Monthly Archives: June 2025
NHL Mulls Call Automation Options Via Hawk-Eye Tech Expansion
The NHL will expand the use of Sony’s skeletal tracking Hawk-Eye technology under a multi-year tie-up that could impact how hockey games are officiated and the way they are viewed at home.
The deal makes Sony an official NHL technology partner, with connections ranging from the use of Sony cameras to the company’s Beyond Sports team helping the league recreate hockey games as animated visualizations in real time.
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“When you look at the total partnership, the way we set it up, obviously it runs across Sony,” said David Lehanski, NHL executive vice president of business development and innovation. “So it canvases across their whole company in a way that’s going to affect everyone in our community.”
The NHL has used Sony technology for replay reviews specifically since 2015.
“The NHL were the first within the U.S. to do video review, and now that is used almost universally across global sports,” Hawk-Eye, Pulselive and Beyond Sports CEO Rufus Hack said. “We now have 1,500 people who work for our business globally, and actually having them delivering at a world-class level—and understanding what the pressure is of delivering some of these solutions in the heat of battle—is actually almost one of the most important things that we’ve learned from the NHL and early adopters in cricket and tennis that we’ve been able to port into other sports.”
The NFL will use Hawk-Eye for evaluating line-to-gain decisions starting this season, while European soccer leagues have leveraged similar tools for automated offsides and goal reviews. All 32 NHL arenas now have 60-frames-per-second optical tracking setups that follow 29 points on each player and three points on each stick.
Lehanski said the league is evaluating the potential use of tracking data to quickly weigh in on offsides infractions and goals, though the speed and physicality of hockey present unique challenges.
The same tracking data that would be used to assist those calls is already being deployed by teams as a player evaluation tool. Increasingly, it’s changing the way fans watch sports, too.
Early player tracking data has been used for kid-friendly animated broadcasts. With the added precision of limb and stick data, analysts such as P.K. Subban now don VR headsets to put themselves on virtual ice, with 360-degree views of the action.
Going forward, the NHL would like to give fans a similar opportunity. Digital recreations could live within web-based or video game environments that allow consumers to manipulate the perspective and even attempt to recreate on-ice feats. To do so, the league could tap additional Sony arms, such as its PlayStation platform, which includes VR functionality. Beyond Sports has already helped the NHL deliver feeds in Roblox, drawing more than one million unique visitors in the first month of that activation back in 2023.
“We think at Sony, we’ve got a really unique mix of capabilities,” Hack said. “We want to bring in the best of PlayStation, the best of Sony Music, Sony Pictures… so we can really help take the sports industry to a new level.”
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NHL Draft 2025: New Flyers Trade Opportunity Arises
If the Philadelphia Flyers are still looking to trade up in the 2025 NHL Draft, they could potentially have more than one trade partner willing to strike a deal.
By now, we've all hypothesized and speculated on the rumors that the San Jose Sharks could move down from the No. 2 overall pick, and we know the Flyers were exploring trading up for a player like Cayden Lindstrom or Ivan Demidov in the 2024 draft.
Recently, it has been reported that the Utah Mammoth, holders of the fourth overall pick in 2025, could be open to trading their top draft selection for a young top-six forward that has proven himself at the NHL level.
"The Utah Mammoth are believed to be open to moving the fourth-overall pick," David Pagnotta of NHL Network and The Fourth Period reported Friday. "Some believe Utah GM Bill Armstrong will consider trading the pick for a young top-six, NHL-proven forward."
That's a cost that won't strike the Flyers lightly, but it is one they could easily pay if the price is right.
Tyson Foerster, coming off his second consecutive 20-goal season at the NHL level, has the 6-foot-2 frame that fits the bill for Utah and just signed a two-year contract extension with the Flyers that comes without trade protection and without a significant price tag.
The Flyers love Foerster, yes, but if trades were always one-sided, everyone would make them. Would Philadelphia prefer two years of Foerster to the fourth and sixth picks in the 2025 draft with the potential to land, say, Caleb Desnoyers and Porter Martone?
Another player who fits the bill, as mentioned almost ad nauseam, is Owen Tippett. At the age of 26, Tippett is a bit older than the 23-year-old Foerster, but he has some qualities that would make him equally appealing.
NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Can Get Their Own 'Star' in Jason RobertsonIf the Philadelphia Flyers are truly looking to swing the big trade this offseason, they need not look further than the Dallas Stars, who might have a former 100-point winger hitting the NHL trade market in short order.
The former No. 10 overall pick possesses blazing speed and a menacing shot, but inconsistency and a lack of progression sometimes leave Flyers fans frustrated.
Still, Tippett has 20, 27, and 28-goal seasons under his belt, including his breakout 53-point campaign just a year ago. There's reason to believe the Flyers talisman can still become a 30-goal, 60-point player, and the Mammoth are ready to take the leap that the Flyers are not quite ready for yet.
Another item to consider: Tippett has finished each of the last three seasons with 115 hits or more, and his 115 hits this season placed fourth on the Flyers behind only Nick Seeler, Garnet Hathaway, and Scott Laughton. His game of speed, physicality, and power makes him a perfect fit for what Utah is trying to do.
Plus, Tippett will have a 10-team no-trade list come into effect in his contract next July, so the Flyers must quickly decide if the pacey sniper is staying in Philadelphia for the long haul.
And if Foerster or Tippett were hypothetically deemed insufficient on their own, the Flyers could always pony up the Oilers' first-round pick - 31st or 32nd - or a second-round pick to get the deal over the line.
The Flyers are looking to quickly accelerate the rebuild to start winning games, and with a lack of star power at the center and defense positions, acquiring the Mammoth's No. 4 pick in addition to their own No. 6 pick could open some possibilities previously thought to be impossible.
Now, the only question is, is the 2025 draft the stage the Flyers are looking for to execute this type of move?
Report: Maple Leafs Could Target Bruins Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco To Fill Lane Lambert's Vacated Role
The Toronto Maple Leafs could be after another coach to join their bench after associate coach Lane Lambert's departure.
Lambert, who joined Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube's staff last summer as an associate coach (the first of its kind in Toronto), headed the club's penalty kill. Toronto's PK finished the regular season at 77.9 percent, the 17th-best in the NHL.
He vacated his post last week to become head coach of the Seattle Kraken, leaving many to wonder whether the Maple Leafs would fill that spot again. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts, it sounds like they might be doing so.
"I believe Joe Sacco was told he will not stay as the head coach of the Boston Bruins," Friedman said. "I’m actually kind of wondering if he could end up in Toronto, in place of Lane Lambert. We’ll see. But I’m under the impression he was told he won’t be staying."
Sacco was named interim head coach of the Boston Bruins after Jim Montgomery was fired following an 8-9-3 start this past season. The club went 25-30-7 in the final 62 games of the season with a new head coach at the helm, while also trading key pieces in Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, and Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline.
Tanev, 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.
Sacco, who just finished his 11th season with the club, headed the team's penalty kill before being elevated to head coach. Boston had the seventh-best penalty kill last during the 2023-24 season, operating at 82.5 percent.
Before joining the Bruins in the summer of 2014, Sacco was an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to that job, though, the 56-year-old spent four seasons as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.
His record with Colorado through 294 games as head coach was 130-134-30.
Former 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.
Toronto's current coaching staff sees Berube at the helm, assistant coach Marc Savard manning the forward group and power play, and another assistant, Mike Van Ryn, leading the defense. Savard joined the organization last summer, while Van Ryn, who won the Stanley Cup with Berube on the St. Louis Blues, joined Toronto in the summer of 2023.
The Maple Leafs also have Curtis Sanford, who's been with the club since July 2022, as their goaltending coach.
It remains unknown whether Toronto will go ahead and fill this position once again. However, if Friedman thinks out loud about whether Sacco would fit in Toronto, it likely means the Maple Leafs are hunting for someone to fill Lambert's role.
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Florida Man v Canada: how the Stanley Cup final became a proxy war
This time last year the story of the Stanley Cup final between Florida and Edmonton was mostly about Connor McDavid, hockey’s generational talent, getting the chance to bring the Cup back to hockey’s generational home. And it almost went his way, after the Oilers overcame a three-game deficit to force a deciding Game 7. Instead, McDavid’s win came a little later. His series-winning goal against the US in February’s Four Nations Cup amid the febrile nationalism created by Donald Trump’s annexation threats and tariffs seemed to quiet the doubters about where hockey both belonged and who rightly owned its highest honours. But here we are again, on the eve of the final, with the Oilers back in Florida for the second season in a row – Game 1 is on Wednesday night – and with a team from that state contending for the Cup for the sixth straight year.
The easiest way to explain why the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-22) and Florida Panthers (2023-25) have each reached the Stanley Cup final as Eastern Conference champions in three consecutive seasons is that, well, they have both been very good teams. You can point to some common elements between the two, like scoring depth, a certain level of tenacity and grit, elite Russian goaltending, and Carter Verhaeghe. But there has also been something less obvious or quantifiable about these teams. Some characteristic that they share, beyond the on-ice talent and performance. It may be Florida itself.
Related: Stuck on repeat: NHL’s playoff format keeps delivering déjà vu matchups
There’s the income tax rate, for one thing, in that there isn’t one. Given that, the common refrain goes, Florida teams have an inherent advantage when free agents are looking for a new place to play. Indeed, Panthers general manager Julien BriseBois confirmed it last summer, telling reporters that Florida’s “favourable tax situation” had helped entice players to sign. The Associated Press ran the numbers on Sam Reinhart’s new deal at $8.625m per year. In Florida, he will owe $3.15m in annual taxes – $1.1m less than if he lived in California, and $1.4m less than if he was in Toronto. Then again, there are no state income taxes in Tennessee, either, and Nashville finished third-last in the NHL last year. None in Texas, either. No Cups there recently. Nor in Washington. So, maybe there’s more to it – less bureaucratic and more geographic reasons, like the beach and the weather. Or it could be the vibe.
“Nothing in Florida is ever quite what it seems,” former Tampa Bay Tribune reporter Craig Pittman wrote in his book about the state, adding that “in Florida, the crimes tend to be weirder and the scams bigger.” Florida is where all the “nation’s unctuous elements tend to trickle down as if [it] were the grease trap under America’s George Foreman grill,” Kent Russell wrote in the New York Times. Both writers made those assessments in the summer of 2016. Since then, Florida has had quite the decade. And even for what was already America’s strangest state, it’s been an interesting few years. Much of that is due to Donald Trump’s ascension to the US presidency – twice – not in his original big-suited, big-dealing New York City tycoon form, but as something much weirder, angrier, and noticeably more sunkissed: that is, as a kind of alpha Florida Man.
Of course, all of that might have had little or nothing to do with hockey had it not been for Trump’s personal vendetta against Canada this year, all but vowing to annex it as the 51st state. Or if Wayne Gretzky wasn’t such a staunch Trump supporter – a fact that has made him persona non grata in the country he once led to Olympic gold. Or if Gary Bettman (and Gretzky) hadn’t been hanging out with Trump-nominated FBI director Kash Patel at Capitals games. Or if a Panthers minority owner hadn’t called a Toronto Maple Leafs supporter an “51st anti semite loser” on X last month. But all that stuff did happen, both setting and capturing the tone of the season, hounded at every turn by a Florida Man. To no small degree, it would make an Oilers win all the more satisfying for many Canadians.
Still, even if none of that off-ice stuff had happened, there is still undeniably a high level of that brash, unapologetic, and moderately crazed Florida attitude in the Panthers. They might not all be men from Florida, but they sure feel like Florida Men. It’s by sheer coincidence that the Panthers’ spirit animal is not the team’s namesake cat but is instead a rat. But let’s be honest, it fits with how many see the team (and not just because Brad “the rat” Marchand plays there now – that’s just fate). Because, as much as you might respect the rat’s hustle or its capacity to survive against long odds – as the Panthers did during their 2023 Cup run, sweeping the seemingly unbeatable Boston Bruins in the first round – most of the time you want them to go away for ever.
Yet, the life of a rat is also a story of a certain kind of success. It’s no easy feat to find your way when everyone hates you. Still harder to do it more than once. “Part of Florida’s appeal is that it’s the Land of a Thousand Chances, the place where people go who have screwed up elsewhere and need to start over,” Pittman wrote. He was thinking of guys like Carlo Ponzi, creator of the Ponzi scheme. But you could just as easily point to someone like Verhaeghe, who spent six years in the AHL and ECHL after being drafted before the Lightning and Panthers gave him a chance. Now he’s a two-time Cup winner.
Connor McDavid and the Oilers have a second chance in Florida now, too. Another opportunity to make the rats go away. Of course, that won’t be easy. The Panthers are relentlessly tenacious, with an aggressive offensive pinch. They’re gritty, some may even say dirty. And they’ve proven that they can scrape and scramble to the top. Just like the state they call home.
3 Former Penguins Set To Square Off In Stanley Cup Final
Well, folks, it's all down to two teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
And both teams happen to be employing former Pittsburgh Penguins.
Earlier in the playoffs, we provided you with a comprehensive guide to former Penguins participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now that it's offically down to three players between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, how has each player fared thus far?
Evan Rodrigues (Florida Panthers)
Rodrigues did miss two games during Florida's second-round matchup to the Toronto Maple Leafs due to injury, but otherwise, he has thrived.
The 31-year-old ex-Penguin - who was on the club's NHL roster for three seasons from 2019-22 - has registered a goal and 11 points in 15 games in a top-six role.
Suffice to say, Rodrigues is doing pretty well for himself in the sunshine state.
Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers)
Even if it might not be in quite the same way, Kulikov has had a good run in the playoffs for the Cats.
He has a goal and four points to go along with a plus-1 in 17 playoff games, and he has provided a steadying presence on the bottom pairing's right side.
Kulikov wasn't a Penguin for long - he played in only six games post-deadline in 2022-23 due to injury - but he was always a solid depth option and has proven that in this year's postseason.
Kasperi Kapanen (Edmonton Oilers)
Kapanen did not even appear in a playoff game for the Oilers until Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
But he's played an important role since.
The 28-year-old right winger - who was with the Penguins from 2020-23 until getting placed on waivers and claimed by the St. Louis Blues - has three goals in seven games since the first one, and this includes a series-clinching overtime goal against Vegas in Game 5.
The Finnish forward was earned his stay in the lineup as the Stanley Cup Final is set to begin Wednesday in Edmonton.
Your Guide To Ex-Penguins In The 2025 NHL PlayoffsThe Pittsburgh Penguins may not be participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season.
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Florida Panthers aim for similar result in Stanley Cup Final rematch with Edmonton Oilers
What felt like an extremely long wait is finally coming to an end.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are set to face off in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night from Rogers Place.
What promises to be an exciting series is a rematch of last year’s seven-game grudgematch that saw each team win three straight before an exciting, deciding seventh game in Sunrise.
It’s the first Final rematch since 2008 and 2009, when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings split their matchups and each won a Cup.
That’s the result Edmonton will be hoping for as they seek the team’s first championship since 1990 and the first for a team from Canada since 1993.
The Panthers will be looking to join a rare group of teams to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Interestingly, the last one to do it was the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, as the Panthers and Lightning have now accounted for the past six Eastern Conference appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.
Injury-wise, the biggest news heading into the series is the loss of forward Zach Hyman by the Oilers after he suffered a season-ending upper-body injury during the Western Conference Final against Dallas.
The Panthers enter the series fairly healthy, save for forward A.J. Greer, who is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
He has skated on his own this week but has not practiced with the team, with Jesper Boqvist taking his spot on the fourth line.
If Greer doesn’t play, it would be the third time Boqvist is called into the lineup to replace an injured forward during Florida’s playoff run.
During the previous two occurrences, against Toronto for Evan Rodrigues and against Carolina for Sam Reinhart, Boqvist combined to log two goals and three assists in the two games he returned from an absence.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 1 in Edmonton:
Evan Rodrigues – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov
Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Uvis Balinskis, A.J. Greer, Nico Sturm, Jaycob Megna
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Photo caption: Jun 18, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates scoring against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Skinner Stuart (74) with Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) during the second period in game five of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
Jake Walman: Do Red Wings Fans Still Care?
All eyes are on Edmonton.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Wednesday June 4th. However, on Tuesday a host of players participated in Media Day.
One of those players was former Detroit Red Wings defender Jake Walman.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
The Hockey News had the pleasure of participating in the event. I was able to speak to Walman during the event.
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He spoke at length many topics: what it felt like to be traded to the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid, who he was cheering for last year, Stuart Skinner, a recent interaction with some Oilers fans and more.
Do Red Wings fans want to read more content on Walman? What kind of things are you interested in reading about from the availability?
Caleb Kerney (@CKerneyWriter) on XI spoke to Jake Walman today at the NHL Media Day ahead of Game 1 of the #StanleyCupFinals.
Walman said that his mom's uncle is Jake LaMotta.
Jake LaMotta is the boxing legend who was portrayed by Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull, a film directed by Martin Scorsese. #LetsGoOilersLet us know in the comments what you would like to read about. And vote in the poll to let us know your thoughts!
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NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-05 06:42:38
Sabres Can't Afford To Wait For Star-Studded UFA Group Of 2026 — They Need To Spend Their Salary Cap Space Now
There are some very good players available in NHL free agency this summer. Toronto Maple Leafs stars Mitch Marner and John Tavares are looming UFAs, as is Vancouver Canucks star winger Brock Boeser. But with that said, let's be honest -- this year's group of free agents isn't particularly deep with high-end talent. And that may result in some teams waiting until the summer of 2026 to spend the bulk of their salary cap space. But the Buffalo Sabres can't afford to be patient and wait until then to improve their lineup. The change for the Sabres has to come right away.
To be sure, it will be tempting for the Sabres to punt the ball down the line and take bigger swings at free agents a year from now. The 2026 class of free agents is much more tantalizing, including superstars Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel and Artemi Panarin. But who's kidding who -- the Sabres aren't going to be a destination for players of that caliber. For various reasons -- the lack of winning paramount among them -- Buffalo will be a distant second (or worse) in the minds of star players and their agents. So pretending that waiting a year will somehow lead to a gold mine of talent is about as disingenuous as it gets.
This is why the Sabres have to get off their wallet and use every dollar available to them this summer. Buffalo currently has $23.2 million in salary cap space, and while some of that will go to restricted free agents J.J. Peterka and Bowen Byram, there will still be more than enough cap space to add more skill and experience to the roster. Whether they acquire that in free agency or trades is immaterial. The bottom line is the status quo in Buffalo is not an option. And skimping on their payroll is only going to fuel the fire of Sabres fans who believe the team will never succeed with its current ownership.
By the time the free-agency race kicks into high gear on July 1, the Sabres have to be aggressive and persistent when it comes to the players they target. Nobody wants to hear excuses about the things that hamstring Buffalo management in making the team better. This rebuilding plan cannot wait another year, or another minute, for that matter. There has to be legitimate progress, right away.
Maybe that means kicking the tires on someone like Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri. Maybe it means checking on the availability of Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras, or maybe it means pursuing New York Rangers RFA defenseman K'Andre Miller. We're not suggsting any of those players would welcome a deal to Buffalo.
But doing nothing? That's bordering on an unforgivable offense. The Sabres aren't going to end their 14-year-playoff-free streak by sitting back and hoping their current cast can get the job done. They need to alter the chemistry and show players that losing will no longer be tolerated. And you don't do that by bringing back the same group of players to try again.
Stars Veteran Forward Would Be Solid Pickup For SabresThe Buffalo Sabres need to be a significantly different team next season. Whether it's via free-agency or trades, the changes to Buffalo's roster have to be extensive. And Mikael Granlund -- a veteran center who revitalized his NHL career with the Dallas Stars this season -- should definitely be a free-agent target for the Sabres.
Sabres fans have been through enough calls for patience. The NHL is a results-driven business, and positive results are the only metric Buffalo supporters will be happy with.
And while throwing money at a problem isn't a guarantee that the problem is going to be addressed, doing something on the cheap isn't a guarantee things will get better, either. And waiting for the class of 2026 isn't an assurance of anything. Many of the aforementioned superstars could sign long-term contract extensions long before then.
It may be a comfort to some to envision a day where the Sabres will be an attractive destination for NHL players. But that day isn't going to be in 2026, and it definitely isn't going to be today. Buffalo has to take the bull by the horns, own where they are in the NHL food chain, and do whatever possible to improve right away.
Minnesota Wild Youngster Is Going To Be Well-Paid This Summer -- But It Shouldn't Be By The SabresThe Buffalo Sabres have their own collection of restricted free agent players to deal with this summer -- most notably, defenseman Bowen Byram and left winger J.J. Peterka -- and although the Sabres have more than enough salary cap space to make a splash ($23.2 million, as per Puck Pedia), one looming RFA who is getting a lot of attention of late is one they should absolutely steer clear of.
Any other philosophy will almost assuredly going to lead to more disappointment and more fan anger. And whatever money they save in the short term by not spending to the cap ceiling will be lost in the areas of public relations and customer content.
The Sabres need to spend their money right away, and any argument to the contrary is not going to go over well with those long-suffering Buffalo fans. The team's pocketbook needs to be wide-open, and it needs to be so until further notice.