Around the Hockey World — Tuesday, September 15
The day's hockey news in one place — and somewhere to talk about it.
For more granular team coverage, check out the team pages, or scroll every story in one list.
35 items · updated 11:35 PM
Top stories
- Red Wings name Shawn Horcoff interim general manager — Sportsnet
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The Red Wings officially named Horcoff interim general manager on Tuesday, the team announced. Horcoff will now have to navigate the team's 10-year playoff drought and captain Dylan Larkin's trade request.
- Ducks sign RFA Gauthier to six-year, $81M contract, $13.5M AAV — TSN
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The Anaheim have signed restricted free agent forward Cutter Gauthier to a six-year, $81 million contract that carries a cap hit of $13.5 million, with terms reported by TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger.
- Report: Connor Hellebuyck not expected to report to Jets training camp — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)1 💬
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According to The Athletic ‘s Murat Ates, the three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender is not expected to report to the Jets’ upcoming training camp. Winnipeg released their training camp roster on Tuesday, which includes Hellebuyck among the six goaltenders listed. Despite this, Hellebuyck is likely to sit out training camp in order to force general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s hand into…
- Devils sign Evangelista to five-year deal, $7.25M AAV — TSN
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The New Jersey Devils have signed recently acquired forward Luke Evangelista to a five-year, $36.25 million contract extension on Tuesday.
- Senators sign Drake Batherson to eight-year contract extension — Sportsnet
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Drake Batherson has locked in for eight more years with the Ottawa Senators , just hours before the deadline to sign for that long. Batherson and the Senators agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday. It is the largest contract in franchise history and comes with an average annual value of $10.5 million.
- Capitals sign Ryan Leonard to eight-year, $84-million extension — Sportsnet
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The 2023 eighth overall pick has agreed to an eight-year, $84-million extension, the Capitals announced on Tuesday. The new deal carries an AAV of $10.5 million. Leonard, 21, is coming off a strong first full NHL season, as he finished with 20 goals and 25 assists through 75 appearances. He ranked eighth on the Capitals in points and fifth in goals.
News
- Capitals re-sign Justin Sourdif to eight-year, $50.8M contract — Sportsnet
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The Capitals re-signed the forward to an eight-year, $50.8 million contract on Wednesday, beating the eight-year term deadline by mere hours, the team announced on Tuesday. The Richmond, B.C. native was acquired by the Capitals in the 2025 off-season from the Florida Panthers and spent the entire season with the NHL club, after having played only four big-league games prior to that.
- Former Avalanche Forward Lands Extension With Montreal Canadiens — Colorado Hockey Now
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Former Colorado Avalanche forward and 2022 Stanley Cup champion Alex Newhook is staying in Montreal for the long haul. The Montreal Canadiens announced Tuesday that Newhook has signed a four-year, $22.2 million contract extension that carries a $5.55 million average annual value. The deal begins in 2027-28 and runs through 2030-31, keeping Newhook under contract through his age-29 season.
- Panthers invite Nathan Bastian to training camp on PTO — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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The Florida Panthers have invited forward Nathan Bastian to their 2026 training camp on a professional tryout (PTO) basis, the club announced Tuesday evening. Bastian, 28, spent the 2025-26 season playing in the Dallas Stars organization, skating in 36 NHL games with the club and collecting seven points (six goals, one assist). The 6’4″ right wing also appeared in four AHL games with the Texas St
- NHL Calder Trophy Tracker: McKenna And Martone Headline Pre-Season Tier List — The Hockey News
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Tony Ferrari shares his pre-season tier list for the top Calder Trophy candidates heading into the 2026-27 NHL season.
- Capitals say Ovechkin was asked to film United Russia ad while home this summer — The Globe and Mail — Hockey
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After NHL career goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin appeared in an ad for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party that came to light this week, the Washington Capitals said their long-time captain was asked to participate in the video campaign while back in his home country this summer.
- Canadiens sign Arber Xhekaj to one-year deal — Sportsnet
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Defenceman Arber Xhekaj has agreed to a one-year deal, worth $1.5 million, the team announced Tuesday. The 25-year-old Xhekaj appeared in 65 games last season, scoring a goal and four points while averaging 11:25 minutes of ice time.
- ‘I’m fortunate that I’m still here’: Leafs’ Matthew Knies on surviving trade rumors — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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After committing to a new management group , which includes John Chayka as general manager and Leafs legend Mats Sundin as senior executive advisor, the team named Jim Hiller as the franchise’s 41st head coach, drafted highly touted winger Gavin McKenna first overall, and added several players via trade and free agency, including defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning and goaltende
- The Red Wings' Lengthy GM Search Ends With More Questions Than Answers — The Hockey News
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While Shawn Horcoff, a long-time member of the Detroit front office, was formally named the interim general manager of the team just two days ahead of training camp, the search continues for a permanent leader of the hockey ops department.
- NHL teams rush to sign players to eight-year contracts before the new CBA deadline — The Globe and Mail — Hockey
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The clock is ticking toward an unusual deadline in the NHL, and teams with players relevant to it are rushing to beat the final horn. The new collective bargaining agreement goes into effect at midnight, at which time a seven-year contract will be the longest a player can re-sign with his own team – and six years in free agency. The final eight-year deals are getting done Tuesday.
- Crosby on future: ‘Hard to project how long I’m going to play for’ — Sportsnet
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- Zach Leonsis promoted to president of Capitals ownership group — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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On Tuesday, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns the Capitals, announced that Zach Leonsis has been promoted to the company’s president and vice chairman. Leonsis is the son of Ted Leonsis, who founded the company and still serves as chairman, managing partner, and chief executive officer. Ted Leonsis remains the contolling owner of the Capitals.
- 'He Is An Awful Human Being': Hockey World Reacts To Ovechkin's Appearance In Putin Campaign Ad — The Hockey News
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Washington Capitals icon Alex Ovechkin has appeared in a campaign ad in support of Russian president Vladimir Putin. The ad was a promotional campaign for Russia's ruling party. Ovechkin, a Moscow native, has shown his support for Putin throughout his career, but his support for the Russian president is seen as more than just being patriotic. Given Russia's invasion of Ukraine back in February 20
- ‘Kind of the Wild West’: Landeskog questions NHL trade demands — Sportsnet
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Although NHL stars haven’t reached the NBA’s level of player control, they’re inching closer than before. And one respected veteran has made his thoughts on the topic clear. Luke Fox has the story on what Gabriel Landeskog thinks about the recent trend.
- Signing Edvinsson, settling Larkin issue top Horcoff’s to-do list — Ansar Khan of MLive
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The Red Wings' interim general manager has a lot of work to do.
- Wild sign head coach John Hynes to multi-year contract extension — Sportsnet
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The 51-year-old native of Warwick, R.I., is entering his fourth season as Wild head coach. He led the club to a six-game victory over the Dallas Stars in Round 1 of the playoffs last season before falling to the Colorado Avalanche in five games in Round 2.
- NHL, NHLPA among sports leagues, unions cracking down on betting-related harassment — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association are joining other major U.S. men’s sports leagues to crack down on betting-related harassment of players, coaches, and their families, as well as others involved in the sport who face harassment over sports betting from fans.
- NHL Rumor Roundup: No Sign Of A Hellebuyck Trade, DeBrusk Wants To Remain With The Canucks — The Hockey News
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With training camp right around the corner, there’s no indication the Winnipeg Jets are any closer to trading Connor Hellebucyk. The 33-year-old goaltender revealed his trade request last month, but it hasn’t spurred general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to accelerate efforts to move him.
- Mammoth hire Trevor Lewis to staff — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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On Tuesday, the Utah Mammoth announced that they have hired Trevor Lewis as a video scout and an ambassador for youth and amateur hockey. Lewis, 39, hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. The former forward played 15-plus seasons in the NHL, winning two Stanley Cups as a member of the Los Angeles Kings .
- Blackhawks name Connor Bedard 37th captain in franchise history — Sportsnet
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"Being named captain of the Blackhawks is an unbelievable honour and something I'm truly humbled by," Bedard said in a statement. "The captains who have come before me have left an incredible legacy. To now have the opportunity to carry that tradition forward is something I don't take lightly. I'm grateful to the organization and my teammates for putting their trust in me to lead this team. We're
- Montreal Canadiens sign head coach Martin St. Louis to multi-year contract extension — The Globe and Mail — Hockey
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The head coach signed a multi-year contract extension Monday as the Canadiens held their season-opening golf tournament. St. Louis, who was entering the final year of his deal, is now under contract through the 2029-30 season.
- Line brawl breaks out during Predators vs. Lightning prospects showcase — Sportsnet
Columns
- The Hockey News Wraparound: Breaking Down Drake Batherson And Ryan Leonard’s Extensions — The Hockey News
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Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Frank Zawrazky discuss the eight-year extensions of Ryan Leonard and Drake Batherson, Shawn Horcoff’s promotion as interim GM of the Detroit Red Wings, and more.
- Scout’s Analysis: 21 rookies who could crack an NHL roster — Sportsnet
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The path to the NHL is never a straight line for a prospect. Whether a player is selected first overall or in the later rounds of the draft, there are several factors that affect a player's ability to make the NHL roster out of training camp.
- Most interesting contract on every team in the Central Division — Sportsnet
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Yesterday, we kicked off our series with a look at the Pacific Division . Today, we shift to the Central, and examine the most interesting contract on each team in the division. A big summer in Chicago brought some notable new contracts, as GM Kyle Davidson acquired and extended Bowen Byram, brought back Patrick Kane on a two-year pact, and locked in five more years of Connor Bedard at $15 millio
- Which Flyers prospects could push for starting jobs this season? — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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Training camps about to begin for the 2026-27 NHL season as the league prepares for its inaugural 84-game schedule. Rookie games took place over the weekend for teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers , who came away with two wins versus the Metropolitan Division rival New York Rangers .
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- Three NHL Dark Horse Candidates For The 2026-27 Norris Trophy — The Hockey News
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Living in an era with several of the best defensemen in NHL history at the same time means it's as tough as ever to win the Norris Trophy. But here are some guys who could make their way into the conversation at the end of the 2026-27 season.
- Five sports leagues ask for protections from bettors’ threats — Sportsnet
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ATLANTA — Five professional sports leagues and their players associations have aligned forces to ask for protections for players and staff who face threats and harassment from sports bettors. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter sent Tuesday to gambling regulators in 35 states and the District of Columbia. In the letter, the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, Major League Soccer and…
- Every NHL team’s top prospect heading into 2026-27 — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)
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Throughout the summer, we looked at how every NHL prospect pool compares to each other . We also examined the top 75 skater prospects, and top 25 goalies , and we published an early primer on the Calder Trophy race. Today, we’re looking at each team’s top prospect heading into the season, with a handful expected to challenge for rookie of the year honors. Each player is listed beside where they’re
- NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 15, 2026 — Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey
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Senators close to re-signing Drake Batherson, Bo Horvat named Islanders captain, Sabres re-sign Noah Ostlund, Canadiens re-sign coach Martin St. Louis, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines. OTTAWA SUN : The Senators and winger Drake Batherson are close to an eight-year contract extension. The average annual amount is believed to be between $10.5 million and $11 million, with a formal
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