Welcome back to another Memorable Match from the Vancouver Canucks’ 2024–25 season. Last time, we looked at the team’s match against the Detroit Red Wings on December 1. This week, we’ll take a look at Kiefer Sherwood’s December 16 domination of the Colorado Avalanche. 

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The 2024–25 season was a spectacular one for Sherwood, who hit career-highs in goals (19), assists (21), points (40), and more. His NHL record-breaking hit total on the season has been spoken about at length, earning him the fan-voted title of the team’s unsung hero. The Canucks were high on Sherwood long before they signed him in free-agency, noting that their first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators opened their eyes to his skills. 

Early on in the season, Sherwood got off to a bang, expressing his confidence in possibly breaking the NHL season hit record. By December 15, Sherwood was already at eight goals, six assists, and 179 hits. 

On December 16, Sherwood broke his career-high in goals scored in one season. Previously, he’d scored 10 in 68 games with Nashville in the 2023–24 season. On the 16th, he scored his first NHL hat trick to set a new personal record. His three goals propelled the team past the Avalanche, whose only goal came from Valeri Nichuskin. 

Sherwood’s effort in this game resulted in fans starting a “Kief-er Sher-wood” chant. After the game, he’d discussed how hearing the chant was “a pretty special honour.

“I was trying to take it in,” he said at the time. “I really appreciate the fan support. Obviously, passion is something that Vancouver is known for, and that’s pretty cool. I will definitely remember it.”

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The Winnipeg Jets' path to defeating the Dallas Stars is expected to be more challenging than it previously was, as the Stars prepare to add superstar defenseman Miro Heiskanen back to their lineup. 

The 25-year-old has been out of the Stars' lineup since Jan. 28 after Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone went head-first into his knee. Prior to the injury, Heiskanen scored five goals and 25 points in 50 games, averaging 25:10 of ice time. 

Although Heiskanen's offensive numbers aren't as eye-popping as they usually are, in large part due to the emergence of Thomas Harley, his defensive game remains among the elites of the NHL. The Stars give up far fewer high-danger chances, and according to Natural Stat Trick, they outscored their opponents 42-37 at 5-on-5 with Heiskanen on the ice. 

Heiskanen hasn't been confirmed just yet, but according to John Barlett, if all goes well at their morning skate, he'll play, and the Stars will possibly run 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

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Bruins ‘believed to be among top contenders' for Rick Tocchet: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins are in the early stages of a pivotal offseason for the franchise, and part of that process will be finding a new head coach.

B’s general manager Don Sweeney said last week that Joe Sacco, who replaced Jim Montgomery on an interim basis back in November, remains in the mix for the position, as does assistant coach Jay Leach.

Which external candidates might the Bruins be considering?

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that the Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken are “believed to be among the top contenders” for Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet, 61, parted ways with the Vancouver Canucks last month. He spent the last three seasons as Canucks head coach and led them to the playoffs only once (2023-24).

Tocchet has nine total seasons of NHL head coaching experience between the Canucks, Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Mammoth) and Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in 1,144 games as an NHL player, too, including 10-plus seasons with the Flyers and two with the Bruins.

It would make more sense for the Bruins to hire a head coach who is younger and capable of fixing the team’s lackluster offense, including the power play. Player development needs to be a priority for the Bruins, too. Tocchet probably wouldn’t be the best fit when you consider those factors, but he does have a lot of NHL experience as a player and a coach.

Sweeney also was asked last week if any potential head coach candidates were still in the playoffs, to which he replied, “yes.” There are eight teams remaining in the playoffs, as of Tuesday.

The Bruins, Flyers, Canucks, Kraken and Chicago Blackhawks are among the teams with head coach vacancies.

Marc Bergevin was criticized for many decisions during his tenure as the Montreal Canadiens' GM. Still, he made an excellent move by deciding not to match the Carolina Hurricanes’ offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

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Four seasons later, the Finnish center is still in Raleigh, but he’s currently skating on the Hurricanes’ fourth line. He was on the ice for much longer in the first round, against the New Jersey Devils, skating for over 18 minutes twice.

In the last three games of the Canes’ second-round series with the Washington Capitals, he has spent less than 13 minutes on the ice. He has registered three assists in nine playoff games this postseason, one of which came on the man-advantage.

The Hurricanes poached Kotkaniemi from the Canadiens during the 2021 offseason, signing him to a $6.1 M offer sheet with a $20 signing bonus, a wink to the Canadiens’ failed maneuver to sign Sebastian Aho.

Before that contract expired, Carolina signed him to an eight-year extension with a $4,820,000 cap hit, and the team and player implicitly admitted that the offer sheet was overinflated.

He’s now in the third year of the eight-year pact, and he’s not in Rod Brind’Amour’s good books. Every year, he seems to be in trade rumours, but the length of his contract is somewhat prohibitive for a player who has never put up more than 43 points in a season. This season, in 78 games, he was limited to 33 points.

While not matching the offer sheet was the right call, drafting him in the first place was a mistake. The Canadiens were desperate for a quality center. They decided to draft for need rather than for best player available, picking Kotkaniemi ahead of Brady Tkachuk (who went fourth overall to the Ottawa Senators) and Quinn Hughes (who was picked seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks).

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