Monthly Archives: June 2025

Hockey News, The Hockey News

Who Is New Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Muse?

Leave a comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced they have hired Dan Muse as their 23rd coach in franchise history. This is Muse’s first opportunity at being an NHL bench boss.

Muse is Kyle Dubas’ first head coaching hire as the GM and president of hockey operations of the Penguins. The Mike Sullivan parted ways with the team after the season and since joined the New York Rangers.

“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice,” Dubas said in a statement.

“What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,” he added.

Muse spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Rangers. His other NHL experience was as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators between 2017 and 2020.

He helped both teams earn three division titles. The Predators claimed the Central Division title in 2017-18 and 2018-19, while the Rangers topped the Metropolitan Division in 2024. The Predators and Rangers also won one Presidents’ Trophy each, with Muse behind the bench in 2018 and 2024, respectively.

In these roles, Muse was in charge of the penalty kill. Despite the Rangers finishing 22nd in the league this season, they had the 11th-best penalty-kill percentage. Last season, the team had the third-best penalty kill in the league.

John Hynes and Dan Muse (Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images)

In the 2017-18 season, when Nashville won the Presidents’ Trophy, they had the sixth-best penalty kill. Pittsburgh’s GM took note of that.

“His leadership of special teams units at the NHL level in both Nashville and New York produced elite results consistently,” Dubas said.

“His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward. We’re excited to welcome Dan, and his family, to the city of Pittsburgh.”

Muse does have previous experience as a head coach. The 42-year-old was the bench boss of the U-17 and U-18 USA Hockey National Team Development Program teams.

He won a USHL title in 2016-17 and a U-18 World Junior Championship gold medal in 2022-23.

Promo image credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Hockey News, Sports Betting

Count On Bobrovsky, Panthers Limiting Oilers Offence in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals

Leave a comment

Florida Panthers look to shut down Edmonton Oilers offence in Stanley Cup Finals rematch. 

Image

One of the most highly-anticipated Stanley Cup Finals in years starts on Wednesday with the star-studded Edmonton Oilers hosting the defending Champion Florida Panthers. 

It promises to be an eventful series, marking just the third Stanley Cup Final rematch in NHL history. The Oilers are out for redemption after falling short in game seven last year, nearly completing a dramatic comeback from a 3-0 series deficit.

Game one will be a crucial one for both sides as the team that wins game one of the Stanley Cup Final has won the series 64 out of 84 times, which improves when that opening win comes on home ice, as the odds jump to 51 out of 61 times in history. 

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Betting Preview: Oilers-Panthers Set for Epic Rematch

Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers Game 1 Best Bets:

  • Under 6.5 goals (-132)
  • Panthers ML (+104)
  • Sam Bennett Over 0.5 points (-120)
  • Carter Verhaeghe Over 0.5 points (-115) 

More NHL: Oilers vs. Panthers: Breaking Down Game One Trends Ahead of 2025 Stanley Cup Finals

The public seems to expect that an offensive shootout is coming as the sportsbooks have the game listed at over/under 6.5 total goals. The sense is that the Oilers will want to rebound after last year's loss and push the Panthers into a high-scoring affair for a series-opening win. 

I expect the opposite effect to work as we've seen both teams using their defences to shut down the best of opposing offences and make for low-scoring outcomes.

This happen in last year's game one of the Finals, where the Oilers were blanked in a 3-0 loss. In game two, they were limited once again with the Panthers managing to continue their smother of the Oilers offence for a 4-1 victory. 

This is the third straight Finals appearance for the Panthers and they know what they are doing with their mindset likely being that they aren't going to let in a goal at all costs.

I expect this mentality to shine through once again as the Oilers are coming in with a new team and the highest of expectations as they are expected to win the series. 

With that in mind, we will need to see some scoring from someone as a goal has to be scored and we gave a pretty lengthy deep dive recently on what players excel in series-opening games. For the Cats, the most notable name is Sam Bennett, who has made a knack out of scoring clutch goals. 

More NHL: New Mitch Marner Next Team Betting Odds Highlight Unexpected Frontrunner

The Canadian forward found the net against the United States in the Four Nations Championship and has built a reputation for strong starts, scoring in three consecutive Game Ones and tallying four goals in his last five series openers. 

Bennett has been playing on a line recently with the dynamic duo of Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk, who both have a stellar history of opening up series with a bang. Verhaeghe offers better value in this spot, having consistently delivered in series openers. 

He scored in last year’s Stanley Cup Final game one and has totaled four goals and five assists in his last seven Game Ones. This postseason alone, he’s recorded one goal and four assists across three series openers. The two forwards should come together for a much needed goal in a tight low-scoring affair. 

More NHL: 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers, Panthers Lead Early Contenders But One Unexpected Favourite Emerges

Hockey News

BREAKING: Penguins Name Dan Muse New Head Coach

Leave a comment
Jan 7, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes talks with assistant coach Dan Muse during the first period against the Boston Bruins at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

After more than a month of searching, the Pittsburgh Penguins have finally named a successor to Mike Sullivan behind the bench.

On Wednesday, the Penguins named Dan Muse the 23rd head coach in team history. Muse had been an assistant coach for the New York Rangers - who hired Mike Sullivan as their new head coach on May 2 - for the past two seasons from 2023-25.

Previously, he had an assistant coaching gig with the Nashville Predators from 2017-20. In both stints, he was primarily responsible for running the penatly kill units - which were both top-five units during his tenure.

“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice," Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas released in a statement. "What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach, and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL. From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.

“Additionally, his leadership of special teams units at the NHL level in both Nashville and New York produced elite results consistently. His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward. We’re excited to welcome Dan, and his family, to the city of Pittsburgh.”

Muse, 42, first stepped into the coaching realm at a higher level as an assistant for the Yale University men's ice hockey team from 2009-14. From there, he became heavily involved in USA Hockey, coaching the Chicago Steel of the USHL from 2015-17 and for the National Team Development Program (NTDP) from 2020-23.  The 2023 Under-18 World Championship team won the gold medal with him at the helm.

He also has ties to Penguins' forward prospect Rutger McGroarty, who he had coached as part of the USNTDP program.

More details on the hire to come. 

Former Penguins' Assistant Joins Blackhawks' Coaching StaffFormer Penguins' Assistant Joins Blackhawks' Coaching StaffIt appears that Mike Sullivan - who departed as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Apr. 28 and subsequently joined the New York Rangers as their new bench boss - isn't the only former Penguins' coach to land a new gig for the 2025-26 season.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!        

Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel - Imagn Images

Hockey News

'If I Can Win The Masters, Leafs Can Win The Stanley Cup': Rory McIlroy Gifted Toronto Jersey By MLSE CEO Keith Pelley

Leave a comment

Professional golfer Rory McIlroy still believes the Toronto Maple Leafs can win the Stanley Cup.

The 36-year-old is at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Alton, Ontario, for the RBC Canadian Open, which begins on Thursday. McIlroy, who won the 2025 Masters, was joined by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Keith Pelley on Wednesday for the tournament's Pro-Am.

Following their round of golf, Pelley gifted McIlroy a Maple Leafs jersey with his last name on the back. The PGA and European Tour golfer knows Pelley from when the 61-year-old served as president of the PGA European Tour from 2015 to 2024.

"If I can win the Masters," McIlroy said on Wednesday via TSN's Bob Weeks, "then the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup."

McIlroy has won the RBC Canadian Open twice, in 2019 and 2022.

Report: Maple Leafs Could Target Bruins Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco To Fill Lane Lambert's Vacated RoleReport: Maple Leafs Could Target Bruins Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco To Fill Lane Lambert's Vacated RoleThe Toronto Maple Leafs could be after another coach to join their bench after associate coach Lane Lambert's departure.

This isn't the first time the former world number-one has weighed in on the Maple Leafs. Following his final round at the tournament last spring, McIlroy hoped Toronto could get closer to its goal of winning the Stanley Cup in 2025.

"I don’t know much about the Leafs, I had dinner with someone that’s pretty intimately involved a few nights ago, so sounds like they’re making some changes this off-season," McIlroy told the Toronto Sun, "and hopefully that’s the catalyst to hopefully that’s the catalyst to making a run in the playoffs and maybe getting that Stanley Cup."

Under new head coach Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs won their first Atlantic Division title since its inception in 2013. Toronto eliminated the Ottawa Senators in six games before being ousted in seven games by the Florida Panthers in round two.

Tanev, Gourde Contracts And Deferred Money Provide A Blueprint For Maple Leafs To Re-Sign John TavaresTanev, Gourde Contracts And Deferred Money Provide A Blueprint For Maple Leafs To Re-Sign John TavaresJohn Tavares wants to stay in Toronto. The former Maple Leafs captain made that clear when speaking to reporters shortly after his team was eliminated in the second round at the hands of the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers. This desire, coupled with the Maple Leafs' cap constraints, begs the question: How can both sides find common ground? Reportedly, the Maple Leafs would welcome him back, but not at the hefty $11 million per season salary cap hit that came with his first contract in Toronto. Recent contracts signed by other players offer a compelling glimpse into potential solutions.

It's the furthest the Maple Leafs have gone in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2002, when they beat out the New York Islanders and Senators to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Toronto lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games, ending their Stanley Cup hopes that year.

There's a lot of uncertainty around the Maple Leafs entering this offseason. Mitch Marner and John Tavares are unrestricted free agents, while Matthew Knies is a restricted free agent. Tavares and Knies have expressed their desire to remain in Toronto, but Marner, who's had several chances to say he wants to remain a Maple Leaf, hasn't done so.

Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano To Coach NHL Top Prospect Matthew SchaeferFormer Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano To Coach NHL Top Prospect Matthew SchaeferMark Giordano has been busy since last playing in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Meanwhile, Toronto GM Brad Treliving said in his season-ending media availability that the team's DNA needs to change.

"I don't believe that you have to go and change 20 players, right? It's not always about that. It's what can we do to help our guys? What can we do to find guys that can help?" Treliving said.

"If there is change that we need to make with the team, how do we bring people in that have a mindset like that? But it's those big moments of really embracing it, but finding a way, whatever that way is, to get through it and have success."

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.