Canada's world junior team is unlikely to get a helping hand from the Colorado Avalanche.

Both Tyson Jost - who suited up for Canada last year - and Samuel Girard are eligible to play in this year's tournament, and while neither have discussed being loaned to the team with general manager Joe Sakic, head coach Jared Bednar insists he would oppose the decision.

"It's not up to me, but if it were I'd say no. They're part of our team and we need them," Bednar said, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.

The other big factor is that neither player has discussed playing for Canada - who named their selection camp roster Wednesday - and while it would be an honor, Jost admits he's focused on playing with the Avalanche.

"I’m just getting in my groove after being hurt so long," Jost said. "I want to be here. Hockey Canada, whenever you can represent your country, it's such an honor. I had my chance last year. Right now, honestly, I'm just focusing on playing on the Avs, focusing on earning the coach's trust and put up numbers. Obviously, I haven't been doing that and I'm trying not to get frustrated because I'm getting my chances and getting that opportunity. It will come. That's what I'm focused on right now and just getting in this rhythm."

Last year, Jost scored one goal and four points en route to a silver medal. This year, he's put up a goal and an assist in 11 games with the Avalanche, while Girard has five points in 18 combined games with the Avalanche and Nashville Predators.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the second time this season, the Vegas Golden Knights apologized for a tweet that was in poor taste.

On Friday night versus the Nashville Predators, the Golden Knights' Twitter account tweeted that when the Predators scored, media members covering the team began clapping.

The tweet was soon deleted, but not before Jim Diamond of the Professional Hockey Writers Association took exception, demanding an apology and retraction of the tweet on behalf of the Nashville media.

He sent this note to the Golden Knights's media relations department:

I'm writing this on behalf of the Professional Hockey Writers Association chapter of Nashville as well as our entire media corps. We take exception to the irresponsible tweet copied below. It's disrespectful to our credentialed media and we would like a public apology and retraction from the Golden Knights' Twitter account.

Claiming that media is cheering in the press box is a serious issue for journalists, as it can bring up questions regarding their ability to remain fair and unbiased.

The Golden Knights apologized for the tweet Saturday:

The team previously apologized for tweeting out a fake Boston Bruins roster including all girl names in a play on a joke from the movie "Ted," ahead of their game against the club Oct. 15.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Leggio is back to his old tricks.

The former AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers goalie - who was made famous for pushing the net off its pegs in 2014 when he was suddenly faced with a 2-on-0 in order to face a single shooter in a penalty shot - pulled off the cheeky move once again Saturday.

Now playing with Munich EHC in Germany, Leggio once again pushed the net off its pegs as a player broke in on a breakaway.

Leggio's move in 2014 resulted in a rule change, as goalies who now push the net off on purpose during a breakaway receive game misconducts. It will be interesting to see if the German league follows suit.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

From the poorhouse to the penthouse.

When the Montreal Canadiens face off against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, they'll do with some new line combinations at the ready.

Among the changes made by coach Claude Julien, forward Alex Galchenyuk will climb to the team's top line alongside Andrew Shaw and Jonathan Drouin.

It should mean a busier night for Galchenyuk, who was limited to a season-low 9:18 of ice time in Thursday's overtime loss to the Calgary Flames.

It marked the second-straight night in which Galchenyuk was held off the scoresheet. Saturday's boost up the lineup is surely a move to get more offense from Galchenyuk, who just three games ago picked up four assists in the Canadiens' 10-1 romp over the Detroit Red Wings.

"We know he's a good player. We know he's got skill ... You never give up on your players," Julien told reporters Friday, courtesy of TSN. "We know that Alex is a young player still. You look at his age and because he played as an underager, if you want to put it that way, we think we expect more, but I think there is still some untapped potential there."

Galchenyuk's status with the Canadiens has seemingly been up in the air since the offseason, when a report indicated he was on the Canadiens' trade block following the acquisition of Drouin.

Adding more fuel to the fire, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin stated earlier this season that Galchenyuk, a natural center, will spend his time on the wing until he can grasp the responsibilities of playing up the middle of the ice.

The Canadiens drafted Galchenyuk with the third overall pick in 2012.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrei Markov never envisioned playing for any team besides the Montreal Canadiens.

The franchise's second-most productive defenseman of all time failed to come to terms with the team on a new contract this summer after becoming a free agent, ultimately deciding to take his talents back to his native Russia.

In an interview with Jonathan Bernier of Le Journal de Montreal, Markov explained that his contract talks with the Canadiens allowed almost no negotiation, and left the former great feeling disrespected by the team.

"As an athlete and as a person who spent 16 years of their life in Montreal, I'd have liked it if they had respected me," Markov said, according to a translation from Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "That's all I was asking for from the team."

Markov was seeking a two-year deal in free agency, but he claims the Canadiens wouldn't give him more than one year.

"I'm going to be honest with you," he said. "There was practically no negotiations with Montreal. I got two or three offers from them and they said, 'Either you sign or you don't sign.'

"No one listened to me and no one wanted to listen to me. That's what happened. So I had the choice to sign on their terms or to leave and find a new team."

Markov agreed to a two-year deal with Ak-Bars Kazan of the KHL. So far, he's put up four goals and 19 points in 39 games with his new club, and while he plans to play out his contract, he hasn't shut the door on a possible return to the Canadiens to hit the 1,000-game plateau (he sits at 990 games played).

"It's a step I'd like to accomplish, but I didn't get to do it in Montreal," he said. "Maybe that will happen at some point, but not at the moment.

"No matter what, I still don't regret my decision to come back to Russia. We made the choice that was in the best interest of my family, and right now that's the most important thing in my life."

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In what was arguably the most controversial shootout decision since Marc Crawford left Wayne Gretzky on the bench during the 1998 Olympic semi-final between Canada and the Czech Republic, Predators head coach Peter Laviolette prevented viewers from an epic brother-versus-brother moment.

When the horn sounded in overtime in Friday's matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators, many fans in the building likely had one thing on their mind - a chance for Preds defenseman P.K. Subban to face his brother, Knights goalie Malcolm Subban, one-on-one in the shootout.

Instead, Laviolette didn't choose the elder Subban to take a shot, even though he had multiple opportunities.

In the six-round contest - in which the Predators failed to beat Malcolm - here are the shooters Laviolette selected, along with their career shootout numbers heading in:

While it's hard to argue with the selections of Turris and Forsberg, Laviolette clearly passed up a golden opportunity once the the shootout went beyond the originally scheduled three shooters.

P.K. may be 0-for-4 in his career, but all fun aside, who knows how to beat Malcolm better than his very own brother? And while that argument could be made both ways, Laviolette had nothing to lose after nobody he chose could beat the Knights netminder, who also stopped a career-high 41 shots in the contest.

The Predators and Knights play twice more this season, so Laviolette could be handed another chance to pit the brothers against each other.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a fourth consecutive win - a 4-2 decision over the New York Rangers on Friday - Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen broke things down rather simply.

"Hockey's a lot more fun when you're playing well, playing hard for each other like we are right now," he said, per Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.

Niskanen buried the game-winner Friday night - his first tally of the season - helping the Caps to their eighth win in their last 10 games, and an NHL best 12th win on home ice.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Bread Man was feeding everyone on Friday night.

Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin collected five assists in Columbus' 5-3 victory over the Devils - all of which were primary helpers.

In fact, he became the first player since Hall of Famer Brian Leetch in 1995 to record five primary assists in a single game, according to TSN StatsCentre.

Panarin's 19 primaries have him in a tie for second in the NHL with Jakub Voracek, trailing only Blake Wheeler. He is now well on his way to surpassing his career high of 29 such markers, set in 2015-16 with the Blackhawks.

In his two years in Chicago, Panarin was considered more of a sniper, scoring 30 goals each season alongside Patrick Kane, but he's clearly developed into one of the game's best passers in his first year in Columbus.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.