Michigan forward Adam Fantilli won the Hobey Baker Award on Friday as the NCAA's top men's hockey player.

The projected 2023 second overall pick recorded 30 goals and 35 assists in 36 games during his freshman season. He led the nation in points and tied for the lead in goals.

Minnesota forwards Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies were the other two finalists.

Fantilli is the third freshman to ever win the award, joining Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Kariya and Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel. He's also the third Wolverine to win the award, joining Brendan Morrison and Kevin Porter.

The Toronto product led Michigan to the Frozen Four before it fell to Quinnipiac in the semis Thursday.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche may have to play through the stretch run without their top defenseman.

Head coach Jared Bednar announced Thursday that Cale Makar and depth forward Darren Helm are out indefinitely with lower-body injuries, according to the Denver Gazette's Kyle Fredrickson.

Bednar added that both players are dealing with new injuries, not just maintenance from previous ailments.

Thursday's meeting with the San Jose Sharks will be Makar's second straight missed game and 17th total of the campaign. He's been sidelined for brief stints multiple times this season with an upper-body ailment, a head injury, and a previous lower-body issue.

Makar, the reigning Conn Smythe and Norris Trophy winner, has been spectacular when available, posting 66 points in 60 games while averaging a league-high 26:23 per contest.

Injuries to key players are nothing new for the defending champions. Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues, and Bowen Byram are among the Avs who've missed at least 10 games. In addition to Makar, Colorado is also currently without Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Manson, and captain Gabriel Landeskog, who's yet to play this season.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Killorn were each fined $5,000 for slashing, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.

Fox appeared to spear Corey Perry during Wednesday's game between the two teams.

A few minutes later, Killorn pitchforked Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, sparking a brouhaha.

There appears to be some animosity between the Rangers and Lightning, who met in the 2022 Eastern Conference Final.

The teams combined for 70 penalty minutes in the contest, which the Rangers won 6-3.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets could find themselves picking first overall at the 2023 draft, but that won't necessarily stop them from aggressively trying to upgrade their NHL roster this offseason.

Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he's "100%" open to moving the Los Angeles Kings' 2023 first-rounder, he told TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday.

The Blue Jackets acquired the pick, along with a 2024 third-round selection and goaltender Jonathan Quick, from the Kings in exchange for netminder Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov in March. Columbus then flipped Quick to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Kings have already clinched a playoff spot, so the pick will fall in the latter half of the first round.

Kekalainen added that he's interested in using the pick to land a top-four caliber defenseman to replace Gavrikov, who logged 22:20 of ice time per game for Columbus this season before the trade.

The Blue Jackets entered Tuesday's games ranked 30th in the NHL standings, but injuries have hit them hard this campaign, particularly on the back end. Zach Werenski, the club's top D-man, notably suffered a season-ending shoulder ailment in November.

Werenski, Erik Gudbranson, Adam Boqvist, Andrew Peeke, and Jake Bean are expected to make up five spots on Columbus' blue line next year. Nick Blankenburg, David Jiricek, and others will compete for jobs, but there's certainly room for another addition. The Jackets project to have $17.9 million in cap space this offseason without any notable pending free agents.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are heading back to the playoffs.

The Stars punched their ticket with a 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday. The Wild clinched by picking up a point in a shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, combined with Nashville's loss.

It's the second straight year and fourth time in the last five seasons that the Stars made the playoffs.

Minnesota, meanwhile, earned a postseason berth for a fourth straight year and 10th time in the last 11 campaigns.

The Stars and Wild are the first two teams from the Central Division to clinch playoff spots, but the Colorado Avalanche likely won't be too far behind. Dallas and Minnesota are tied for the division lead at 98 points, while the Avalanche are just two points behind with two games in hand on each club.

Colorado can clinch as early as Tuesday night. After that, the Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, and Predators will need to battle it out for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carson Briere was dismissed from Mercyhurst University's hockey team Monday, the school announced.

Briere, the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Daniel Briere, was caught on camera pushing a wheelchair down a flight of stairs while at a bar. The video went viral on social media March 14.

Briere and Patrick Carrozzi, who plays for Mercyhurst's lacrosse team, were charged with three misdemeanour charges of criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy to commit mischief, and disorderly conduct. They're scheduled to appear in court May 22.

Sydney Benes, the owner of the wheelchair, filed a complaint saying the chair's fall damaged the left brake handle, broke the right armrest's plastic molding, bent a rear handle, and caused the wheels to drag when moving forward. Benes added that the wheelchair cost $2,000 when purchased a year ago.

Daniel Briere, who was promoted to his current position on March 10, called his son's actions "inexcusable."

Carson was dismissed from Arizona State's hockey program in 2019 for what the university deemed a violation of team rules.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks top prospect William Eklund underwent season-ending surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, the team announced.

Eklund is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of training camp in September.

He suffered the ailment in an AHL game on March 22.

"Together with William, we felt there was just too much risk of another injury next season, and William's goal is to play in 82 NHL games next season," Eklund's agent Todd Diamond told Sheng Peng's San Jose Hockey Now. "(General manager Mike Grier) and the Sharks have been great throughout this and allowed William the time he needed to make the best decision."

Eklund, 20, recorded 41 points in 54 contests with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda this campaign. He also added two goals and an assist during an eight-game stint with the Sharks.

San Jose drafted the Swedish forward seventh overall in 2021.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks agreed to terms with goaltender Nikita Tolopilo on a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.

"We are excited to have agreed to terms with Nikita as we continue to build out our prospect pool and add to our organization's depth in goal," general manager Patrik Allvin said. "He provides a combination of tremendous size and skill and has developed well at the professional level the past two seasons in Sweden, serving as one of the more accomplished goaltenders in his league this year."

Tolopilo posted a .924 save percentage and a 2.10 goals-against average in 45 regular-season games for Sodertalje SK in HockeyAllsvenskan - the second-best professional league in Sweden.

The 22-year-old Belarusian netminder stands 6-foot-6 and 229 pounds.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL legend Keith Tkachuk didn't hold back about his son Matthew's Florida Panthers.

"I'm a little disappointed in the Panthers," Keith told TSN 1050 on Wednesday morning ahead of Florida's 3-2 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "They're a soft team and they're getting everything they deserve right now."

Even after securing two massive points on Wednesday, the Panthers are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents' Trophy. Florida sits a point back of Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and the Penguins have a game in hand. The Cats have a 36% chance of making the postseason, per MoneyPuck.

Matthew's play is far from a reason why, as he paces the club with 97 points in 72 games in his first season with the Panthers after an offseason trade from the Calgary Flames. But the lack of team success still bothers Matthew, Keith says.

"(Matthew is) pretty devastated right now where they're at," Keith said. "But they're still hanging on, they still have a chance, and it's up to them to get their butts going and start playing like a team that should be a lot better than what they're showing right now."

Keith is much more pleased with the effort he sees from his youngest son's team: Brady's Ottawa Senators.

"I know I sound like a frustrated person, but I know every time I come and watch Ottawa they might not be the most talented team, but they're going to play hard," Keith said. "And Florida maybe could take a page out of their book."

Although the Senators' chances of making the playoffs are a slim 1.5%, they've played meaningful games down the stretch, which has been a big step in the team's rebuild. Brady, Ottawa's captain, has put together a career year with 77 points in 74 games.

Keith amassed 538 goals and 527 assists in 1,201 games during his 18-year NHL career between the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers, and St. Louis Blues. He currently works as the Blues' director of recruitment.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley, and Adam Fantilli have been named the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA top men's hockey player.

Knies and Cooley make up two-thirds of Minnesota's top line alongside Jimmy Snuggerud.

Knies, 20, has 21 goals and 20 assists in 38 games for the Golden Gophers during his sophomore season. Selected 57th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound power forward is widely expected to turn pro after the Frozen Four.

Cooley, 18, has 20 goals and 37 assists in 37 games with the Golden Gophers in what's been a sensational freshman campaign. The Arizona Coyotes selected the playmaking center third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Fantilli, also a freshman, has 29 goals and 35 assists in 35 contests with Michigan. The 18-year-old is the consensus No. 2-ranked prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft behind Connor Bedard.

The winner will be announced on April 7.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.