The Anaheim Ducks won't renew head coach Dallas Eakins' contract after they finished in last place of the league this season, the team announced Friday.
"This was a very difficult decision, one that comes after careful and considerable deliberation," general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. "At the end of the day, I simply feel that a fresh perspective and new voice will be beneficial for the team."
The Ducks ended the campaign with a 23-47-12 record.
Sat Shah and Bik Nizzar breakdown the Canucks season finale a 5-4 OT win over the Arizona Coyotes. Hear from Rick Tocchet post game. Plus Brendan Batchelor, Randip Janda and Iain McIntyre provide their final analysis of the season.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
All four Eastern Conference first-round matchups are now locked in and just two are to be decided out West as the NHL's playoff picture has come into view on the penultimate day of the regular season.
The league-best Boston Bruins will face last season's Presidents' Trophy winners, the Florida Panthers, in a series beginning Monday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet for the second straight year in a series that's been set in stone for weeks. The Leafs secured second place in the Atlantic Division, while the Lightning finished third.
The Carolina Hurricanes - who clinched their second consecutive Metropolitan Division title Thursday night - will battle the New York Islanders beginning Monday, who clinched the NHL's final postseason berth while eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins from playoff contention on Wednesday.
The New Jersey Devils will meet their neighbors and bitter rivals, the New York Rangers. The Devils finished second in the Metropolitan Division, while the Rangers placed third.
Over in the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights secured the Pacific Division title with a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. They will face the Winnipeg Jets in a rematch of the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
The red-hot Edmonton Oilers are the second seed in the Pacific and will meet the Los Angeles Kings for the second consecutive year in the first round.
Still to be decided is the top spot in the Central Division. Should the Colorado Avalanche earn a point in Friday's regular-season finale against the Nashville Predators, the defending Stanley Cup champions would secure the division title and face the Seattle Kraken in the first round. The Dallas Stars would then battle the Minnesota Wild.
If the Avalanche lose in regulation Friday, Dallas will instead square off against the Kraken, while Colorado would meet the Wild.
"I'm blown away," Toews said of the send-off postgame, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times. "I really felt almost unworthy of a moment like that."
Toews also disclosed further about the decision to part ways with the club.
"I knew in my heart, before I had the conversation with (general manager Kyle Davidson), that it's time (to move on)," he said.
"There's absolutely no hard feelings. I have nothing but love and gratitude for the Blackhawks."
The Blackhawks may have lost the game, but Toews sent the fans into a frenzy one last time when he scored his final goal with the club - a redirection in the second period.
WHO ELSE? 🤗
Jonathan Toews scores to cut the deficit to one in his last game as a Blackhawk. pic.twitter.com/TaSbf85cQO
Toews came inches away from capping his Blackhawks career in true fairytale fashion with an overtime winner, but his breakaway attempt just trickled past the net.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 14, 2023
Toews won three Stanley Cups during his 15-year run with the Blackhawks. He also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010, the Selke Trophy in 2013, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba, product ranks sixth on the franchise's all-time points list (883). Chicago drafted him third overall in 2019.
It's unclear what the future holds for Toews, who's struggled with health issues in recent years. He missed the entire 2021 campaign while dealing with chronic immune response syndrome and symptoms of long Covid. He was sidelined for two months this season with those lingering symptoms, but he wanted to return for one final send-off with the Blackhawks.
The Minnesota Wild signed forward Frederick Gaudreau to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.1 million, the team announced Thursday.
The 29-year-old has a career-high 17 goals in 81 games this season. His 36 points rank sixth on the Wild, while his 52 blocked shots are second. He paces the NHL in shootout goals with eight, and his four shorthanded goals are tied for third league-wide.
Gaudreau has blossomed into an NHL regular with Minnesota over the past two seasons. He tallied a career-high 44 points in 2021-22 after scoring a combined 18 points in 103 previous games with the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Quebec native inked a two-year contract worth $1.2 million per season with Minnesota in July 2021. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Dan and Sat are joined by Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino to talk about his most recent prospect rankings, how some of those prospects are developing, and more!
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Dan and Sat discuss the way the Canucks have approached tanking and if it differentiates from other teams around them. Also, hear from Harman Dayal of The Athletic on the end to the season for the Canucks, the weaknesses on the team, and more.
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Sarah Nurse scored the overtime winner as Canada escaped the quarterfinal round with a 3-2 win over Sweden at the Women's World Hockey Championship on Thursday.
Canada dominated the game, outshooting Sweden 48-14, including an 18-5 margin in the second frame.
In the semifinals, the Canadians will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Switzerland and Japan. The United States will face Czechia in the other semifinal.
Earlier Thursday, the U.S. blanked Germany 3-0, while Czechia edged Finland 2-1.
Canada defeated the United States 2-1 to win gold at last year's tournament.