The 16 arenas used during the NHL postseason will have player- and puck-tracking data, commissioner Gary Bettman announced at his All-Star Weekend press conference, according to theScore's John Matisz.

Additionally, all 31 of the league's rinks will have access to such data by the beginning of the 2020-21 season.

This has been in the works for the last few years. The league initially planned to have it ready for this season but changed partners in September from Jogmo World Corp. to SportsMEDIA Technology.

The data will be used as follows:

• Updating the NHL's official scoring system, which will include puck- and player-tracking data
• Developing and installing tracking systems in all NHL arenas
• Distributing data in the form of innovative graphics and visualizations to NHL media partners and other stakeholders

Player and puck tracking will allow the league to more accurately collect player data, stats, and analytics. The tracking data will also provide fans with more information on the game for pleasure, education, and betting purposes.

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Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty is being accused of physically assaulting a 13-year-old boy during a photo shoot, Philadelphia police told CBS' Joe Holden.

The incident is said to have taken place in November 2019 at Wells Fargo Center. Police say the "investigation is active and ongoing with South Detectives Division."

Flyers season-ticket holder Chris Greenwell claims his son Brandon playfully patted Gritty on the head after a photo was taken, and that Gritty got out of his chair, "took a running start," and "punched my son as hard as he could," according to Christian Hetrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Greenwell added that he took his son to a chiropractor about a week after the incident. Brandon was diagnosed with a "contusion to lower thoracic spine with subluxation" - or a back bruise - according to a document provided by the chiropractor.

The Flyers say there's no evidence to back up the accusation.

"We took Mr. Greenwell's allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim," the team said in a statement, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.

The incident was not caught on video because "cameras in that area of the center are focused on other locations," according to emails between Greenwell and officials at Comcast Spectator, the company that owns the Flyers.

Gritty gained instant popularity after arriving on the scene prior to the 2018-19 NHL season. The hairy, orange creature is arguably the most well-known mascot in all of sports.

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The American Hockey League has suspended Bakersfield Condors defenseman Brandon Manning for five games for directing a racial slur towards an opponent during Monday's game against the Ontario Reign.

The Condors are the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, while the Reign are the Los Angeles Kings' top farm team.

More to come.

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Drew Doughty isn't accustomed to losing.

The Los Angeles Kings defenseman has won two Stanley Cups, a pair of Olympic gold medals, a World Cup, and world junior gold. He made the playoffs in seven of his first 10 NHL seasons and never missed the postseason in his three campaigns with the OHL's Guelph Storm.

Now, Doughty finds himself on a rebuilding Kings squad in jeopardy of a last-place finish in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. They entered Tuesday two points back of the Anaheim Ducks for second-last in the West.

"It’s frustrating," he told The Athletic's Lisa Dillman. "Being one of the top guys, I never expected to be (in this position). I always expected that I would be able to help push my team to a playoff spot every single year. But now back-to-back years, being in last place, it’s been stressful and depressing a little bit.

"Sometimes you’ve got to sit back and realize you don’t have the team you once had."

The Kings won Cups in 2012 and 2014. They earned playoff berths in 2016 and 2018, but since then, the club has tried to shift toward a youth movement. Doughty, who is in his first season of an eight-year, $88-million extension signed in July 2018, is in it for the long haul.

"There are times when you see really good things and you can see we’re getting better," he said. “The bottom line is we need to play a full 60 minutes and we didn’t play well (against the Panthers). You didn’t see a full 60 minutes. Vegas, we didn’t play well for two periods. Carolina was a good 60 minutes even though we lost.

“Tampa was ups and downs too. We need to figure out how to play a full 60 minutes. When we have the lead, we need to learn how to (protect) the lead. I know we’ve got a young team, so maybe it’s a little harder now."

While several players from the two Cup-winning teams remain, general manager Rob Blake, who took over in April 2017, has begun putting his imprint on the roster. He dealt defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and both Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez are rumored to be on the trade block.

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Chicago Blackhawks stalwarts Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith got into a dustup at Tuesday's morning skate, according to multiple reporters, including The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.

Toews had Keith pinned down on the ice and had most of his jersey off before assistant coach Sheldon Brookbank broke them up. The rest of the team gave the players a few stick taps and the morning skate resumed as usual.

"Just some friendly wrestling ... That's the whole point of a morning skate, to get you ready for the game," Toews told Lazerus. "We're ready now."

Toews and Keith, who have been teammates for 13 years and won three Stanley Cups together, seemed to patch things up rather quickly.

Unfortunately, a full video of the fight has yet to surface.

The Blackhawks will look to make it six consecutive wins on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers in Joel Quenneville's return to the United Center.

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The Florida Panthers have been awarded the 2021 NHL All-Star Game, sources told The Athletic's George Richards.

The warm weather of South Florida should delight players and media members alike. This year's All-Star Game is being held in St. Louis, where it's 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-5 degrees Celsius) as of Tuesday morning.

"Nothing against other places around the league, but we're talking about January in Florida," said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. "This is where guys want to be."

Center Vincent Trocheck echoed Ekblad's statement.

"An All-Star Game on the beach? That is awesome," he said. "With the sun and our weather, it is a vacation destination already."

The Panthers have hosted the event once before, in 2003, when Dany Heatley scored four goals.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have been dealt a significant blow, as defenseman Dougie Hamilton suffered a broken left fibula Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to team writer Michael Smith.

Hamilton is being evaluated by doctors and could undergo surgery as early as Friday evening, with a recovery timeline to follow.

Hamilton, 26, is in the midst of a Norris Trophy-caliber season with 14 goals and 40 points through 47 games. He was named to the Metropolitan Division All-Star squad, but will teammate Jaccob Slavin will now replace him.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, find themselves in a heated playoff race; they enter Friday in a three-way tie with the Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers for the Eastern Conference's two wildcard spots.

Thankfully, the club has ample depth on the blue line. The Canes have been carrying seven capable NHL defensemen on their roster for the bulk of the season, and both Haydn Fleury and Trevor van Riemsdyk should expect to watch fewer games from the press box moving forward.

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The on-ice rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames has been well-documented this season, but the Battle of Alberta could extend beyond the playing surface over the next five weeks.

Both clubs are looking to add a top-six forward before the Feb. 24 trade deadline, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger.

The Flames cleared $4.3 million in cap space when they dealt Michael Frolik to the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 2. LeBrun noted that finding a right-handed shooter is a "key" for Calgary general manager Brad Treliving.

Rental forwards that could be on the trade block ahead of the deadline include Tyler Toffoli (R), Chris Kreider (L), Jesper Fast (R), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (R), Tyler Ennis (L), Vladislav Namestnikov (L), Ilya Kovalchuk (R), Mikael Granlund (L), Rocco Grimaldi (R), Craig Smith (R), Wayne Simmonds (R), Alex Galchenyuk (L), Conor Sheary (L), and Jimmy Vesey (L).

Among players set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2021, Tomas Tatar (L), Eric Staal (L), Kyle Palmieri (R), and Marcus Johansson (L) are intriguing names on clubs currently outside the playoff picture that could become sellers ahead of the deadline.

Whether many of the aforementioned players could hold their own in a top-six role is up for debate, but it's clear Treliving and Oilers GM Ken Holland have options at their disposal.

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Winnipeg Jets veteran winger Mathieu Perreault was livid upon hearing that Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen would not be disciplined for elbowing him up high Tuesday.

"Player safety, my ass," Perreault told the Winnipeg Sun's Ted Wyman following Thursday's practice. "This is literally an elbow to the face of a guy that didn't have the puck."

Virtanen wasn't suspended or fined by the head of the NHL Department of Player Safety George Parros, nor was he penalized by the on-ice official.

"I can't really protect myself if the league's not going to protect me," Perrault continued. "I'm the smallest guy (on) the ice so I can't really fight anybody. The only thing I can do to defend myself is use my stick, so the next guy that does that to me is gonna get my f------ stick. And I better not get suspended for it."

The 5-foot-10, 188-pound Perreault missed time with a concussion after taking a late hit from Joel Farabee in December. The Philadelphia Flyers rookie was suspended three games.

Perreault said he isn't concussed, but he told the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck that his jaw is sore and he will probably struggle while eating the next couple of days.

Jets captain Blake Wheeler came to the defense of his teammate and tried to fight Virtanen, but Virtanen wanted no part of it, even though it would've taken a superior player off the ice.

"(Virtanen) doesn't want to fight anybody," Perreault said. "He's gonna throw his elbow around and he's not gonna fight anybody and the league's not gonna do anything about it. So maybe I should start running around with my elbows up and getting guys in the face and I won't have to answer and fight anybody, and I should be all right, right?"

Virtanen has dropped the mitts twice in his NHL career, both times during the 2015-16 season, according to hockeyfights.com.

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The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Gerard Gallant on Wednesday and replaced him with former San Jose Sharks bench boss Peter DeBoer, the team announced.

Gallant led Vegas to a surprising berth in the Stanley Cup Final during the franchise's inaugural campaign in 2017-18 and then lost to the Sharks in Game 7 of the first round last season.

With 54 points through 49 games of 2019-20, the Golden Knights don't currently hold a playoff spot in the Western Conference. However, they trail the Arizona Coyotes by just three points for the lead in the crowded Pacific Division.

In a strange twist, Gallant had been set to coach the Pacific Division squad at the NHL All-Star Game later in January. There's been no announcement on whether his firing will impact that role.

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