The Detroit Red Wings named forward Dylan Larkin captain, the team announced Wednesday. The 24-year-old is the 37th player to wear the "C" in franchise history.

Larkin is the team's first captain since Henrik Zetterberg, who was leader of the team from 2012-18. He's the team's fourth captain in the past 34 years, joining Zetterberg, Steve Yzerman, and Nicklas Lidstrom.

The Michigan native was selected with the 15th pick in the 2014 draft and has been the face of the franchise through the club's rebuild. He was selected to the All-Star Game in his rookie season, becoming the first Red Wing to accomplish the feat since Yzerman in 1984.

Set to enter his sixth season in the NHL, Larkin has served as an alternate captain the past two seasons. He's amassed 107 goals and 159 assists in 389 games so far in his career and has led the Red Wings in scoring the past three seasons.

Four NHL teams now remain without a captain: the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Vegas Golden Knights.

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Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin revealed he had a three-week bout with COVID-19 during the offseason, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro.

Khudobin missed the beginning of training camp due to visa and quarantine issues, but he took part in practice on Tuesday. With Ben Bishop expected to be sidelined for a good portion of the year, Khudobin is on track to be the team's starter to begin the campaign.

"It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that right now. It’s not easy," Khudobin said of his battle with the coronavirus, according to The Athletic's Saad Yousuf. He added he had trouble breathing and difficulty just going up stairs.

The 34-year-old was excellent in net last season, leading the Stars all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Khudobin posted a .930 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average in 30 games during the regular season.

Dallas had six players test positive for COVID-19 last week and will have the campaign delayed as a result. At least three games have been postponed thus far, and the team will not begin its season earlier than Jan. 19.

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The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets are two of the many teams interested in Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wrote in Tuesday's edition of "31 Thoughts."

Dubois recently inked a two-year, $10-million pact with the Blue Jackets. However, reports emerged shortly afterward stating the short-term deal was agreed upon to give general manager Jarmo Kekalainen time to trade him. The relationship between the 22-year-old and the organization apparently soured during contract talks.

The Canadiens and Jets have emerged as two potential suitors and expressed interest in acquiring the star player. Both clubs have been in dire need of a center in recent years, but the desperation isn't as urgent anymore. Montreal suddenly has Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Phillip Danault as the team's top three down the middle, and the Jets have Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny to center the top two lines.

Columbus' asking price will likely be sky-high for the 2016 draft's third overall pick, and Kekalainen has shown he's willing to wait players out if the right deal doesn't come along. In 2019, star players Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky both left Columbus in free agency after previously indicating they wouldn't re-sign with the club.

Montreal and Winnipeg are not the only franchises interested in Dubois, and the clubs involved aren't "screwing around," Friedman added.

Dubois recorded 18 goals and 31 assists in 70 games last season. He set career-highs in his sophomore season the previous year, tallying 27 goals and adding 34 assists in 82 games.

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The Boston Bruins will honor Willie O'Ree by retiring his No. 22 jersey this season, the club announced on Tuesday.

His number will be raised to the rafters at TD Garden prior to the team's game versus the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 18.

O'Ree was the first Black player to appear in an NHL game, making history on Jan. 18, 1958. He was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 in the builder category.

"Willie's contributions to the game of hockey transcend on-ice accomplishments and have opened countless doors for players who have come after him. He is without question deserving of this honor," said team president Cam Neely.

"Throughout the history of the National Hockey League, there have been very few individuals that have had such a profound impact on the league and its culture than Willie O'Ree," Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs added. "After breaking the color barrier as a Boston Bruin in 1958 and eventually retiring from professional hockey in 1979, Willie became the ultimate ambassador for improving diversity and inclusion within the game of hockey."

O'Ree will be the 12th player in franchise history to have his number retired. The 85-year-old played 45 career games for the Bruins.

The league announced on Monday that it will be releasing a custom helmet decal to honor O'Ree and Martin Luther King Jr. while also celebrating equality during the upcoming season. The decal will be featured on helmets starting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 16) and be worn through the end of Black History Month (Feb. 28).

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Goaltender Corey Crawford has announced his retirement from the NHL after 10 seasons and appearing in 488 regular-season games.

"I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I've given all I can to the game of hockey, and I have decided that it is time to retire," Crawford said in a statement. "I would like to thank the New Jersey Devils organization for understanding and supporting my decision. I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for giving me the chance to live my childhood dream.

"I am proud to have been part of winning two Stanley Cups in Chicago. Thank you to all of my teammates and coaches throughout the years. Also, thank you to the fans who make this great game what it is. I am happy and excited to move on to the next chapter of my life with my family."

The 36-year-old previously helped lead the Chicago Blackhawks to two Stanley Cup victories, and recently signed a two-year pact with the New Jersey Devils.

Crawford was a two-time All-Star and earned two William M. Jennings trophies. He finishes his career with a .918 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against average while owning a 260-162-53 record.

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Six players and two staff members of the Dallas Stars recently tested positive for COVID-19, the club announced Friday. As a result of the positive tests, the league is in the process of reviewing and revising the team's schedule "with the expectation that the team will not open its 2020-21 season earlier than Tuesday, Jan. 19," a statement said.

The Stars were scheduled to open the season with two games against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 14 and 15 and then two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 17 and 19. The plan is to reschedule all games affected by the delay, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Dallas canceled the team's practice on Friday morning as a result. The Columbus Blue Jackets also held out a large number of players from practice Friday due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Stars' training facilities have been closed and will remain shut for several days while more daily testing and contact tracing occurs. All players and staff who tested positive are self-isolating and following appropriate protocols.

The NHL successfully held its playoffs last season in two secure bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto with 24 teams playing. There were no positive COVID-19 tests recorded throughout the two months of play. This season, the league realigned its divisions to minimize travel and implemented a number of rules to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

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Ontario Minister for Sport Lisa MacLeod announced Thursday that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will be allowed to host games in their home arenas this season.

"This approval was granted after close scrutiny of the rigorous health and safety protocols that will be adopted to keep players, staff, and our communities safe from the spread of COVID-19 while permitting Ontario's NHL teams to play the game we all love to watch," MacLeod said in a statement.

The decision was made "in consultation with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and with support from local officers of health in Ottawa and Toronto," the statement said.

British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec have already given their teams permission to host games in their provinces. Manitoba has yet to give the Winnipeg Jets the green light.

The regular season is set to begin Jan. 13 with all the Canadian teams realigned into the North Division. The country's teams will exclusively play one another throughout the season.

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The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Sami Vatanen to a one-year deal worth $2 million, the team announced Thursday.

Vatanen was a member of the Devils for the past three years before he was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline last season.

More to come.

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The Boston Bruins named forward Patrice Bergeron the team's 20th captain in franchise history on Thursday.

Zdeno Chara, who recently departed in free agency, had been the team's captain since 2006. The towering defenseman helped lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2011 and had been a staple of the club for the last 14 years.

David Krejci and Brad Marchand will serve as alternates.

Bergeron, 35, has spent his entire NHL career in Boston since being selected by the team in the second round of the 2003 draft. Entering his 17th season, he's appeared in 1,089 career games while totaling 352 goals and 517 assists.

"Patrice Bergeron exudes leadership, character, talent, will, and empathy. We all know Bergy embraces the legacy of the Boston Bruins, as he will with the captaincy," general manager Don Sweeney said. "Bergy has earned the respect of all of his teammates, coaches, and everyone in the Bruins organization."

Throughout his career, Bergeron has been among the league's premier two-way forwards. He's been nominated for the Selke Trophy for the last nine consecutive seasons and won it in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

He's also been recognized for his contributions away from the rink. He won the King Clancy Trophy in 2013, which is awarded annually to an NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and he took home the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2014.

"For 16 seasons we have all watched Patrice grow not only into an elite player but also a tremendous leader," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination, and class."

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Some people were surprised to see Joe Thornton on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner when the Toronto Maple Leafs opened training camp, but head coach Sheldon Keefe has faith that the trio will work.

"One of the things that has really surprised me in this camp is watching Joe. We've done a ton of skating the first few days ... and Joe is in the middle of the pack. He's not at the bottom," Keefe told the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons. "He's beating guys he’s 20 years older than. People that don't watch him that much know that he plays a slow game.

"He's not as slow (as) you'd think."

The 41-year-old has played center for practically his entire 22-year NHL career, but he appears set to feature on the left wing of a line with Matthews and Marner to kick off the season.

Thornton noted that he played left wing during his recent stint with HC Davos in Switzerland and recently said that being on a line with the dynamic forwards makes him "feel young again."

Keefe isn't expecting the veteran to keep up with Matthews and Marner for an entire game or the whole season, but he plans to ensure the line stays fresh and Thornton doesn't burn out.

"He's going to do his thing below the hash marks, and I've been up-front with him. We're going to give him a chance to see if this can work, acknowledging the fact those guys will play significant minutes and he won't be able to play that many," Keefe said. "We're going to manage his offensive and defensive starts. You're still going to see Zach (Hyman) on that line. We're not just throwing Joe out there figuring he'll play 20-22 minutes. … This is what we want to give him a chance to do early on."

One of the game's all-time greatest playmakers, Thornton registered seven goals and 24 assists in 70 games with the San Jose Sharks last season.

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