Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom is set to undergo his final treatments as he continues to make progress in his fight against a rare bone cancer.

Lindblom, 23, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in December and missed the rest of the suspended season.

"Oskar’s going through his last treatments coming up here, but everything I’ve been told from Jimmy (McCrossin, the team's trainer) has been very positive," Flyers assistant general manager Brett Flahr said Monday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi. "He feels great, considering the condition he’s in. He's such a great kid and he's determined. His focus is to play as soon as possible."

The Swedish winger has been undergoing treatments at the University of Pennsylvania. Lindblom has continued to train, but whether or not he'll be able to return next season remains unknown.

"For all the stuff this guy has been through, he looks terrific," Flahr said. "The last time I saw him, he looked good. He had that smile on his face. He's doing things like cardio (workouts) to keep up his strength as much as he can. I think as soon as he gets his last treatments, the worst is over for him.

"It couldn’t have gone any better for him," Flahr said Lindblom's doctor's told the young talent.

Following the difficult news, the hockey world came together to show their support for Lindblom. On Dec. 17, the Flyers presented a video tribute that was greeted with love and support from thousands inside the Wells Fargo Center.

Lindblom was on pace for a career season before it came to a halt, contributing 11 goals and 18 points through 30 games.

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The 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

“The health and safety of players, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers, and the general public is of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada, and although this was a difficult decision to make, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved given the uncertainty at this time," chief executive officer Tom Renney and president and chief operating officer Scott Smith said in a statement.

The International tournament was scheduled to take place Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. It's held annually to showcase the sport's top under-18 talent.

The event was also reportedly canceled in part because the Edmonton Oilers want to keep their arena available for the NHL's possible return this summer, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Canada has captured gold at the event 22 times since the tournament's inception in 1991 but was defeated by Russia in last year's final.

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With the NHL season suspended, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne is using the hiatus to recharge in the hopes that he'll have an opportunity to salvage what's been a trying campaign.

"I realize the fact that I haven't had the strongest season so far, but at the same time I try to use this time to my advantage," Rinne said, according to NHL.com's Jon Lane. "I used the first couple of weeks to wind down and reflect back on the season and then start preparing again, start preparing to be ready this season.

"If that's not happening, I feel like it's a head start for next season and training for next season."

The Predators' longtime puck-stopper is just two years removed from winning the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder but has struggled between the pipes in 2019-20. Rinne has posted career lows in both goals-against average (3.17) and save percentage (.895) while winning just half of his 36 appearances this season.

The 37-year-old's contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, and with young netminder Juuse Saros playing his way into the starting role, Rinne hopes to see this season through as his window to win a Stanley Cup continues to shrink. Nashville owned the Western Conference's second wild-card berth when play halted.

"It is my goal, it's our goal," Rinne said. "I'm still hopeful. I'm still positive that we're going to get back playing and we have a chance to compete again. For sure, right now, we're missing out, but everybody in the league, they're in the same situation.

"Everybody is dealing with it differently but we're all in it together. Hopefully soon, we have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup."

The league continues to explore all options for a return to action. The latest proposal would reportedly see NHL teams stationed in up to four hub cities that are not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots in order to play out the remainder of games.

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Humboldt Broncos captain Graysen Cameron has committed to Division III Northland College, he announced Sunday.

Cameron's announcement comes just two years after he suffered a broken back during the tragic 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash in which 16 people died.

"I'm proud to announce my commitment to Northland College," Cameron tweeted. "Thanks to all my coaches, trainers, teammates, friends, the Humboldt Broncos, and most importantly all my family for helping me over the last year and a half get back on the ice and play ... Dream come true."

The 20-year-old forward finished with five goals and 13 points through 46 games for the Broncos in the SJHL this season. Cameron's efforts helped the club secure a playoff berth before it ultimately fell to the top-ranked Flin Flon Bombers.

"His perseverance speaks for itself," Northland head coach and athletic director Seamus Gregory said, according to Discover Humboldt's Rory McGouran.

He added: "Having had a great relationship with (former Broncos head coach Darcy Haugan) and growing friendship with (current head coach Scott Barney), we know the character men they have and want in their locker room, and Graysen is one of those exemplary human beings."

The Broncos organization retired Cameron's No. 9 in the rafters of the Elgar Peterson Arena.

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Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos, who's been recovering from core muscle surgery, says he'll be ready to play if the NHL season resumes.

"With the timing of all this, it was devastating at the beginning, because I thought I would be possibly missing some (Stanley Cup) Playoff games," Stamkos said, according to NHL.com's Mike Battaglino. "And the stoppage happened, we didn't know how long it was going to be, so the kind of silver lining in that was I'll be ready when we resume."

Stamkos underwent surgery March 2, causing him to miss the club's last seven games before the current hiatus.

"I've been able to still use this time to rehab," Stamkos said. "I've been going to the rink three times a week to skate, and just start feeling normal again. So, I guess I have a chance to get out of the house and do that, obviously safely, with all the guidelines we have within our community."

Stamkos ranks second on the team in both goals (29) and points (66) through 57 games. The Lightning sit second in the Atlantic Division.

The 30-year-old Lightning captain isn't the only player who's benefited from the stoppage in play. Carolina Hurricanes blue-liner Dougie Hamilton also said he'll be ready to return after suffering a broken fibula in January, while Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan expects forward Jake Guentzel to be back in the lineup following shoulder surgery in December.

The NHL and NHLPA have reportedly intensified talks regarding a potential plan to finish the season that would see teams play in up to four NHL cities that are not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots. Toronto and Columbus are apparently the leading contenders to become host cities.

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Eric Lindros was named an ambassador for the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and will participate in the "ALL IN Challenge" - a fundraiser for COVID-19 hunger relief - as his first project, the team announced.

"Few players in Flyers history inspire as much excitement and passion among the fanbase as Eric Lindros, and during this unprecedented time those positive feelings are exactly what we want to deliver to our fans," president of business operations Valerie Camillo said.

"This ambassadorship with Eric has been in the works for quite some time, and we made the decision to kick it off right now, not only as a special engagement for our fans but even more importantly as an integral way to assist those impacted by COVID-19."

As part of the fundraiser, the Flyers and Lindros are auctioning off the Ultimate Flyers Game Day Experience. The winner and up to 11 guests will hit the ice with Lindros during the morning skate, participate in the ceremonial puck drop prior to that night's game, watch the game in a suite with Lindros, and enjoy a postgame celebration with the former Flyer and special guests.

Lindros spent his first eight NHL campaigns with Philadelphia, racking up 290 goals and 659 points in 486 games with the club. The Flyers lifted his No. 88 to the rafters at Wells Fargo Center in January 2018.

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In this installment of the Battle of Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques face off in a decisive Game 5, with the winner advancing to the second round of the 1982 playoffs.

Led by the Stastny brothers, the Nordiques looked to complete the upset at Montreal Forum over Guy Lafleur and the division-leading Canadiens.

Watch the livestream below:

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Swedish forward Linus Sandin intends to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers when the NHL and IIHF finalize new international transfer agreements, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Johnston adds that "it sounds like the IIHF transfer agreements will be/have been extended for a year," but there is no official entry-level contract yet in place.

Sandin, 23, enjoyed a career year for the Swedish Hockey League's HV71 this season. He ranked third in the league in goals (19) and second on his club in points (36) through 51 games.

The 6-foot center is the older brother of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets signed netminder Elvis Merzlikins to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday.

The contract comes with an average annual value of $4 million, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

"We've believed for several years that Elvis Merzlikins was the best goaltender outside the NHL while he was playing in Switzerland and this year he has shown that he has the ability and drive to be a very good goaltender in this league," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. "He is quick, athletic, and driven to succeed."

Merzlikins, 26, has authored a 13-9-8 record with a 2.35 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage, and five shutouts during his first professional campaign. He leads all rookie netminders in all of those categories.

The Latvian puck-stopper failed to pick up a win in his first eight career starts but caught fire after earning his first victory Dec. 31. From that point on, Merzlikins owns a record of 13-5-4 with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. His stretch of dominant play includes a run of eight straight victories in which he conceded just eight goals while collecting five shutouts.

Columbus also extended goaltender Joonas Korpisalo last week to a two-year deal worth a reported $5.6 million. With the pair locked up, the club has established a formidable tandem for just $6.8 million annually.

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The NHL is targeting July as a potential return date as it continues to evaluate all options for resuming the 2019-20 season, Florida Panthers president Matthew Caldwell said Wednesday, according to The Florida Channel.

"At least for the NHL, we're trying to target sometime in July and then when we feel that players are safe, we have enough testing, and have enough ways to get back on the ice, it's probably going to be contained to playing at four or five neutral sites so that's all being discussed right now," Caldwell said. "My guess is that we would start with either limited fans or empty arenas.

"None of this has been finalized but this is the direction things are going."

What Caldwell means by neutral sites is unclear, as ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman both reported earlier Wednesday that the league's plan to host games at non-NHL arenas has been abandoned. According to the report, the league is now shifting it's focus toward two-to-four regular NHL cities where the coronavirus outbreak is contained and restrictions would allow it.

The league's ability to test players for COVID-19 will also be paramount to its return, and commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly has plans to connect with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss potential testing options.

Another hurdle is the fact players have been self-quarantining in their own homes for over one month, and haven't been able to skate or train to a degree that would keep them in game shape.

"I know for the NHL, our players are quarantined until the end of April which will probably be extended into May," Caldwell said. "When we are able to come out from the quarantined period, players are going to need time to work out. I think all leagues are considering some type of mini training camp before the start of the season so that's going to take us into June."

Bettman said players will need at least two-to-three weeks of training camp before the season resumes.

The campaign was officially suspended March 12. All eight NHL players who tested positive for the virus have since recovered.

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