Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Wayne Thomas has passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

Thomas spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs, where he immediately established himself as the club’s starting goaltender during the 1975-76 season. He joined the Maple Leafs from the Montreal Canadiens, having expressed frustration after not playing a single game as the club’s third goaltender behind Ken Dryden and Michel Plasse. This was despite Thomas pitching a shutout in his NHL debut in 1972 and going 31-13-5 over two years in Montreal.

During his first season in Toronto, Thomas was the goaltender who recorded the win in Darryl Sittler’s NHL-record 10-point game against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976. He was on hand for the 40th anniversary celebration at Scotiabank Arena in 2016 and was also selected to the 1976 NHL All-Star Game. In his second year, Thomas’s performance declined, and rookie goaltender Mike Palmateer emerged as Toronto’s primary goaltending option.

Just before the 1977-78 season, Thomas was acquired by the New York Rangers in the NHL Waiver Draft, spending his final four seasons in the NHL as a player there.

Following his playing days, Thomas became a goaltending coach for the Rangers until 1985. He later became head coach of the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles, leading them to a championship and earning the Commissioner's Trophy as Coach of the Year in his second season. He further served as an assistant coach for NHL teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues from 1986-1993, notably mentoring goalies including former Leafs goaltenders Eddie Belfour and Curtis Joseph.

In 1993, Thomas joined the San Jose Sharks organization, where he spent over two decades in various executive roles, including Assistant General Manager and Vice President. He retired from the Sharks in 2015, concluding a 45-year hockey career.

We at The Hockey News Toronto express our condolences to the Thomas family at this time. A link to his memorial can be found here.

(Top Image credit: Sportsnet on YouTube)

Maple Leafs Have Adoptable Dogs From Rescue Help Release 2025-26 ScheduleThe Toronto Maple Leafs have used dogs from a non-profit rescue in their 2025-26 schedule release. Mitch Marner's Return To Toronto And Other Key Dates As Maple Leafs Unveil Full 2025-26 NHL Regular Season ScheduleThe Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday. Sabres Troll Maple Leafs As 'Choking Hazard' Ahead of NHL Schedule ReleaseThe NHL is set to reveal the rest of their regular season schedule on Wednesday, and it’s clear that every team’s social media accounts have been gearing up for their visual presentations. The Buffalo Sabres provided a sneak peek of what they were up to Tuesday by presenting all of their opponents as chicken wings, a Buffalo staple.

While most Montreal Canadiens fans were hoping their team would find a way to add a second-line center, GM Kent Hughes went out and signed free agent Joe Veleno to a one-year, one-way contract.

This is not the top-six upgrade the Canadiens are so desperate for, but it does add depth down the middle and a much-needed left-shot pivot. Veleno was the Detroit Red Wings' first-round pick, 30th overall, at the 2018 draft. While he became the first player to be granted exceptional status to play in the QMJHL as a 15-year-old, he never lived up to the hype or expectations in the big league.

It took him some time to acclimate to the QMJHL, scoring 43 and 40 points in his first two seasons, 79 points in his third year, before finally exploding with a 104-point campaign in 2018-19.

Scouting reports were optimistic that he could become a second-line center in the NHL, but so far, the most points he has registered in a season is 28, a total he achieved in the 2023-24 season. Jake Evans, a seventh-round pick, has had three seasons as productive or even more productive than that.

Six years after drafting him, the Red Wings finally gave up and traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks at the last trade deadline in return for Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith. At that point, he had just 10 points in 56 games. With the Hawks, he skated in just 18 games and put up seven points. In the offseason, he was then traded to the Seattle Kraken and was promptly bought out, making him an unrestricted free agent.

There have been rumbles about the Canadiens being interested in the Montreal native for the last couple of weeks, but the noise had all but died down when the team announced they had signed him to a one-year, one-way contract with a $900,000 AAV. Upon expiry of the deal, he will be an arbitration-eligible RFA.

The Montreal-born forward is getting an opportunity to bounce back on his home turn, and one can wonder if this market’s pressure cooker is the right place for him to do it, but considering how things have turned out for him in the NHL, the expectations shouldn’t be too high.

As things stand, he seems best suited for a bottom-six role, but don’t expect him to fill the void left by Christian Dvorak’s departure at the faceoff dot. The former Hab had a 53.1% success rate on draws while Veleno’s stands at just 46.6%. Still, that’s a much better number than Kirby Dach’s (36.1%) and Alex Newhook’s (41.8%).

The center represented Canada at the 2023 World Championship and came back with a gold medal, but he was suspended for five games during the tournament for a stomping incident. He ended up playing the first five games of the tournament, in which he recorded five points. Current Canadiens Samuel Montembeault and Samuel Blais were his teammates in that tournament.

This is extremely dangerous from Joe Veleno. I’m not sure how stomping on an opponents leg crosses your mind, but this is ridiculous.

And he didn’t even get a penalty, Niederreiter was the only one because of the Veleno selljob. Canada scored on the same PowerPlay. pic.twitter.com/1O69mPTqmI

— Thomas Mercier 🎙️ (@TJM_PlayByPlay) May 20, 2023

Why couldn’t Veleno reach his potential in the NHL? Well, perhaps the hype was exaggerated when he came out of Junior’s, given the fact that he only produced over 100 points once. Offensive production in the minor league doesn’t always translate to the professional level, and an exceptional status early on at a lower level is no guarantee of success at a later stage. His lack of production didn’t stem from injury issues, either, since he has managed to stay healthy.

In any case, this is a low-risk depth move for the Canadiens, who now have a somewhat overcrowded bottom-six, which may prompt youngsters like Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen to wonder if there will be room for them in the lineup this season, provided they impress at camp. Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Evans, Blais, Alex Newhook, Beck, Kapanen, and now Veleno could all be vying for those roles. Could this be a sign that something else may be on the way? You never know with Hughes.

Veleno becomes the 12th former first-round pick in the Canadiens’ lineup with Zachary Bolduc, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Ivan Demidov, Noah Dobson, Patrik Laine, Mike Matheson, Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Nick Suzuki. 10 of the 12 former first-rounders are 25 years old or younger, with Laine (27) and Matheson (31) being the elders.

Furthermore, Veleno also joins a substantial group of Quebecers on the Canadiens, alongside Montembeault, Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, Bolduc, and Blais, which is sure to please those who have always lamented the lack of local players with the Sainte-Flanelle.

Photo credit: Talia Sprague-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.

The schedule makers sure seem to love the Florida Panthers.

That seemed apparent when the back-to-back Stanley Cup champs were given a 5 p.m. start time for Opening Night.

On Wednesday, the NHL released its full 2025-26 season schedule.

When looking over Florida’s 82-game slate, a few things seemed to jump off the page.

First off, in similar fashion to last season, the Panthers will play plenty of back-to-back sets.

Last year the number was 14, which included the two games Florida faced the Dallas Stars on consecutive days in Finland.

This season, without the trip overseas, the number got knocked down by one.

In total, there will be 13 back-to-backs, with four coming on home ice, eight on the road and one that includes a home game and a road game. For that split back-to-backer, the road game is the second night and it's in Tampa.

Of Florida's four back-to-back sets on home ice, three of them come during the month of December.

It’s after the calendar flips to 2026 where Florida’s wonky schedule really starts to go sideways.

In January, Florida will endure their longest road trip of the season, a six-gamer that stops in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Carolina and Washington. Then the Panthers will return Sunrise for a single home game, then head right back on the road for a trip to Winnipeg, Minnesota and Chicago.

Oh the fun doesn’t stop there. They return home from Chicago and once again, play a single game in Sunrise, then it’s off to St. Louis for a one-game road trip.

Make it make sense. Please.

March could prove to be another rough stretch for the Cats. They play 10 of their 15 games that month on the road, and there will be three back-to-backs mixed in with those road games.

Another interesting tidbit from Florida’s schedule is that when the NHL takes a pause in February for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the Panthers will play a back-to-back set going into the break and coming out of the break.

One of the positives when compared to last season is that this time, Florida will only play eight of their back-to-back sets after January 1, while last year that number was 10.

Either way, it’s becoming clear that winning multiple Stanely Cups and becoming the top dog in the league isn’t enough to get some non-wtf treatment from the schedule makers.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

New Report Shares Bad News About Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk's Injury

Full Florida Panthers 2025-26 schedule released

Early predictions on how Florida Panthers defenseman will line up on Opening Night

Does The Increased Cap Hit Come With Added Pressure For Panthers’ Sam Bennett?

Roberto Luongo breaks out Labubu dolls during special time with Stanley Cup

Photo caption: Feb 2, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice watches from the bench against the New York Islanders during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Resurgent Philadelphia Flyers prospect Zayde Wisdom has officially re-upped with the organization that drafted him after testing NHL free agency.

Wisdom, 23, was not issued a qualifying offer by the Flyers on June 30, making him an unrestricted free agent ahead of the start of free agency on July 1.

The original decision by the Flyers was a bit perplexing, given that Wisdom was coming off the best year of his pro career by far and was joint-second, tied with Jacob Gaucher, in goals for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the Calder Cup playoffs with his first three AHL playoff tallies.

But, after having a look around in free agency by the Flyers' hand, Wisdom has officially returned to the organization, inking a one-year AHL pact with the Phantoms on Monday.

In the same announcement, the Phantoms announced that captain Garrett Wilson also signed on for another season in Allentown.

Once-Promising Flyers Prospect Resurfaces with WildAfter getting let go by the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of free agency, once-promising prospect Elliot Desnoyers has resurfaced, signing a one-year deal with the AHL Iowa Wild, the minor-league affiliates of the Minnesota Wild, on Monday.

So, while Wisdom didn't do enough to earn an NHL contract in the eyes of the Flyers, he'll stick around as a fairly young prospect and a veteran to lean on for incoming rookies like Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, Karsen Dorwart, Devin Kaplan, and Ty Murchison.

Plus, if necessary, or if he earns it, Wisdom can always sign an NHL contract with the Flyers later on.

The 23-year-old netted career-highs in goals (13), assists (19), and points (32) for the Phantoms last season, showing some of the promise he first had on display during that 2020-21 campaign, when he threw down 18 points in 28 games as a first-timer in the pros as a teenager.

Wisdom should continue to fill in as a bottom-six energy forward, and while it's unclear if he still has any NHL upside, the Flyers organization is giving him another shot.

All opportunities are good opportunities.

Everyone in the hockey community will be wishing Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard a happy birthday on Thursday. 

This is his 20th birthday, which should begin his most productive decade in the National Hockey League. Throughout his 20s, he will become a superstar in the NHL. 

Bedard, unlike most players to play in this league, was fortunate enough to play two full seasons as a teenager. Part of that was his talent, and part of that was his birthday allowing it. 

It didn't take long for Bedard to get going offensively in the NHL. He has 45 career goals and 83 assists for 128 points in 150 games. Those 128 points are the second most by a teenager in Blackhawks history. 

22 of those goals and 39 of those assists for 61 total points came his his 68-game rookie season. These totals earned him the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. To say he was a successful NHL teen would be an understatement, despite people still finding a way to be underwhelmed. 

Bedard didn't become Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews in year one. There were some growing pains, but he looked like he belonged. His defensive game and decision-making need improvement, but that will come with experience. 

It may take another two or three years for the world to see Connor Bedard truly break out like the top ten players in the NHL. However, it will be in his 20s when he becomes a superstar. You can tell by his demeanor, skills, and commitment level that he will reach a certain level of stardom. He won't accept anything less. 

Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils are two shiny examples of superstars in the NHL who were first overall picks that took some time to get going. Bedard was incredibly more productive than those two in their first two years. Is he as good a skater as them? No. But he does have the talent to produce at their level once he's in his prime. 

Over this off-season, Bedard has been working on his hockey mechanics and skating. He made the wise (mature) choice to stay back from the IIHF World Championships, which would have dramatically increased his chance of playing in the Olympics, to prepare for 2025-26 with Chicago.  We will see the results of this dedication when the puck drops in October. 

The Blackhawks are going to be one of the youngest teams in the NHL next season. There will be tough times in terms of wins and losses. With that in mind, Bedard (and a handful of other players) taking big steps is what truly matters for Chicago. Now that he's in his 20s, expect him to soar.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had their schedule finalized for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday. 

Fans already knew they would be starting the season on the road against the New York Rangers on October 7, but were waiting for the rest of the schedule so they could plan which games to attend. The Penguins will have their home opener two nights later, on October 9, against the New York Islanders, before playing the Rangers in Pittsburgh on October 11. 

That second Rangers game will feature Mike Sullivan’s return to Pittsburgh for the first time since being named the head coach of the Rangers. He and the Penguins parted ways on April 28, paving the way for the Rangers to hire him on May 2. According to Bob Grove, this marks the first time the Penguins will open a season with three straight games against New York-based teams since the 1998-99 season.

Now that the full schedule is out, here are some quick miscellaneous thoughts on it. 

March is a gauntlet

The Penguins will have a super busy March once the NHL players return from the Winter Olympics at the end of February. They will play 17 games in 31 days and face some of the top projected teams in the league, including the Vegas Golden Knights (twice), the Carolina Hurricanes (twice), the Colorado Avalanche (twice), the Winnipeg Jets, and the Dallas Stars. It’s going to be a brutal stretch of games, and it may feature a short-handed Penguins team, as they will likely be sellers at the 2026 trade deadline. 

The California trip is early

This season’s California trip is beneficial for the Penguins because they will be able to complete it relatively quickly. After opening the season with three games against two of the New York teams, they will head to California to take on the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. The road trip will take place during the second week of the season in October before the Penguins come home to play the Vancouver Canucks. They will start in Anaheim, then proceed to Los Angeles, and conclude in San Jose. It’s never too early to start planning to drink some coffee or your beverage of choice for those late-night matchups. 

16 back-to-backs

In addition to the Penguins’ busy March, they’ll have 16 back-to-back games throughout the season, the most since the 2017-18 season. Penguins fans should be used to a good amount of back-to-back games in the Sidney Crosby era, since this is the ninth time that the team has had at least 16 during his tenure. One of the back-to-backs that stands out on the schedule is when the Penguins host the Florida Panthers on April 4 and 5. Although this type of scheduling occurred frequently during the 2020-21 season due to pandemic restrictions, it hasn’t happened much since. It at least helps the travel for the Panthers while also allowing Penguins players to sleep in their own beds both nights. Get ready for the goalies to split most, if not all, of these back-to-backs when they come up on the schedule. 

Get ready to wake up early!

November will feature the NHL’s annual Global Series, with the Penguins taking on the Nashville Predators in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14 and 16. The game on the 14th will start at 2 p.m. ET, but the game on the 16th will begin at 9 a.m. ET. It’s even worse for Penguins fans who live in California, as the game will start at 6 a.m. PT. Be sure to set your alarms to avoid oversleeping!

NHL Opening Night Features Poetic Reunion Between Mike Sullivan, PenguinsThe NHL announced the schedule for the 2025-26 season's opening night on Monday. The Florida Panthers will raise their second-straight Stanley Cup banner against the Chicago Blackhawks, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins traveling to New York to take on the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Opening night will conclude with the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Los Angeles Kings.

Only one trip to D.C. 

The Penguins and Washington Capitals have had a bitter rivalry during the Crosby and Ovechkin era, and it will continue for at least one more season. The two teams will play three times, with two of the games at PPG Paints Arena. That means the Penguins will only go to the D.C. once, but there’s a catch. The Penguins will play at Capital One Arena on April 12 in their second-to-last game of the season, right after they play the Caps on April 11 in their final home game of the season. If this is Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin’s final NHL season, we could see quite a sendoff for two of the best players in NHL history. Both players have yet to decide if this will be their final season. Their contracts are set to expire at the end of this upcoming season. 

Each NHL season is unique, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the Penguins deal with some of these factors on their schedule when they come up. The season may still be a little more than two and a half months away, but it’s going to be here before you know it. 

---

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

Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Start marking your calendars and budgeting for those parking garage fees on Broadway because the Nashville Predators have announced their 2025-26 regular season schedule. 

In 85 days, on Oct. 9, the Predators will open up their season against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. 

Looking for a sound response after last season's disappointing finish, here are five things to know about the Predators' upcoming 2025-26 campaign.

3 players return to Nashville, 4 Predators face former teams on road 

There's going to be a lot ot tribute videos at home and on the road this season.

Three former Predators will return to Bridgestone Arena for the first time since being dealt or signing with their current team. Four current Nashville players will make a return to their former teams. 

The first of these homecomings of sorts starts with Thomas Novak, who was traded to Pittsburgh in March in a three-player exchange. While he won't be playing at Bridgestone Arena this season, he will face the Predators for the first time since being traded on Nov. 14 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the NHL's Global Series. 

On Nov. 29, Luke Schenn, who was traded to the Winnipeg Jets at the deadline, will return to Nashville for the first time. The 17-season veteran played two seasons in Nashville from 2023 to 2025, recording `12 points in 94 games. 

Defenseman Nicolas Hague makes his return to Vegas on New Year's Eve against the Golden Knights. He was acquired via a three-player trade on June 30. He was drafted by the Golden Knights in 2017 and spent six seasons there, winning a Stanley Cup in 2023. 

About a month later, Erik Haula makes his return to New Jersey on Jan. 29. He returned to Nashville on June 18 in a steal of a trade that sent Jeremy Hanzel to the Devils. Haula played the last three seasons in New Jersey, scoring a combined 97 points. 

Late March will a busy month when it comes to these returns. 

Longtime Predator and fan favorite Colton Sissons, alongside Jeremy Lauzon, return to Nashville with the Vegas Golden Knights on March 21. Sissons was drafted by the Predators in 2012 and spent 11 seasons with the team, scoring 221 points in 690 games. 

Sissons also played a major role in the Predators run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Lauzon spent the last four seasons in Nashville, scoring 28 points. 

A week later, former defenseman Marc Del Gaizo could make his return to Nashville with the Montreal Canadiens. He is projected to play with the Laval Rockets after splitting last season between Nashville and Milwaukee. 

Lastly, Nick Perbix will return to Tampa on March 29 after signing as a free agent with the Predators in July. He was drafted by the Lightning in 2017 and spent the first three seasons of his career there. 

Compressed schedule for Olympics has Predators on 7-game road trip, 13 sets of back-to-back games 

Similar to the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Winter Olympics are not doing any favors when it comes to a comfortable schedule. 

League play will take a 19-day break from Feb 6 to 24, once again shoving a handful of games into a small window. 

From December 23 to January 6, the Predators will embark on a seven-game road trip, starting in Minnesota and concluding in Edmonton. Including the break for Christmas, that's 15 days on the road. 

Nashville had a similar road trip last season, from Dec. 27 to Jan. 7, but it was 12 days and six games, and it was after Christmas. It didn't fare well for Nashville as it went 2-4, losing its first three games of the trip. 

To add to the difficulty, the Predators will be facing four teams on this trip that were in the playoffs: Minnesota (Dec. 23), St. Louis (Dec. 27), Vegas (Dec. 31) and Edmonton (Jan. 6). They will also face Utah (Dec. 29), Seattle (Jan. 1) and Calgary (Jan. 3). 

In addition, the Predators will play a whopping 13 pairs of back-to-back games, with the first set scheduled for October 13 and 14. 

While these players are familiar with what it takes to play an 82-game schedule, the compressed format is new to them. Last season was the first time players saw play pause for a mid-season tournament since 2014, the last time NHL players were allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics. 

More games, less time off, and another international tournament increase the risk of fatigue and injuries. It's going to be a grind for every team in the league.

On the bright side, two Predators are already confirmed for the Olympics: Roman Josi (Switzerland) and Juuse Saros (Finland). The Predators' final game before the break will come against the Capitals in Washington on Feb. 5. 

Global Series, facing defending Stanley Cup champs, trade deadline 

Four games jump out on the schedule for various different reasons. 

On Nov. 14 and Nov. 16, the Predators will play overseas for the second time in franchise history, facing the Pittsburgh Penguins at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, in the NHL Global Series.

The last trip they made to Europe was in the 2022 NHL Global Series, where they played SC Bern and the San Jose Sharks at O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia. They narrowly defeated SC Bern 4-3 and picked up a pair of wins over the Sharks. 

This will also be a homecoming for Filip Forsberg, Andreas Englund, and Adam Wilsby. Englund and Wilsby are both from Stockholm, while Forsberg is from Östervåla, located in eastern Sweden. 

Returning to the U.S., the Predators face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers at home on Nov. 24, which will be a great measuring stick to see where the Predators stack up against the league's best. 

Lastly, Nashville is playing a game on the trade deadline, at Buffalo on March 7. Depending on where the Predators are in the standings —toward the bottom, pushing for a playoff spot, or competing for a top spot in the Central Division —this could be a significant day. 

A former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending prospect has re-signed with the Anaheim Ducks.

On Wednesday, 23-year-old netminder Calle Clang signed a one-year, two-way contract to remain with the Ducks. Clang was sent to Anaheim on Mar. 21, 2022 - along with forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon and a 2022 second-round pick - in the trade that brought scoring winger Rickard Rakell to Pittsburgh.

Clang - a third-round pick (77th overall) of the Penguins in 2020 - posted an 11-13-4 record with a 3.17 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage last season for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound goaltender has a 3.16 goals-against average and .896 save percentage in 68 career AHL games.

---

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

Featured image credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's been an interesting last few months for former Detroit Red Wings forward Joe Veleno, whom they selected in the opening round of the 2018 NHL Draft but never truly broke out offensively. 

He was traded by the Red Wings to the Chicago Blackhawks on March 7, where he would remain for the rest of the regular season. Chicago then flipped him to the Seattle Kraken as part of a package to acquire Andre Burakovsky. 

Now, Veleno is going home. 

After the final season of his contract was bought out by the Kraken shortly after he was acquired, the Kirkland, Quebec-born Veleno became a free agent and has since agreed to a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens worth $900K.

Pen to paper! The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-year, one-way contract with forward Joe Veleno.

News release ↓ #GoHabsGo | Montblanc Boutique Montréalhttps://t.co/CUE2zccT15

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 16, 2025

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Veleno has already been making himself at home, taking selfies inside of the Montreal dressing room at Bell Centre: 

Joe Habs Joe pic.twitter.com/uMa16b7rqd

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 16, 2025

Ironically, Veleno's first regular season game as a Canadien will come at Little Caesars Arena against the Red Wings, who are hosting Montreal in their 2025-26 home opener. 

Veleno disappointed in what was his final one and a half seasons with the Red Wings, particularly in the absence of the injured Dylan Larkin in March 2024 when he was given multiple chances to center Detroit's top line.

From March 2 through April 1, a span of 15 games, Veleno scored zero goals and had zero assists. 

Before being traded this most recent season to Chicago, Veleno had scored just five goals with five assists in 56 games, but would score a modest three goals with four assists in 18 games in a Blackhawks jersey. 

Now, Veleno has the chance to try and salvage his NHL career by playing with his hometown club.

As previously stated, Veleno will make his return to Little Caesars Arena with the Canadiens on October 9, which will be followed by games against Detroit on January 10 in Montreal, and then again in Detroit on March 19.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

A new report shared by Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos states that Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk could be out of the lineup through the Christmas break.

Tkachuk will undergo corrective surgery after suffering an adductor injury and a hernia. Despite nursing those injuries, the 27-year-old scored eight goals and 23 points in 23 postseason games. It's not Tkachuk's first time battling through a major injury in the playoffs, as he dealt with a broken sternum in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup finals when the Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

"I tore my adductor off the bone and then had some hernia thing all on the same side. I wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times," Tkachuk said. "I gotta thank a bunch of people for getting me healthy enough. I'm sure I wasn't the easiest to deal with. My fiancee did a great job with that on days when I probably wasn't in the best mood coming to the rink. My trainers, maybe when I wasn't in the best mood, when I was in pain. I just owe them so much."

At the moment, Tkachuk is destined to land on the long-term injury reserve, which will allow the Panthers to keep their roster intact to start the season. For Tkachuk to rejoin the team either in the regular season or the playoffs, the Panthers will need to trade multiple players to be under the salary cap limit.

The odd men out are seemingly Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist, although GM Bill Zito is doing whatever he can to ensure they remain on the Panthers roster. 

Losing Tkachuk for the first three months of the season is a major loss, and the impact without him can't be understated. Since his arrival in Sunrise, he's scored at a 1.20 point per game rate, which tops the team in those three seasons. The Panthers are the deepest team in the NHL and should still find success without him, but they'll be hoping his return doesn't land too far after the Christmas break. 

Does The Increased Cap Hit Come With Added Pressure For Panthers’ Sam Bennett?Sam Bennett has never had any issues improving his play in the playoffs, but now, being paid among the premier players in the NHL, a new challenge awaits the 2024-25 Conn Smythe winner.