Breaking Down the Flames’ 2025-26 Schedule
The NHL schedule for the 2025-26 season is out, even though the season itself is still months away. Looking ahead at the Calgary Flames’ calendar can give fans a preliminary…
Monthly Archives: July 2025
Former Penguins Big Defender Signs With New Team
A former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman is heading overseas.
HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga has announced that they have signed former Penguins defenseman John Ludvig.
Ludvig played this past season with the Colorado Avalanche, where he recorded two assists, 16 hits, and a minus-4 rating in eight games. He spent the majority of the campaign down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Colorado Eagles, however, posting one goal, 12 points, 20 penalty minutes, and a plus-5 rating in 31 games.
Ludvig spent the 2023-24 season with the Penguins organization, splitting time between the NHL and AHL. In 33 games with Pittsburgh that campaign, he recorded three goals, two assists, 47 penalty minutes, 72 hits, and a minus-12 rating. The 6-foot-3 blueliner also recorded zero points and a minus-2 rating in four games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2023-24.
Ludvig's time with the Penguins ended when he was claimed off waivers by the Avalanche before the start of the 2024-25 season.
Report: Oilers Tried To Acquire New Penguins GoalieThe Pittsburgh Penguins made an interesting trade earlier this month, acquiring goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks. With the Canucks having goalies Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen locked up long-term, it ultimately made sense that they decided to move on from Silovs. There was just no room for him on Vancouver's roster.
Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Blackhawks Young Defender Gets Big Shout-Out
With the Chicago Blackhawks rebuilding, they have plenty of promising young players. One of them is defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, as the 22-year-old blueliner has the potential to become a nice piece for them as he continues to adjust to the NHL level.
Due to this, during a recent episode of Daily Faceoff Rundown, Kaiser landed some serious praise from both Sports 1440's Jason Gregor and The Athletic's Michael Russo.
"Kaiser is a hell of a player," Gregor said. "In the next few years, people are going to look and say, 'damn, who's this guy?' I look at Chicago, and they have a lot of youth on their back end, and I still think this is a season of transition for them, but watch their back end. I think in a few years, there are going to be three or four guys in Chicago that people are pretty high on, and don't sleep on Kaiser."
Keep and eye on Wyatt Kaiser in Chicago
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) July 22, 2025
Presented by: bet365 (@bet365ca)#bet365#NeverOrdinaryhttps://t.co/PaBRd5n3nR | USE CODE: NATION
DFO Rundown | @JasonGregor, @RussoHockeypic.twitter.com/iYQBXGsz6V
Russo then agreed with Gregor's take and then also had some praise for the Blackhawks' 2020 third-round pick.
"I like Kaiser a lot, especially as a guy," Russo said. "Wyatt is a quality, good skating defenseman that I think has the ability to, again, with coaching, be really, really good."
The Blackhawks will certainly be hoping that Kaiser can become a key part of their defense as they look to take that next step. There is no question that they are in need of some serious help on their blueline, and it would be massive if Kaiser could develop into a legitimate top-four defenseman.
Kaiser showed promise this past season with the Blackhawks, posting four goals, eight points, 54 hits, 93 blocks, and an even plus/minus rating in 57 games. Overall, he showed that he is ready for the NHL, and it will be fascinating to see if he hits a new level soon, as both Gregor and Russo believe he can.
Blackhawks Young Goalie Continues To Get PraiseThe Chicago Blackhawks are hoping that goaltender Spencer Knight will become something special for them. The 2019 first-round pick undoubtedly has plenty of potential and has shown promise early on, but there is a real expectation that he has not hit his ceiling yet.
Photo Credit: © Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Senators Goaltending Depth Chart: 2025 Offseason
After free agency, the draft, and the majority of the offseason trades being done, the Ottawa Senators are looking strong in goal, and this is a full breakdown of their…
5 Red Wings Prospects Ready for the NHL in 2025-26
The mark of a successful rebuild is when older players are replaced with younger players that were preferably drafted and developed in-house. While there is more than one way to…
Former Pens, Avs Defenseman Signs In Czechia
Czech-Canadian defenseman John Ludvig, 24, has signed a one-year contract with Dynamo Pardubice, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Wednesday.
For the Czech born, Canadian-raised Ludvig, this is his first contract to play in Europe.
“I play a tough defensive game,” the 6-foot-1, 214-pound Ludvig described. “I want to be a tough opponent and I want other teams to hate playing against me.”
“Johnny is a type of player that you don’t typically see on the market,” said club sports director Petr Sýkora. “He can be extremely tough and assertive on the ice. At the same time, he is a hard-working guy with good character. We believe that he will flourish in Pardubice and we will be successful together.”
Ludvig’s father Jan defected from Communist Czechoslovakia at age 19 and played seven NHL seasons for the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres. Since retiring, the elder Ludvig has worked as a scout and a coach for the Devils and back in Czechia for Bílí Tygři Liberec and Pardubice, where he now works as a skills coach.
The younger Ludvig was given the anglicized version of his father’s name, played youth hockey in British Columbia and junior hockey for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, where he served as team captain his final season. He was selected in the third round, 69th overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Former Columbus D Prospect Signs In Czechia
Slovak
defenseman Samuel
Kňažko, 22, has signed a two-year contract with HC Vítkovice Ridera, the Ostrava-based
Czech
Extraliga club announced on Wednesday.
Ludvig played 41 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, recording seven points, 53 penalty minutes and was a minus-16.
A dual citizen, Ludvig has never represented either Canada or Czechia internationally at any level. Playing in the country of his birth could open the door to the possibility of playing for Czechia in the future.
Ludvig joins a Pardubice club that has spent the last few seasons signing elite Czech talent in pursuit of a Czech title, which has remained elusive. In each of the past two seasons, Dynamo has lost the seventh game of the finals on home ice.
In addition to Ludvig, Pardubice has under contract for 2025-26 former NHLers Vladimír Sobotka, Lukáš Sedlak, Libor Hájek, Jakub Zbořil, Martin Kaut, Jiří Smejkal, Miloš Kelemen and Roman Červenka – the captain of the Czech national team and the IIHF Male Player of the Year in 2024-25.
Photo © Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
Vladimír Sobotka Changes Czech Teams
Veteran Czech
forward Vladimír
Sobotka is moving one Czech Extraliga contender to another. The
37-year-old is leaving Sparta Prague, where he played for five
seasons and was captain last year, to Dynamo Pardubice, the
latter club announced on Wednesday. Every Team’s Top Breakout Candidate for 2025-26: Central Division
This is the second edition of my top breakout candidates for each team in 2025–26. Next up is the Central Division—let’s dive in. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard After registering 61…
A Deal for Panarin, Kaprizov Contract, & More NHL Rumors
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, is there something percolating between the New York Rangers and Artemi Panarin? Meanwhile, are the Minnesota Wild and Kirill Kaprizov getting anywhere when it comes…
Music Legend Ozzy Osbourne Who Left A Big Impression In Montreal Passes Away
On Tuesday, the death of the “Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy Osbourne, was announced, leaving millions of fans in mourning. While the news came as a shock to some, it shouldn’t have been given how the 76-year-old lived his life.
When you mention Ozzy Osbourne to Montreal Canadiens fans, most recall the time when the Habs gifted him a Canadiens jersey bearing his name and the number 666. The singer looked chuffed with the gift and was spotted wearing it more than once in the following years.
Canadiens: Big Weekend For Demidov And Newhook
Big Contingent Of Canadiens Players In Town For Suzuki’s Wedding?
Former Canadiens Forward Signs With New Team
For this reporter, though, the mention of Osbourne brings back a memory from 2021. As someone who lived alone during the pandemic, I was suffering from severe hockey withdrawals when the NHL shut down, and no amount of watching replays of classic games could cure it.
The legend Ozzy Osbourne was gifted a Habs jersey when Black Sabbath performed in Montreal back in 2014.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) July 22, 2025
RIP 🙏 pic.twitter.com/1KXHSdD7uy
But as the league was getting ready to launch the shortened 2021 season, the Canadiens released a video that took us through the trying months of the pandemic we had just endured, before showing us the players coming back home to Montreal to get back to work.
The video’s background song was Osbourne’s Mama I’m Coming Home. I’m not a big fan of heavy metal, so there aren’t many of his songs that I like. However, that one has always been my favorite, and watching the emotionally charged images with that song in the background was truly moving to me.
On the day of the Prince of Darkness' passing, I feel it's a good time to re-share this video that gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eye during the pandemic, RIP Ozzy #GoHabsGo#CH#Canadiens#Habshttps://t.co/taBtGY6JeS
— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) July 22, 2025
The thought of hockey’s return, coupled with everything that had gone on over the past few months, brought goosebumps to my arms and tears to my eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever been so moved by a simple preseason video or by any video for that matter, but what can I say? Like many at the time, I was an emotional wreck.
Rest in peace, Ozzy, and thank you for the memories.
Photo credit: Robert Hanashiro -Imagn Images
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Vancouver Canucks 2024-25 Report Card: Nils Åman
Welcome to this edition of THN's Vancouver Canucks 2024-25 Report Card. This recurring 2025 off-season series features a deep dive into how each Canucks player performed last year. Today's article will focus on center Nils Åman, who finished the season with six points in 19 games.
Åman spent the season split between the NHL and AHL. As mentioned, he had six points in 19 games with Vancouver, but was close to a point-per-game with the Abbotsford Canucks, recording 30 points in 36 games. Unfortunately, his season did come to a halt early, as he injured his shoulder during a practice on April 4.
This season, Åman spent his entire time in the NHL on the fourth line. He averaged 10:29 of ice time and earned a few call-ups throughout the year. Ultimately, Åman demonstrated that he can be a serviceable bottom-six forward who can also excel in the AHL when sent down.
As for Åman's analytics, they were not great, but not bad at the same time. He posted an Expected Goals For Percentage of 45.49 at five-on-five, while his Wins Above Replacement rating was a -0.1, which ranked 23rd on the team. Ultimately, he performed like a fourth-line forward, which matched the role he was given when in the lineup.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Vancouver Canucks Coaches’ Playing Careers: Kevin Dean
Vancouver Canucks 2024–25 Report Card: Nils Höglander
Former Canucks Head Coach Named To Canada's 2026 Winter Olympics Team
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Åman will be one of a number of forwards competing for a spot on the NHL roster. He should have a slight edge over some other young forwards, as he does play center and has over 100 games under his belt. That being said, if Åman does want to become a full-time NHL center, he will need to improve his faceoff percentage, as he finished last year at 37.8%.
In the end, Åman had a pretty generic campaign. He had strong numbers in the AHL, but struggled to generate offence in his limited NHL minutes. Based on his performance in the NHL, Åman receives a C grade for the 2024-25 season.
Player Review Series Articles:
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
