a whole. However, with the Canadiens starting out 5-9-2 this season, one has to wonder if the team needs a more experienced voice in the room to guide them.

St. Louis could very well be a great head coach when all is said and done, but the general rumblings out of Montreal seem to indicate that a veteran presence is needed to get this team back on task.

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Pittsburgh has seemingly taken over D.C. ahead of Week 10 matchup

Fans of the Black and Gold seem ready to outnumber the Burgundy and Yellow, potentially forcing a silent count in Washington for Week 10.

Fans of the Black and Gold have arrived in droves in the nation’s capital to represent their Pittsburgh Steelers as they take on the Washington Commanders in Week 10.

It seems that no matter where the Steelers travel—Las Vegas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Denver, or perhaps even the moon—Steelers Nation shows up in astonishing numbers.

Ahead of the Week 10 contest, a video circulating on social media highlights the potential impact Pittsburgh fans could have on what should have been a tough road game for the Steelers.  Adding fuel to this passionate fire is the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Washington Capitals on Friday.

Will Steelers fans be able to outnumber Commanders fans, forcing the home team to work off a silent count for the majority of the contest? Pittsburgh could use the extra support as they face a very formidable Commanders team in a game that could set the tone for the second half of the 2024 season.

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The NHL Frozen Frenzy, when all 32 teams play on one day, explained

What is the NHL Frozen Frenzy that’s happening on Tuesday?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering why the NHL is playing a lot of games on Tuesday? If so, we’re here to help.

Hockey fans, rejoice!

On Tuesday, October 22, fans will be treated to nearly eight hours of continuous hockey action thanks to the return of the NHL Frozen Frenzy. For the second year in a row, all 32 NHL teams will be in action on the same night, in an event the league and ESPN has dubbed the NHL Frozen Frenzy. Pretty cool, right?

Things get kicked off with the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, which is only the first game of 16 scheduled for the night. Even better? All 16 games are staggered 15 or 30 minutes apart, meaning there should always be something to watch.

Tuesday’s slate will feature some high-profile matchups such as the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the New Jersey Devils, the Boston Bruins versus the Nashville Predators, the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Edmonton Oilers and more. All content will be available on ESPN+, with a few matchups scheduled for ESPN proper. ESPN2, however, will be hosting the NHL Frozen Frenzy Live Whip-Around Studio Show with John Buccigross, Kevin Weekes and P.K. Subban, a NFL RedZone style show for the event.

Of course, the NHL Frozen Frenzy will be the only day of the 2024-25 season where all 32 teams will play on the same day, so don’t miss out on the fun!

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Former Notre Dame forward signs contract extension with Blackhawks

Good job, Landon!

Earlier in this calendar year, [autotag]Landon Slaggert[/autotag] was finishing up his collegiate career with Notre Dame. Now, he has security for his professional career for the immediate future.

Slaggert has signed a two-year, one-way contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he made his NHL debut late last season. His initial NHL action consisted of four points in 16 games, including one goal.

Slaggert is beginning this season with the Rockford IceHogs, the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate. As he went straight to the Blackhawks after finishing with the Irish last season, this is his first time with that club. There’s no telling right now when and if he gets called up.

Slaggert has wasted no time in contributing to the IceHogs. He tallied one assist in a 4-1 season-opening win over the Grand Rapids Griffins, the only game they’ve played so far. He’ll get two chances to add to that assists this weekend when the IceHogs play a home-and-home against the Milwaukee Admirals:

Best of luck to Slaggert in his first full professional season.

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