Ilya Mikheyev was among the Chicago Blackhawks' bright spots from their 2024-25 season. After being traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the Blackhawks in a cap dump move, Mikheyev proved to be a nice fit on the Blackhawks' roster. In 80 games on the year, the 6-foot-2 winger scored 20 goals and recorded a career-high 34 points. 

Besides providing the Blackhawks with solid secondary scoring, Mikheyev was also impactful due to his solid defensive play and penalty killing. Due to this, he ended up being a strong addition to the Blackhawks' roster during his first year with the team, and they will be hoping for more of the same from him in 2025-26. 

Yet, the Blackhawks will also have a decision to make with Mikheyev in the coming months. The veteran forward is entering this upcoming season as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so the Blackhawks will need to decide if he is a player that they plan to keep around or not.

With Mikheyev fitting in so nicely with the Blackhawks, they could consider signing him to a contract extension. This is especially so if he continues to perform well for them in 2025-26. However, with the Blackhawks having several promising youngsters in their system, it is certainly possible that they could decide to move on from him, whether that is at the 2026 NHL trade deadline or when his contract expires next summer.

Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what ends up happening between Mikheyev and the Blackhawks. 

Ex-Blackhawks Forward Among Remaining Free AgentsThe Chicago Blackhawks moved on from multiple players this off-season. One of them was forward Andreas Athanasiou, as he became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 after the Blackhawks did not re-sign him. Now, with the halfway point of August almost here, the 31-year-old is still looking for his new home.

Will the 2025-26 season be Jonathan Quick’s last dance in the NHL?

Quick has not hinted at any sort of retirement, but he signed a one-year contract extension, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, setting himself up for retirement if he chooses to.

Toward the end of his tenure with the Los Angeles Kings and through his brief time with the Vegas Golden Knights, it seemed as if retirement was certainly looming for Quick since his individual game began to take a dip. 

However, he signed with the New York Rangers during the summer of 2023, and everything changed. 

Quick revitalized his career in New York, and over the past two seasons, he’s found a solidified role as the Rangers' backup goalie under Igor Shesterkin. 

This past season, the 39-year-old goalie showed some signs of Father Time catching up to him, but for the most part, he proved that he can still play at a high level in a backup role. 

Rangers Rank 10th In The Hockey News’ Exclusive Summer Splash SeriesThe Hockey News’ exclusive summer splash series evaluating the off-seasons of every NHL team is into the final stretch. To put these rankings together, we’ve focused the spotlight on every franchise’s off-season additions, departures, hirings and firings. And we’ve labelled each team as belonging to one of three categories – teams that have improved, teams that essentially stayed the same, and teams that have regressed. 

Given his age, retirement has to be at the back of everyone’s mind in terms of predicting Quick’s future after this upcoming season, and nobody knows what he’s truly thinking. 

Right now, Quick still has the motivation to play hockey, and fans should continue to cherish every moment he’s in the NHL before he ultimately decides to hang up the skates for good.

When training camp comes around this year, Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jakub Dobes will show up as an NHLer. Unless Kaapo Kahkonen manages to cause a big surprise, the 24-year-old should spend the year in the NHL backing up Samuel Montembeault. He took the organization by surprise last season with an electrifying start to his NHL career, and while he did eventually slow down, he’s still in pole position for the backup role.

He signed a new contract this offseason, a one-way and two-year deal that solidifies his position with the team. He can still be sent down to the AHL without clearing waivers, however, contrary to Kahkonen.

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This weekend, he took part in the Kevin Raphael Classique at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, helping raise over $60,000 for Leucan and delighting fans with spectacular saves. It wasn’t his first charity event this offseason either; he was one of the players who headed to St. John’s, Newfoundland, for Alex Newhook’s golf tournament.

Dobes also had time to relax and unwind this summer. He published photos of a fishing trip he took with some teammates, likely when he attended the golf tournament, since he was with Newhook, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and Michael Pezzetta. It’s wonderful to see players who will likely be involved in a tough battle for the role of sixth defenseman spend time together this summer; it goes to show how tight this group is.

Dobes was also one of the players who attended Patrik Laine’s wedding in Florida, and he seems to have a good bond with the Finnish sniper, who recently took to Instagram to troll the young netminder who struck an odd pose for Matelas Jump on his account. Xhekaj also commented with a couple of crying laughter emojis. What’s a team without some trolling?

Jakub Dobes has had a busy summer. Photo credit: Jakub Dobes Instagram account #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/okECowSkAf

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) August 10, 2025

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The Colorado Avalanche have revealed their 30th Anniversary Logo, which will be at all home games this upcoming season.

Three decades of Avalanche Hockey and a whole lot to celebrate.

📰: https://t.co/Ukn5DX6xJgpic.twitter.com/42a9Rtzgka

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 10, 2025

It all started back on August 10, 1995, when the NHL world welcomed the Colorado Avalanche. Today, they celebrate the 30th anniversary.

Currently, there is no official confirmation of any patches being added to the jersey or any confirmation of an "alternate" third jersey. Though it comes with many speculations and rumours of them reviving the Quebec Nordique jerseys.

The Nordiques had a history of struggling both on the ice in terms of performance and off the ice, dealing with major financial issues, which ultimately led the team to be moved to Denver, Colorado, and the Avalanche being born. 

Over the past 30 years, the team has had success in multiple "eras".  Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Adam Foote were part of the Nordiques' core that relocated with the team and helped them win the two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. 

Following many ups and downs after, the team one again achieved glory when the team won the Stanley Cup again during the 2022 playoffs.

Avalanche Storylines to Watch: 2C Locked InHeading into the 2025-26 NHL season, the Colorado Avalanche finally have something that they haven’t had since the 2021-22 season: a true second-line center that's under contract for the next couple of seasons. Avalanche Swap Prospects with the San Jose Sharks, Acquire Forward Danil GushchinThe Colorado Avalanche announced on Friday that they have acquired forward Danil Gushchin from the San Jose Sharks in return for forward Oskar Olausson.

The Hockey News’ exclusive summer splash series evaluating the off-seasons of every NHL team is into the final stretch. To put these rankings together, we’ve focused the spotlight on every franchise’s off-season additions, departures, hirings and firings. And we’ve labelled each team as belonging to one of three categories – teams that have improved, teams that essentially stayed the same, and teams that have regressed. 

The New York Rangers ranked as the No. 10 team in these summer splash rankings. 

It was a busy offseason for the Rangers, as the team kicked things off by firing head coach Peter Laviolette and replacing him with Mike Sullivan. 

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has already fired three head coaches since 2021. Sullivan could offer the Rangers that much-needed stability behind the bench. 

Before the Stanley Cup Final even ended, the Blueshirts traded Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

On July 1, the Rangers went out and signed arguably the top defenseman on the market, Vladislav Gavrikov, to an eight-year, $49 million contract. 

After bringing Gavrikov on board, Drury decided to trade restricted free agent K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, and defenseman Scott Morrow. 

Peter Laviolette Enters 2025-26 Season Without A Coaching Job It looks as if Peter Laviolette will begin the 2025-26 season without a coaching job. 

The Rangers rounded out their offseason by signing forward Taylor Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million contract.

It was an eventful summer for the Rangers, and we’ll have to see if these moves help change their fortunes during the 2025-26 season.

As Brad Marchand gears up for his first full season with the Florida Panthers following his six-year, $5.25 million extension, he'll be going up against familiar foes and teammates he used to go into battles with. 

Before Marchand signed a contract which likely insinuates he finishes his career in Florida, he took part in 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins. In Boston, Marchand recorded 422 goals and 976 points in 1090, winning a Stanley Cup in 2011. Marchand was more than a fan favorite in Boston, and captained the team in his final two seasons. 

The Bruins were able to extend their window to win due to Marchand's play and ability to defy father time, but the 2024-25 season finally caught up to the Bruins. They were out of a playoff spot when the trade deadline rolled around, and although there were conflicting reports about what they would do with the 37-year-old Marchand, they ultimately traded him to the Panthers. 

His arrival in Florida was everything the Panthers organization could have hoped for. His personality meshed well with the current players, and his performance during the playoffs was outstanding, as he recorded 10 goals and 20 points in 23 games. 

Although he now has experience playing away from Boston, the regular season will still likely present several challenges, including an emotionally charged game when the Panthers visit Boston on Oct. 21. 

Marchand will be overcome with emotions as previous players in his situation have, but former teammate David Pastrnak is looking forward to taking on his new foe. In an interview with Hokej.cz’s Dominik Dubovči, Pastrnak spoke about the upcoming matchup.

"I wrote him congratulations on the Cup. We played a big part of our careers together, and our wives are also great friends," said Pastrnak. "The bond is there, so of course it was difficult to see him leave. I’m not happy about the Stanley Cup for Florida, but I am happy for Marchand. Then, when he signed a big contract, I kind of let him know that I would make the first game against us a little difficult for him. I am looking forward to it. We always had tough battles together, even in practice.”

Pastrnak is one of the elite forwards in the NHL, someone with whom Marchand formed a formidable duo on and off the ice. It'll be interesting to see how the game develops and what shenanigans Marchand may get himself into against his former team.

Brad Marchand joined by Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon for Stanley Cup day in Nova ScotiaStanley Cup summer celebrations are kicking up a notch this week.

There's still just over a month until teams hit the ice for training camp, but the 2025-26 NHL regular season schedule has been known for almost a month. There are plenty of eye-catching matchups for the Ducks this season. Five of them have been highlighted as must-watch.

Hockeytown Halloween in Gibson's Return

After being traded to the Detroit Red Wings on Jun. 28 for Petr Mrázek, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick, goaltender John Gibson will make his return to Honda Center on Oct. 31. This trade allowed Gibson to be a full-time starter again after Lukáš Dostál began to take hold of the reins during the 2023-24 season and continued to grasp onto the starting role this past season. Dostál was also rewarded with a long-term extension this summer, filling Gibson's spot both physically and financially.

The longest-tenured Duck after Cam Fowler was traded last December, Gibson was the lone remaining player from the Ducks' last playoff series in 2017-18 (Troy Terry played two games that season, but did not appear in any playoff games). Gibson ranks top in nearly every goaltending category in Ducks franchise history and is sure to receive a warm welcome.

"Something close for me (in Anaheim) was all the charity work," Gibson said during his Red Wings introductory press conference. "Gibson's Goals, the sled hockey program, that whole community. Working with them before COVID, dealing with all the hurdles that we had to navigate through COVID and now post-COVID, helping with jerseys and everything... There were a lot of unbelievable moments on the ice, but I think the people and the relationships off the ice, too, are definitely what I'll continue to remember as well."

Black Friday Matinee against LA

The Black Friday matchup against the Kings has become a staple for the Ducks in recent years, but this one will surely feel a bit weirder. Not only will it mark Brian Dumoulin's return to Honda Center, but it will be former long-time Duck Corey Perry's first time in Anaheim as a member of the Kings. While the odd sight of Perry in a non-Ducks jersey has worn off with each passing season since he was bought out by the Ducks in 2019, seeing Perry in the LA colors will be an eyesore for many Ducks fans. The crowd's reaction if Perry were to score will be something. This game will also likely be one of the last Ducks-Kings matchups for Kings captain Anže Kopitar, who reportedly will not sign another NHL contract following the end of his contract after this season.

Ovi's Last Time in Anaheim?

It's been heavily rumored that the 2025-26 season will be Alexander Ovechkin's last season in the NHL. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, he is not expected to sign an extension and will likely play his final professional seasons at home in Russia.

20 years ago, Honda Center was the site of Ovechkin's first NHL hat trick. While he did not score last season in his sole trip to Anaheim, fans will be eager to see if the NHL's new all-time goals leader can continue adding to his tally.

Kreider & Trouba Return to MSG

Both Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba had unceremonious ends to their Rangers careers, with both players traded to the Ducks after months of dysfunction in the New York organization. Trouba has not played the Rangers since being traded last December and Kreider has yet to play a single game for the Ducks because he was traded this past June.

With more than 15 combined seasons playing for the Rangers between the two players, the expectation is that both players will be greeted warmly in their return. Kreider ranks top-10 in several Rangers all-time leaderboards and Trouba captained the team for almost three seasons.

Philly CheeZesteak

The wait for this matchup will be a little longer than the rest. Trevor Zegras will return to Honda Center on Mar. 18 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers following his trade to the Flyers on Jun. 23. It brought an end to years of trade speculation and reunites Zegras with Jamie Drysdale, who is good friends with Zegras and was traded to the Flyers for Cutter Gauthier in 2024.

Zegras was a Ducks fan favorite, well-liked because of his easy-going personality and his penchant for flair on the ice. His offensive production tailed off after consecutive 60-point seasons to begin his NHL career due to injuries and arguably less-than-ideal deployment. But Zegras did his best to become a better two-way player, something which Ducks management wanted to see more of from him.

"I've played center my whole career up until two seasons ago and I've always felt more comfortable there," Zegras said during his Flyers introductory press conference. "I think there are definitely areas that I need to work on, whether it's the faceoff circle or below the goal line or in front of the net in the d-zone. I think it was good to play the wing and learn that position and the responsibilities."

"I just try to be a good teammate, do what was asked of me and I'm gonna bring that same mindset to Philadelphia. I guess my focus has kind of shifted more towards what I can do for that team and that organization. I think what's happened in the past has made me a different person and I think I learned a lot in Anaheim. Taught me how to be a pro and I'm going to try and bring all that information that I've learned to Philadelphia."

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Like Steve Albert, author of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Broadcast Booth," I, too, wanted to be a play-by-play announcer.

Like Brother Steve, I succeeded. Unlike Steve, my career doing play by play ended with one game. But since I remember it as if it happened yesterday, I figure you might want to listen up.

But, before I go on, lemme say that – as a young Maple Leaf fan – I devotely listened to Foster Hewitt warble over CBL-Toronto. I figured, to be a solid hockey play-by-play guy, just know when to shout, "HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES!" 

And, really, that's all there is to it. So, here's what happened – and how very wrong I was.

During the 1954-55 NHL season, I  was assistant Rangers publicist and my boss Herb Goren often would give me neat assignments, like writing the texts on the backs of Topp's hockey cards or reading through out-of-town papers for hockey stories.

It was a dream gig until one night, Herbie uttered the never-to-be-forgotten words: "How would you like to do play-by-play tonight?"

Before I could say, "You gotta be kidding!" My boss went on as follows: "The guy who does all our games for Armed Forces Radio is sick and they need somebody to call the game." 

A few seconds after my temporary case of lockjaw disappeared, I said, "Sure," and then wondered what to do next. Which was nothing.

The Blueshirts were playing Montreal that night. They were good and we weren't and what else was there to know. All our games with the Habs were delicious with thrills, win, lose or brawl.

I recall telling myself as I sat down after the National Anthem, "Just be Foster Hewitt and all will be well."

There were two issues: 1. I wasn't Foster Hewitt and 2. All was not well. At least not from the second period going forward. Ah but one play made it all worthwhile.

"Hello, this is Stan Fischler for Armed Forces Radio bringing you the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens against the New York Rangers,."

For about five minutes the Blueshirts held them off until New York defenseman Ivan Irwin took a penalty which was bad and good. Bad because Montreal had the best power play in the league and good because Aldo Reno Guidolin, my favorite Ranger, would take the ice.

Guidolin, who wore #12, was the only player in NHL history to come from Forks Of Credit, Ontario. He was a defensive forward who didn't play that much but he did kill penalties so I gave him a big plug. (Who knew what would happen next!)

An Fascinating Revelation Via Ex-GM Craig PatrickThe Maven's Roundtable has produced varying views of former Rangers' boss Emile (The Cat) Francis. It also has spurred talk about general managers past. Here's what I mean:

"And here comes the Rangers PEERLESS penalty-killer, Aldo Guidolin." The Habs mighty power play had defenseman Doug Harvey at one point and Boom Boom Geoffrion at the other. Rocket Richard, Dickie Moore and Jean Beliveau were up front.

Beliveau won the draw and passed it back to Geoffrion at the left point. Guidolin headed straight for Boom Boom whose shot hit Aldo in the leg and bounced back toward center ice. It was at this point that The Maven lost his mind, shouting;

"IT'S A BREAKAWAY...ALDO GUIDOLIN IS IN THE CLEAR – NOBODY NEAR HIM." I inhaled and for a second wondered what my guy was doing. Aldo kept moving in from the right, too close to suit me and it looked like he was going to blow it.

"HE'S CUTTING ACROSS THE GOALMOUTH (left to right) HE SHOOTS!  HE SCORRRRRRES!" I was so overwhelmed by the end to end rush that I momentarily  wondered if I called it right, so I did it the second time to be sure.

But the Rangers still had the penalty and, in those Original Six days a team could score as many goals on a power play as the two minutes would allow. The Habs wasted no time tying the game; which brought my decibel count down by half.

By the time it was 6-1 for Montreal, you could hardly hear me – or the Blueshirts for that matter – and when the final buzzer sounded, I was secure in the knowledge that the only time I should ever do Rangers play -by-play again is when #12 scores a shorthanded goal.

P.S. Armed Forces Radio gave me a disk of the entire game. I had an extra made and gave it to Aldo and Phyllis as their wedding present. 

P.S.S. I played the breakaway segment a few times – and made sure nobody in a white coat was around – just to convince myself that it really happened. 

P.S.S.S. Guidolin and I remained close friends until his death on November 8, 2015.