Detroit Red Wings officially release their 2025–26 preseason schedule, featuring matchups versus Maple Leafs, Penguins

The Detroit Red Wings have officially released their 2025–26 preseason schedule, with eight games beginning on Tuesday, September 23 and wrapping up on Saturday, October 4. The exhibition slate includes familiar rivals like Chicago, Toronto, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, offering fans an early glimpse of the team’s roster battles and off-season additions.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XPreseason! 📰 » https://t.co/aFaaSRM1w1

Full Preseason Schedule:

• Sept. 23 vs. Chicago Blackhawks (Little Caesars Arena)
• Sept. 25 vs. Buffalo Sabres (Little Caesars Arena)
• Sept. 26 at Pittsburgh Penguins (PPG Paints Arena)
• Sept. 27 at Buffalo Sabres (KeyBank Center)
• Sept. 29 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Little Caesars Arena)
• Sept. 30 at Chicago Blackhawks (United Center)
• Oct. 2 at Toronto Maple Leafs (Scotiabank Arena)
• Oct. 4 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Little Caesars Arena)

More Red Wings: From Svechnikov To Raymond: Grading Detroit’s Last Ten Years Of First-Round Picks

A Look Back at Past Preseasons

Detroit’s preseason results over the past two years offer some insight into how they typically ramp up before Opening Night.

• 2024-25: 3-3-2
• 2023-24: 5-2-1
• 2022-23: 3-5-0

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What To Watch For This Preseason

Roster battles are always a sight to look out for during the early games as the Red Wings high-end prospect pool is tested at the highest level. Players like Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur and Axel Sandin-Pellikka among others are all battling to impress management and hopefully earn themselves a roster spot. 

Another thing to look out for is the goalie competition as the franchise is loaded with options between the pipes. Alex Lyon, Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot are all vying for main roster minutes while rising stars in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine are looking to carve themselves out a role at the NHL level. 

Fans can also expect the Red Wings to test new combinations, especially after several summer additions and potential departures to see what works and what doesn't ahead of an important season for the franchise. 

The Red Wings fell just short of the playoffs in 2024–25 despite a promising start. With another offseason of growth, GM Steve Yzerman will be hoping this preseason helps solidify a group capable of taking the next step. The eight-game slate offers a balance of challenge and opportunity to get the lineup sharp by Opening Night in mid-October.

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Bruins interested in moving up in draft? What to make of latest rumor originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is not afraid to make bold moves. Could we see one ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft?

The Bruins currently own the No. 7 overall pick in the first round. It’s their highest pick since 2011 and it comes after the Original Six franchise finished tied for the fourth-worst record in the league this past season.

The B’s should be able to get a very good player at No. 7, but what if a prospect they really like might not be available at that spot in Round 1? Could they try to trade up?

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler published his latest 2025 NHL mock draft Tuesday, and in it he has an interesting piece of intel on the Bruins.

It’s a very good year to need a center in Round 1, which is great for the Bruins because that’s the position they most need to upgrade in this draft. We could potentially see as many seven centers selected in the top 10 picks.

The problem for the Bruins is several other teams in the top seven picks also need a center.

Based on recent expert mock drafts, one of Jake O’Brien, Brady Martin and Roger McQueen should be available at No. 7. James Hagens could fall to that range, too, but most mock drafts have him coming off the board before No. 7.

Hagens was the No. 1 rated prospect on TSN reporter Bob McKenzie’s draft rankings before the 2024-25 season. Hagens played well for Boston College, but he didn’t dominate offensively as some expected, so he’s been slotted a little lower in recent rankings. Hagens came in at No. 7 in McKenzie’s final pre-draft list.

The Bruins could have as many as five first-round picks and four second-round picks over the next three drafts, so if they want to trade up this week, Sweeney does have some good assets to potentially use in deals.

The first round of the draft is Friday night. Rounds two through seven take place Saturday afternoon.

The 2025-26 Hockey season is started to rev up.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced the 2025 preseason schedule today. 

Below are the dates and times for the 7 preseason games. 

• Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m. ET

• Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET
• Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET
• Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

The NHL Draft will take place this Friday in LA, and then free agency opens on July 1. Before you know it, the season will be here, and the CBJ plan to look much different. 

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Former Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Manny Malhotra Wins Calder CupFormer Columbus Blue Jackets forward Manny Malhotra, head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL, won the Calder Cup last night by defeating the Charlotte Checkers in six games.

Former Blue Jackets Draft Pick And Calder Cup Champion Signs In EuropeAnother former Blue Jacket has found a new home in Europe. 

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The Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly working on a trade that would send Tomas Hertl to the Hurricanes. 

The report was shared by EliteProspects' Cam Robinson, who took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share what he's heard. Robinson said, "There's some smoke out there that Carolina could be bringing in Tomas Hertl. I'd like to reiterate. Smoke. Have yet to confirm anything, but the noise is loud enough and from enough places for me to try and really dig into it."

Marco D'Amico of RGmedia also shared a report that he's heard "reports he may be on his way out of Vegas this morning to the Eastern Conference."

The Golden Knights have been linked to Mitch Marner since last summer, when there were rumors that he could be made available in trades. This offseason, Marner is the prized unrestricted free agent with several insiders claiming the Golden Knights are among the favorites, if not leading the race. 

Hertl has a modified no-trade list, which states that he can approve three teams he'd be willing to be traded to. The 31-year-old scored 32 goals and 61 points in 72 games in his first full season with the Golden Knights, proving to be a valued second-line center behind Jack Eichel and in front of William Karlsson.

It was also Hertl's most productive season on the power play, scoring 14 goals and 23 points, both of which were career highs.

The Golden Knights acquired Hertl at the 2023-24 trade deadline, shocking the hockey world. Hertl was injured at the time and thought to be unavailable due to both his injury and the fact that he was in the second year of an eight-year, $8,137,500 contract he signed with the San Jose Sharks. The Golden Knights sent David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick to the Sharks in exchange for Hertl, at 17 percent retained, and a pair of third-round picks. 

Golden Knights Veteran Center Could Be Available In Trades; No Indications Quite YetWilliam Karlsson's name has been floated out by many insiders, and although no concrete reports have come from the Vegas Golden Knights, a trusted insider revealed fresh information.

The rumor shared by Robinson is still very fresh, so no possible returns or additional information has been given. Robinson claims that "there's some out of Carolina," which also informs us that the two teams likely haven't even begun to consider what else they would involve in the deal. What is known is that if the Golden Knights want to acquire Marner, they need to shed off cap space, and moving Hertl's $6.75-million cap hit would do just that. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Ilya Samsonov Won't Return To The Golden Knights; Testing Free AgencyGoaltender Ilya Samsonov will not return to the Vegas Golden Knights and will test the free agency waters,

Former Bruins captains Chara, Thornton elected to 2025 Hall of Fame class originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Two former captains of the Boston Bruins — Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton — have been voted to the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2025.

“Across his exceptional 24-year career, Zdeno put forth an unparalleled combination of size, strength, and ability each time he took the ice,” Bruins president Cam Neely said in a statement released Tuesday. “He kept opponents on notice with his commanding physicality and set the tone for his teammates with a stout defensive acumen, all while having the power at any given time to unleash one of the hardest shots ever recorded.

“His legendary leadership qualities were also continually on display, particularly when it came to his renowned off-ice conditioning which set a standard for all our players to follow. To put it simply, Zdeno’s skill set stands among the most unique in the century-plus history of the National Hockey League, making him enormously worthy of enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame where he will be remembered forever as one of the very best to play our sport.”

This was the first year both Chara and Thornton appeared on the ballot, and their inclusion in this class is no surprise. They are joined in the 2025 class by Jennifer Botterill, Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jack Parker (builder) and Danièle Sauvageau (builder).

The Bruins drafted Thornton with the No. 1 overall pick in 1997. He lived up to the hype as a No. 1 center and elite offensive player. He tallied 454 points (169 goals, 285 assists) in 532 career games with the Bruins.

Success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs eluded Thornton as the Bruins advanced past the first round only once in his seven-plus seasons in Boston. The B’s traded him to the San Jose Sharks during the 2005-06 season for an underwhelming return.

It was a low point for the Bruins, but the trade did free up valuable salary cap space, and in the summer of 2006 they used that cap flexibility to sign Chara as a free agent.

Chara, the tallest player in league history at 6-foot-9, immediately transformed the culture of the franchise. He was a legit No. 1 defenseman — a top-five player at the position for a long time — and a tremendous leader. He won the Norris Trophy in 2008-09 and probably deserved to win it another two or three times.

Chara helped the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks, ending the team’s 39-year championship drought.

He played a total of 14 seasons with the Bruins from 2006-07 through 2019-20. The Bruins reached the playoffs 11 times over that span, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

Chara is the first longtime Bruins star from the last 15 years to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Patrice Bergeron, who isn’t eligible for a few more years, could be next. Brad Marchand deserves to go in at some point, too, but he’s still playing.