The Edmonton Oilers will be without defenseman Duncan Keith and winger Zack Kassian for a while.

Keith could be sidelined for two to four weeks due to upper-body soreness and concussion protocol, while Kassian will be out for four to eight weeks with a fractured jaw, the team announced Thursday.

Keith crashed hard into the boards during the first period of Wednesday night's contest against the Chicago Blackhawks and needed assistance to get off the ice. The Oilers ruled him out for the rest of the game shortly after. The 38-year-old has registered 14 points in 35 contests this season while averaging just over 20 minutes a game.

Kassian also exited Wednesday's matchup with an injury after taking a puck to the face in the second period. He has five goals and nine assists in 35 games this campaign.

The Oilers currently sit fifth in the Pacific Division with a 23-18-3 record.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Dave Tippett, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Jay Woodcroft will take over as head coach, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Additionally, Edmonton also fired associate coach Jim Playfair, according to Dreger.

Tippett was in the middle of his third season as the Oilers' bench boss. Despite a hot start to the campaign, Edmonton sits five points behind the Calgary Flames for the last Western Conference wild-card spot with a 23-18-3 record after losing 16 of its last 23 games.

The Oilers also lost their first two contests after the All-Star break while being outscored 8-1.

Overall, Tippett held a 95-62-14 mark with Edmonton. Though the Oilers made the postseason twice under his tenure, they never made it past the first round.

Despite boasting two of the NHL's top point-getters in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton has had difficulties achieving consistent success. McDavid is now set to play for his fourth coach during his first seven NHL seasons.

Woodcroft has been the head coach of the AHL's Bakersfield Condors since 2018. He piloted the team to a 105-71-21 record.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For The Great One, plays like Trevor Zegras' breakaway during last weekend's All-Star Skills Competition aren't just dazzling moments - they're good for the game.

"Individually, I can't do the things that these kids do. … We didn't do all this individual stuff," Wayne Gretzky said during NHL on TNT on Wednesday night. "They do it from a young age and they get good at it, and they incorporate that into the game, which is wonderful for the game."

Zegras, the Anaheim Ducks phenom, stole the show in Las Vegas by scoring blindfolded in an homage to "Dodgeball."

Gretzky, who logged 2,857 points in 1,487 career NHL games, also shouted out Calgary Flames talent Matthew Tkachuk after he stunned the hockey world with yet another between-the-legs goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night.

"It's good for the game because kids love it," Gretzky said. "And good for them that they can do that."

However, not everyone shares Gretzky's love for these individual displays. Former head coach John Tortorella questioned the league's direction after Zegras went viral for pulling off a lacrosse-style assist earlier this season.

"If you did that back in 2000, late '90s, 2000, you'd get your head taken off," Tortorella said during an ESPN broadcast in December. "It's cool, it's cool to watch and all that, but I'm not so sure it's good for the game."

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Claude Julien will return to the bench as the head coach of Canada's men's Olympic team following its tournament-opening clash Thursday against Germany, Hockey Canada announced.

Canada initially ruled out Julien of the 2022 Winter Games after he slipped on the ice and fractured his ribs during a team-building activity at training camp in Switzerland late last month.

The medical staff deemed him unfit to fly to Beijing. Hockey Canada subsequently announced that Jeremy Colliton would take over head coaching duties.

Colliton will reassume his role as an assistant coach.

Julien will lead Canada during its matchup against the United States on Friday at 11:10 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights veteran Mark Stone never wore the "C" for the Ottawa Senators, but he believes newly minted captain Brady Tkachuk is the perfect fit for the honor.

"You could tell from Day 1 that he was the guy, you know? When I was there kind of leading the charge, he was my right-hand man - when he was 19," Stone said during the weekend's All-Star festivities, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "The way he plays speaks for itself. He brings you into the fight every night."

The pair's tenures in Ottawa overlapped during Tkachuk's rookie season in 2018-19 before the Senators sent Stone to the Golden Knights at the 2019 trade deadline.

Tkachuk even lived with Stone that season and rented the property from the 29-year-old after Stone's move to the desert.

"I loved (our time together) and still have that relationship to this day. Look forward to keeping that relationship," Stone said. "Maybe someday down the road we'll meet up again and play."

The Golden Knights captain reflected on his stint in Ottawa, where he put up 311 points in 366 games.

"I loved my time there. Loved playing. Loved going on those playoff runs," he said. "It's kind of disappointing the way everything went down. You know, I only know a couple guys left there."

Stone and Tkachuk were able to catch up during All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. Their respective squads will meet again March 6. The Golden Knights bested the Senators 5-1 in their first clash earlier this season.

Vegas currently sits atop the Pacific Division, while Ottawa is in seventh place in the Atlantic.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry coming off his second All-Star Game appearance amid a strong start to the season, general manager Ron Hextall certainly looks wise for sticking with him.

After helping the Penguins finish atop the realigned East Division during the shortened 2020-21 campaign, Jarry struggled in the playoffs, putting up an .888 save percentage in six games against the New York Islanders en route to the Penguins' hasty first-round exit.

Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke said Hextall's support of Jarry after his significant struggles was "critical."

"People are saying, 'Oh, you've got to get a goalie.' Ron Hextall said to me as soon as the playoffs were over, 'We don't need a goalie,'" Burke told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Seth Rorabaugh. "And he told Tristan that: 'We're not looking for a goalie. We believe in you.'

"When your (general manager) tells you that, that means a lot. But when your (general manager) was a pretty phenomenal NHL goaltender, that means even more. ... It was huge."

A couple months after the Penguins' early exit, Hextall said he firmly expected Jarry to bounce back in 2021-22, and the 26-year-old has repaid the faith so far. Jarry has registered a sparkling .923 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average heading into the All-Star break.

Burke also noted that Jarry's playoff struggles weren't out of the ordinary given the fact that 2020-21 was his first year as the full-time starter in Pittsburgh following Matt Murray's departure.

"You look at (ex-Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury), I think had a couple of tough playoffs. (Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei) Vasilevskiy. (Montreal Canadiens goaltender) Carey Price," he said. "So for a player to scuffle a little bit early on, that's not unusual."

Despite battling through a myriad of injuries, the Penguins are currently third in the deep Metropolitan Division with a 27-11-8 record.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid may be in the midst of a tight Art Ross Trophy race, but the Edmonton Oilers superstar has bigger things on his mind.

"I truthfully do not care. I don't care about the scoring race," McDavid said during his All-Star media availability Friday, per TSN. "I don't really pay attention to where guys are at."

He added: "I want to win games in Edmonton, and with the team."

McDavid, along with Colorado Avalanche darling Nazem Kadri, is currently tied for third in league scoring with 60 points. The 25-year-old, who's won the award three times over the past five seasons, including last campaign, trails teammate Leon Draisaitl by three points and NHL leader Jonathan Huberdeau by four.

As for McDavid's top priority, the Oilers entered the All-Star break winning five of their last six games after struggling to string together victories in December. For McDavid, he feels his team has rediscovered its groove.

"I just feel like in the room, everyone's got their confidence back, everyone's got their mojo back," McDavid said. "It's a good feeling in the room right now."

He added: "The break, for us, kind of came at an inopportune time, just with guys starting to feel good, guys finding ways to win games. We want to keep playing, and the break came at a bad time, but we'll pick up where we left off."

McDavid will compete in the Fastest Skater event at the 2022 All-Star Skills Competition on Friday night. He'll also captain the Pacific Division's squad during Saturday's All-Star Game.

The Oilers return to action against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 8.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime NHL player Eric Staal is the captain of Canada's men's Olympic team, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

Rounding out the Canadians' leadership group in Beijing are forward David Desharnais and defenseman Maxim Noreau, who will serve as assistant captains.

"The opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics is very special, and being named captain is an honor and something I take a lot of pride in,” Staal said. "David and Maxim are great leaders and players, and they are deserving of this recognition. Our entire team is excited for the opportunity to be a part of Team Canada, and we look forward to competing for a gold medal in Beijing."

Staal, 37, signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate on Jan. 13 to help him assess his physical conditioning in hopes of making Canada's Olympic roster. He last suited up for an NHL game in July when the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.

He made the most of his AHL stint, registering three assists and two goals in four contests.

Desharnais, 35, currently plays for HC Fribourg-Gotteron in the Swiss National League, where he's put up 32 points in 38 games so far in the 2021-22 season.

Noreau played for Canada at PyeongChang 2018. He logged seven points in six games en route to the Canadians' bronze-medal victory. The 34-year-old plays for the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League, where he has 25 assists and six goals in 39 games this season.

Staal, meanwhile, played for Canada when the country won the gold medal during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. A veteran of 1,293 NHL games, he scored 441 goals and 593 assists across stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Canadiens.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime NHL player Eric Staal is the captain of Canada's men's Olympic team, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

Rounding out the Canadians' leadership group in Beijing are forward David Desharnais and defenseman Maxim Noreau, who will serve as assistant captains.

"The opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics is very special, and being named captain is an honor and something I take a lot of pride in,” Staal said. "David and Maxim are great leaders and players, and they are deserving of this recognition. Our entire team is excited for the opportunity to be a part of Team Canada, and we look forward to competing for a gold medal in Beijing."

Staal, 37, signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate on Jan. 13 to help him assess his physical conditioning in hopes of making Canada's Olympic roster. He last suited up for an NHL game in July when the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.

He made the most of his AHL stint, registering three assists and two goals in four contests.

Desharnais, 35, currently plays for HC Fribourg-Gotteron in the Swiss National League, where he's put up 32 points in 38 games so far in the 2021-22 season.

Noreau played for Canada at PyeongChang 2018. He logged seven points in six games en route to the Canadians' bronze-medal victory. The 34-year-old plays for the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League, where he has 25 assists and six goals in 39 games this season.

Staal, meanwhile, played for Canada when the country won the gold medal during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. A veteran of 1,293 NHL games, he scored 441 goals and 593 assists across stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Canadiens.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes may be new to his post, but he's already examining some of his options as he likely finds himself staring down a rebuild.

Defenseman Ben Chiarot has already been mentioned in recent trade rumors, and Hughes added fellow blue-liner Jeff Petry into the mix Sunday.

In an interview with La Presse's Guillaume Lefrancois, Hughes said he and Jeff Gorton, Montreal's executive vice president of hockey operations, recently met with the struggling Petry to address his future.

"We are aware of what's going on in your life. It's not the ideal situation for playing. At the same time, you are a part of this team. If there's an opportunity for a trade that works for both sides, we will trade you," Hughes said of their message to the veteran, as translated by theScore.

"But until that ideal situation presents itself, you are part of the Canadiens, and you have to give maximum effort."

Hughes said Petry didn't request a trade.

The Canadiens are at the bottom of the league with an 8-29-7 record, which is a far way to fall after the team made the Stanley Cup Final last season.

"I would say we're viewing it as we're open to everything," Hughes said of the organization's position with the trade deadline approaching, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

"We don't feel this immediate need to get everything done at the trade deadline," he added.

Petry has registered one goal and five assists in 37 games this season, a significant drop from the 2020-21 campaign when he put up 42 points over 55 contests.

The Michigan native was key to Montreal's playoff run last year. He posted six points while averaging over 24 minutes of ice time across 20 games.

Petry is playing out the first season of a four-year contract carrying a $6.25-million cap hit. His deal includes a 15-team no-trade list, according to CapFriendly.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.