The Pressure in Toronto Is Real—And It’s Pushing Players Out
When Ryan Reaves was traded to the San Jose Sharks this offseason, he didn’t just pack his bags—he left behind a pointed observation. In his words, “the whole city wanted…
Monthly Archives: July 2025
2025-26 NHL Schedule Drops Wednesday: Maple Leafs Season Opener Reportedly Scheduled For Oct 8 Against Canadiens
The NHL has officially announced the first three games of the 2025-26 regular season, with the remainder of the schedule to be unveiled on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.
The Florida Panthers host the Chicago Blackhawks at 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 7. On that night, they will raise their 2025 Stanley Cup banner. The Pittsburgh Penguins will visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 pm. ET.
The remaining NHL schedule, including the Toronto Maple Leafs' full 82-game schedule will be unveiled on July 16. If you were wondering why it's taken a long time for the schedule to be released, you aren't alone. Historically, the full schedule has been released in an around the NHL Draft.
According to THN's Karine Hains, the Leafs will open their regular season on Oct. 8 against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena.
There is hope that a later schedule release will allow the strategically book premier matchups with players joining new teams via trade and free agency. For example, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy hinted on an appearance with Leafs Morning Take that he wouldn't be surprised if his team took on the Maple Leafs early in the schedule. On June 30, the Maple Leafs completed a sign-and-trade with Vegas that saw star forward Mitch Marner depart Toronto after nine seasons with the club.
(Top Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
Ovechkin Retirement, Oilers Coaching Changes, & More NHL Rumors
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, while he didn’t confirm he’d be extending his NHL career, Alex Ovechkin shot down rumors that this coming season would be his last. Meanwhile, the…
Penguins Will Open 2025-26 NHL Season Against Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins will open the 2025-26 NHL season against one of their biggest rivals.
The NHL announced on Monday that the Penguins would play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden as part of a triple-header on October 7. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The puck drops on October 7th with a tripleheader! 🤩 #NHLFaceOffpic.twitter.com/sHUzUqp14c
— NHL (@NHL) July 14, 2025
This is the second season in a row that the Penguins and Rangers will play each other on opening night. The two teams met in Pittsburgh last year on October 9, resulting in a 6-0 win for the Rangers.
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan will get to coach against his former team for the first time after he was let go by the Penguins on April 28. Sullivan then took the Rangers' head-coaching job later that week on May 2.
The rest of the 2025-26 NHL schedule will be revealed on Wednesday, July 16.
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Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
St. Louis Blues Announce Preseason Schedule for 2025-26 Season
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues announced the team’s 2025 preseason schedule on Monday that includes the Ottawa Senators for the first time.
The Blues will play six preseason games, including home and away games against the Chicago Bl;ackhawks and Dallas Stars, while hosting the Senators at Enterprise Center. There is also a road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The NHL will announce its full 2025-26 regular-season schedule on Wednesday noon (CT).
- - -
Blues 2025 preseason schedule (all times CT):
Sept. 20: Blues at Stars, 6 p.m.
Sept. 21: Blues at Blue Jackets, 4 p.m.
Sept. 27: Blues vs. Blackhawks, 6 p.m.
Sept. 30: Blues vs. Stars, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2: Blues vs. Senators, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: Blues at Blackhawks, 6 p.m.
Blackhawks Will Open 2025-26 Season At Panthers
The Chicago Blackhawks will open the 2025-26 season against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise on October 7th, 2025. Ahead of the game, the Florida Panthers will raise their second straight Stanley Cup championship banner.
The NHL announced this as part of an opening night triple-header to open the season. This is the first of three games. The Pittsburgh Penguins will face the New York Rangers following the conclusion of Chicago and Florida, followed by the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Los Angeles Kings as the nightcap.
NHL (@NHL) on XThe puck drops on October 7th with a tripleheader! 🤩 #NHLFaceOffThis is another example of the NHL using the Blackhawks in big moments, regardless of the team’s status as far as their roster. Chicago hockey fans are going to tune in and help make it a special opening night for the league. This isn’t the first time that they have been the opponent for a championship banner raising night.
Over the last handful of years, despite each team's standings position, the Blackhawks have played the Panthers tough. We'll see if they can keep that mentality going on opening night.
The rest of the regular season schedule for 2025-26 will be revealed on Wednesday at noon CT.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Erik Karlsson And Ilya Sorokin
It was reported last week that several clubs, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, were believed to have an interest in Erik Karlsson.
The 35-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman has been the frequent subject of trade speculation stretching back to last season.
The Penguins' acquisition of Matt Dumba from the Dallas Stars last Thursday has some observers wondering if the move foreshadows a possible Karlsson trade.
Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review believes the acquisition of the right-shot Dumba indicates that Karlsson's exit is pending. He also thinks Dumba can be flipped at next year's trade deadline for a draft pick.
The Hockey News’ Kelsey Surmacz also suggested Dumba's addition could set the stage for Karlsson's departure. She noted a lot would have to happen for that to fall into place, including the blueliner waiving his no-movement clause and the Penguins retaining part of their $10-million share of his $11.5 million average annual value.
TSN's Chris Johnston claimed that Karlsson is willing to waive his no-move clause but only for a few teams. Surmacz wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes or the Maple Leafs would be interested, or if a reunion was possible between Karlsson and the Ottawa Senators.
It's been rumored that Karlsson would prefer to join a team that provides him with a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes would be the best bet in that regard. The Leafs are a strong regular-season club, but they've only won two playoff series in the last eight years.
Karlsson maintains a home in the Ottawa area, and the Senators are a young team on the rise. However, they're currently not in a position to help him scratch that Stanley Cup itch.
Turning to the New York Islanders, we noted some recent speculation suggesting they may have had some trade conversations regarding Ilya Sorokin. Stefen Rosner provided a strong rebuttal as to why they wouldn't move their 29-year-old franchise goaltender.
Sorokin's agent, Dan Milstein, wasted no time swatting down the trade conjecture. On Thursday, he reminded everyone that his client has a full no-movement clause. Milstein stated that Sorokin “has never been part of any trade discussions – not at any point.”
Sorokin also weighed in on the issue, telling RG.Org's Sergey Demidov he was surprised how seriously some people took the rumors, despite knowing about his no-trade protection.
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Jets Re-Sign Barron to 2-Year Deal With $1.85 Million AAV
The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed forward Morgan Barron to a two-year with a $1.85 million average annual value (AAV), according to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman. Barron Has Become Bottom-Six Stalwart…
Meet the Newest New Jersey Devil: Thomas Bordeleau
Amidst the chaos of free agency beginning on July 1, there have also been trades that have happened throughout the free agency period. On July 2, the San Jose Sharks traded Thomas…
Blue Jackets Believe Sergei Ivanov Will Come to North America After Next Season
At this point in the 2025 offseason, the Columbus Blue Jackets are still looking for goaltending help within the organization. The departure of Daniil Tarasov to the Florida Panthers has…