After two seasons out of the NHL, former Chicago Blackhawks legend Jonathan Toews is making a comeback. Toews, who sat out the past two seasons due to health issues, signed a deal with the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, the team announced.

Toews, 37, last played in the NHL during the 2022-23 season. Injuries disrupted his season, causing him to play in just 53 games. He scored a career-low 31 points.

While Toews' career got off to a tremendous start, injuries disrupted his Hall of Fame performance in his prime. Toews missed the entire 2020-21 NHL season after being diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS). He returned to action the following year, but scored just 37 points. After another tough season in 2022-23, Toews said CIRS and Long COVID were still affecting his game. 

That August, Toews said he intended to sit out the 2023-24 season to focus on recovery. In March of 2025, Toews said he was ready to return to the NHL, telling The Athletic, "I still think there’s something left to give.” Toews added that he wanted a fresh start, and wanted to play for a team other than the Blackhawks.

It's impossible to overstate the impact Toews had on Chicago after he was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft. He exceeded lofty expectations, leading the team to three Stanley Cup championships. Toews also won the 2009-10 Conn Smythe award and the Selke Trophy during the 2012-13 season for his defensive excellence. Two seasons later, he was awarded the Mark Messier leadership award.

In 15 seasons with the Blackhawks, Toews registered 372 goals, 511 assists and 883 points. Those figures rank sixth, eighth and sixth — respectively — in Blackhawks history.

The Washington Capitals are in damage-control mode after an email suggested the 2025-26 season would be Alex Ovechkin's final year in the NHL. The Capitals quickly denied that report, saying Ovechkin has not made a decision on his future.

Reports emerged Thursday claiming the Capitals sent out an email that referred to the 2025-26 season as "Alex Ovechkin's FINAL NHL SEASON." That entire statement was highlighted in red, with the final three words appearing in all-caps in the email.

The Hockey News reached out to the team, which said those reports were not accurate. The team then issued a statement of its own, confirming an email was sent out, but saying Ovechkin's plans are undecided at this point in the offseason.

The team said the email came from "an individual with the corporate sales department," but did not provide any additional details on why it was sent or how many people received it.

An Ovechkin retirement announcement wouldn't come as a major surprise for a number of reasons. While he's still playing at a high level, Ovechkin is 39. He's already played 20 seasons in the NHL — all of which with the Capitals — and is nearing the end of his playing days. 

There's also a strong argument that retiring after the 2025-26 season is the right move. It will mark the final year of the five-year, $47.5 million extension Ovechkin signed with the Capitals in 2021. The completion of that contract could mark a natural stopping point for Ovechkin. 

While there are reasons to believe next year will be Ovechkin's final year in the NHL, he is apparently not ready to make that call just yet. Either that, or a Capitals employee ruined Ovechkin's announcement by sending out an email too soon.

Whenever Ovechkin calls it a career, he'll leave the game as one of the greatest players of all time. Ovechkin is a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner, three-time Ted Lindsay Trophy winner, three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner and the 2017-18 Conn Smythe Trophy winner. He also led the Capitals to a Stanley Cup championship during the 2017-18 NHL season and surpassed Wayne Gretzky to set the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record last season.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is undoubtedly in Ovechkin's future once he hangs up his skates. While he and the Capitals weren't ready to make an announcement on that front Thursday, it probably won't be long before Ovechkin is ready to call it a career.

Florida Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu was suspended by the NHL after making "unacceptable and inappropriate" comments on social media, the league announced Tuesday.

The incident occurred following the Panthers' 2-0 win in Game 4 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Following the victory, Cifu engaged in a back-and-forth with a fan that included profanity, taunting and comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The latter issue was brought up by the fan due to Cifu's support of Israel on his X account. Cifu also had five Israeli flag emojis in his bio. His X account was set to private and then deleted shortly after the back-and-forth.

After multiple tweets with the fan, Cifu eventually responded, "Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever [sic] last Hamas rat is eliminated."

The NHL did not specify a particular tweet in its announcement, merely stating Cifu was suspended for "unacceptable and inappropriate" posts. 

Cifu will need to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before being reinstated from the suspension, per the league statement. 

"The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league said in a statement. "As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL. An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the Commissioner at a date to be determined."

Cifu apologized for those comments in a statement to Florida Hockey Now. In the statement, Cifu said he made "regrettable and inflammatory comments."

“Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,’’ Cifu wrote in a statement. "My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family. I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions.”

The Panthers are owned by Vincent J. Viola. He and Cifu co-founded Virtu Financial in 2008. Cifu has held an ownership stake in the Panthers since 2013, when Viola purchased the team. 

Cifu is listed as the "vice chairman, partner, and alternate governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (SSE), the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, FLA Live Arena, and SSE's additional operating entities," on the Panthers' website. He still serves as the CEO at Virtu Financial and sits on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

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Content warning: This article contains alleged depictions of sexual assault.

Four years after he resigned from the Florida Panthers amid a sexual-assault investigation involving his former team, Joel Quenneville is back in the NHL. Quenneville will reportedly become Anaheim Ducks' next head coach, according to multiple reports. 

The news comes less than a year after Quenneville was reinstated by the NHL following his resignation from the Panthers in 2021. Quenneville resigned as the team's head coach after the NHL launched an investigation into claims Chicago Blackhawks' video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted two players in 2010. Quenneville served as the Blackhawks' head coach from 2008 to 2019, when the alleged assault reportedly occurred. 

An independent investigation into those claims found that Quenneville — as well as multiple members of the Blackhawks' front office — were aware of the allegations against Aldrich, but declined to take action until three weeks after those allegations came to light within the organization. Prior to the independent investigation's findings, Quenneville claimed he was unaware of the alleged assault.

The Blackhawks were in the midst of a playoff run at the time, and team executives reportedly did not want to invite negative publicity during the postseason. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup that season. It was the team's first championship in nearly 50 years.

The investigation also found that another instance of sexual assault involving Aldrich and a player allegedly occurred during the three-week window in which members of the team knew about the allegations surrounding Aldrich, but did not report them to the Blackhawks' human resources department.

At the time that report was released, Quenneville was in his third season as the Panthers' head coach. A day after the investigation's findings were released, Quenneville coached the Panthers, sparking outrage from fans and others in the hockey world. The next day, Quenneville resigned.

Following Quenneville's resignation, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he would need to meet with the coach before he could hold another job in the NHL. In July 2024, Quenneville — along with other members of the Blackhawks' front office — was reinstated by the league. 

Shortly after the independent investigation findings came to light, former Blackhawks prospect Kyle Beach came forward as one of the players who was reportedly assaulted by Aldrich. At the time, Beach — who was selected by the team in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft — claimed many within the organization were aware of the alleged abuse. Multiple former Blackhawks players and staff members said they — and the team — were aware of the reported abuse. 

Following the team's 2010 Stanley Cup win, the Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup in both 2013 and 2015. All three championships came under Quenneville.

After a slow start to open the 2018-19 NHL season, the Blackhawks fired Quenneville. He joined the Panthers the following year, and put up a 79-40 record with the franchise before his resignation. 

This story will be updated.

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It didn't take long for Mike Sullivan to find work. The New York Rangers announced Sullivan as the team's next head coach Friday.

The move comes just days after the two-time Stanley Cup champion was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Sullivan joins a Rangers team looking to bounce back after falling short of expectations last season. After making it to the conference finals during the 2023-24 season, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs this year. A second-half swoon was the culprit, as New York went 8-13 down the stretch. The collapse resulted in the team firing Peter Laviolette, opening the door for Sullivan to enter the fold.

It will be Sullivan's third stint with the Rangers. He served as an assistant with the team two separate times — 2009-10 and 2012-13 — while in between head-coaching roles. Sullivan was also drafted by the team in 1987, though opted to return to college. He never played for the Rangers.

After an 11-year playing career in the NHL, Sullivan transitioned into coaching. His star rose quickly, and he was hired by the Boston Bruins just a few years after retiring. He spent two seasons with Boston, putting up a 70-56-15 record. 

Sullivan then bounced around to various teams as an assistant while he waited for his next head-coaching opportunity. He spent time as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Rangers and Vancouver Canucks before becoming a development coach with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2014-15 NHL season.

The following year, Sullivan was hired by the Penguins, where he immediately experienced success. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup the first two years of Sullivan's tenure. In 10 seasons with the team, he compiled a 409-255 record. He is the winningest head coach in Penguins history.

While the Penguins continued to have strong seasons under Sullivan, the team became known for its early playoff exits. After going 34-36 last season, the Penguins fired Sullivan in April. It was the first time in his Penguins tenure that the team finished under .500.

Given his success in Pittsburgh, Sullivan was expected to garner plenty of interest once he became a free agent. The Rangers jumped at the chance to bring Sullivan back, and will hope he can get the franchise back on track after a disappointing year. 

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Mike Sullivan's run with the Pittsburgh Penguins ended Monday. Sullivan was fired by the team after going 34-36 during the 2024-25 NHL season, the Penguins announced.

In a statement, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas thanked Sullivan for his contributions, saying he will "forever be an enormous part of Penguins history."

“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” said Dubas. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”

Sullivan was under contract with the team through the 2026-27 NHL season. The Penguins will begin searching for his replacement immediately, per its statement.

The decision ends a fantastic run by Sullivan, who was hired by the franchise during the 2015-16 season after it fired Mike Johnston. In Sullivan's first year with the team, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. They did it again the following year, giving Sullivan two championships in his first two seasons with the franchise.

The Penguins continued to excel over the next five seasons. During that period, the team went 214-119, making the playoffs every year. Despite the club's success, the Penguins faltered in the playoffs, reaching the second round just once. 

The Penguins finished above .500 in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but failed to make the postseason. The team then went 34-36 in 2024-25. It was the first time during Sullivan's tenure that the club finished under .500.

Sullivan's tenure with the Penguins ends with 409 wins, making him the winningest head coach in franchise history. He posted a .602 winning percentage in Pittsburgh.

Given that winning percentage, and the fact that he is a two-time champion, Sullivan should draw plenty of interest from teams looking for new coaches this offseason.

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Long-time NHL executive and Stanley Cup winning general manager Ray Shero has died, the league announced Wednesday. He was 62.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the news in a statement Wednesday, calling Shero a "widely respected" mind who "brightened the day of everyone he met."

“Ray Shero’s smile and personality lit up every room he walked into and brightened the day of everyone he met. Widely respected throughout hockey for his team-building acumen and eye for talent, he was even more beloved for how he treated everyone fortunate enough to have known him."

Shero spent three decades working in NHL front offices. He was a long-time assistant general manager with the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators early in his career. Shero worked his way up from there, eventually being hired as the Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager in 2006. He excelled with the team, making the playoffs in every year in which he oversaw the Penguins. 

After watching the team fall short for two years, Shero won a Stanley Cup championship with the Penguins during the 2008-09 NHL season. While the team continued to make the playoffs, it developed a reputation for being dispatched by lower-seeded opponents. That led to Shero being fired following the 2013-14 season, when the Penguins fell to the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs. 

Shero was then hired by the New Jersey Devils. The team struggled to improve, making the playoffs just once with Shero running things. He was fired in 2020 and did not get another general manager job in the league.

After leaving the Devils, Shero worked as a senior advisor to the general manager with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild also paid tribute to Shero on Wednesday, saying Shero will be "greatly missed by all of us."

When Alex Ovechkin sets the NHL's all-time goal scoring record, "The Great One" will be there. Wayne Gretzky will be part of a traveling caravan that will attend every Washington Capitals game until Ovechkin breaks the record, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

Gretzky will be joined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, as well as other league personnel, starting Wednesday, when the Capitals take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Bettman, Gretzky and Ovechkin's wife Nastya will then attend every single remaining Capitals game until the record is broken. 

Ovechkin scored his 891st career goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. With the goal, Ovechkin sits three away from tying Gretzky, and four away from breaking Gretzky's record. 

Including Wednesday's game, Ovechkin has eight games left to break the record. The Capitals will alternate between home and away games until the final two games of the season, which will be played on the road. 

If Ovechkin breaks the record, the league will allow Capitals players to leave the bench and celebrate with him. There will also be a formal celebration and ceremony that will halt the game, per The Athletic. It doesn't matter how much time is left in the contest, or if it has playoff implications, the league will halt play to celebrate Ovechkin's record-breaking goal.

That approach is the same one the league took when Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's record in 1994. The NHL halted the game for a 15-minute ceremony honoring Gretzky's achievement. Howe and Bettman were in attendance when Gretzky set the goal scoring record.

In addition to the traveling caravan, the NHL announced Tuesday it will have a camera dedicated to following Ovechkin during the remainder of his games this season. Roughly 10 additional cameras will be at each Capitals game to provide more angles and footage of the historic goal, per The Athletic.

Ovechkin, 39, was an immediate star as a rookie after the Capitals selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. During his 20-year career — all of which has come with the Capitals — Ovechkin is a 12-time All-Star, and three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner. He also led the Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2018.

Given his age, there were questions about whether Ovechkin would approach Gretzky's record during the 2024-25 season. But the Capitals great stepped up his game in a major way. After scoring 31 goals in 79 games last year, Ovechkin already has 38 goals in just 58 games this season.

The Philadelphia Flyers reached the final straw with head coach John Tortorella. The long-time NHL coach was fired Thursday after saying he was "not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season."

The team confirmed the news, though made no mention of Tortorella's comments in the press release.

Tortorella went 97-107-33 in three seasons with the Flyers. Associate coach Brad Shaw will take over as the team's interim head coach moving forward.

Tortorella's firing comes after the Flyers fell 7-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. It was Philadelphia's sixth straight loss.

Following the contest, Tortorella drew criticism by implying he had no interest in coaching the team.

"When you're in this type of situation and you're losing all the time, and there's nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there's certainly going to be some frustration. But, this falls on me. I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we're at right now. But I have to do a better job. So this falls on me, getting the team prepared to play the proper way until we get to the end."

Some interpreted those comments as Tortorella trying to take the blame off his players. Others viewed it as Tortorella raising the white flag. 

At 28-36-9, the Flyers rank ninth in the Eastern Conference. The team hasn't been officially eliminated from the postseason yet, though that will likely happen soon.

John Tortorella struggled to turn Flyers around

Tortorella was hired by the Flyers ahead of the 2022-23 NHL season. The team was coming off an eighth-place finish in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers showed slight improvement in Tortorella's first year, improving to 31 wins.

Things looked more promising in his second season, as the team turned in a 38-33-11 record. Despite finishing the year over .500, the Flyers failed to make it to the postseason.

The team failed to capitalize on that improvement this year, and sat at .500 at the trade deadline. Instead of making additions, the Flyers shipped out three players. The team went into a tailspin after the deadline, going just 1-10 in its next 11 games. 

Prior to coaching the Flyers, Tortorella coached the Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. He led the Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship during the 2003-04 NHL season.