Tuesday will be the final day of the NHL’s Olympic break, with the 2025-26 season starting back up on Wednesday with eight games on the schedule. It will be a slightly longer wait for the Pittsburgh Penguins who return to action on Thursday against gold medal hero Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena.
If you were hoping for some big update on Sidney Crosby on Monday then you will have been disappointed since all we got from the team was that Crosby was on his way back to North America like his fellow Canadian teammates and will be evaluated once he rejoins the team this week.
Pens Points…
Back like he never left, Avery Hayes was recalled to the NHL on Monday, hoping to pick up where he left when he made his NHL debut in the final game before the Olympic break. Hayes was back in the AHL while the Penguins were off where he recorded a pair of hat tricks for the Baby Pens. [Pensburgh]
There was always an expectation that Hayes was going to be in Pittsburgh at some point this season, but the way he announced his arrival was perhaps not expected. He’s been on fire ever since and his first call-up along with the second has been well earned on the ice. [Trib Live]
There are 26 games remaining on the Penguins 2025-26 schedule, with each and everyone being important as the team battles for a playoff spot. They put themselves in great position through the first 56 games, but their fate will be determined by how they perform in what’s left. [Pensburgh]
Sunday was a defining moment for hockey in the United States and will have a profound impact for generations to come. In Pittsburgh, the sport is already a mainstay and will remain so, but it too will receive a boost from what transpired in Milan on both the men’s and women’s side. [Trib Live]
If that was in fact the last time we see Sidney Crosby on the Olympic stage, then it’s sure to leave a sour taste in his mouth given the way it played out. Let’s just hope for however long he continues his NHL career, he doesn’t face the same ending he just went through in Milan. [The Athletic $$]
NHL News and Notes…
Teams across the league are preparing for their return to action this week while Olympic players are still traveling back from Milan. With game resuming on Wednesday night, it remains to be seen if all Olympic players will jump right back into action or will be given a few extra days off to recover from the long travel.
Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff joked during his media session today that he did not think any of the United States players were going to be fit to play to his week when asked about the availability of Tage Thompson. Whether or not Ruff turns out to be prophetic in his analysis remains to be seen, but no one could blame those guys for taking some time to let the hangovers wear off.
As someone who grew up going to ECHL games in Johnstown when the league was still strictly on the East Coast, it’s crazy to see how the league has expanded since. Next season, the league will welcome its 30th franchise, the New Mexico Goatheads, a part of the Colorado Avalanche affiliate system. [Avalanche]
A lot can happen in four years time, but assuming the NHL sends players to the 2030 Olympic Games in France, the United States will be in good position to defend its men’s hockey gold. While nothing it set in stone, there should be quite a few familiar faces donning the red, white, and blue next time around. [ESPN]