LAS VEGAS -- The New York Islanders have recalled defenseman Travis Mitchell from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Veteran defenseman Scott Mayfield, who was not at Wednesday's practice, will not play as he and his wife welcomed their first child.
Mitchell will serve as the club's seventh defenseman until Mayfield returns.
Adam Boqvist will to the lineup for the first time since Oct. 30, when the Islanders fell 6-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes.
In Bridgeport, Mitchell recorded three assists in 12 games.
Signed a two-year deal as an undrafted college free agent in 2023 after a three-year NCAA stint with Cornell, Mitchell re-upped with the Islanders this past summer, signing a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 ($100,000 at AHL level).
Mitchell has yet to play a game for the Islanders but was recalled last season when the club was on their Western Canada road trip to serve as an extra defenseman with Alexander Romanov sidelined.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Golden Knights comes your way at 10 PM ET.
Anyone who followed the Pittsburgh Penguins and their back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017 remembers the "HBK Line."
And - on Thursday - two legs of it were reunited.
During the team's practice ahead of this weekend's NHL Global Series at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, assistant coach Nick Bonino and former Penguins' forward Carl Hagelin - who resides near Stockholm - had the chance to reunite. The two were part of Pittsburgh's storied HBK Line during the 2016 Stanley Cup run, which included Hagelin, Bonino, and Phil Kessel (the "K").
The line combined for 15 goals and 46 points in 24 games during the Penguins' 2016 playoff run.
"Bones, my old center... he's looking good," Hagelin told Pens Inside Scoop. "He's done a good job. He really looks like a coach on the bench."
Bonino, 37, played 15 NHL seasons and recorded 159 goals and 358 points in 868 games. He spent two seasons in Pittsburgh between 2015-17, winning two Cups. He also had a brief second stint with the Penguins after the trade deadline in 2023, but he only played in three games due to injury.
As a player, Bonino put up 27 goals and 66 points in 146 regular season games with the Penguins - as well as eight goals and 25 points in 45 playoff games. He is now coaching the Penguins as an assistant.
Hagelin, 37, played in 12 NHL seasons and registered 110 goals and 296 points in 713 NHL games. He was with the Penguins from 2015 to the 2018-19 season, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings mid-season. Hagelin had 27 goals and 83 points in 195 games with Pittsburgh.
The Swedish forward spent his last three-plus seasons with the Washington Capitals, where he was forced to retire early due to an eye injury during the 2021-22 season.
The Chicago Blackhawks were unable to hold off the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, as they relinquished three one-goal leads throughout the game and lost in overtime.
Although the Blackhawks didn't have their best game, Spencer Knight kept them in it, and they earned a point in the standings. There are no moral victories in the NHL, but they did find a way to snag a point against the team with the top record in the Eastern Conference without Frank Nazar, Jason Dickinson, and Andre Burakovsky.
Connor Bedard played a role in them getting that point, as he scored the first goal of the game to make it 1-0. From there, although they ended up winning, New Jersey was playing from behind for most of the night.
Bedard's goal was a 5-on-3 goal that the Blackhawks did a good job creating. With the help of some good keep-ins and board battle victories, Chicago's good puck and body movement tired out the New Jersey penalty killers. Eventually, Bedard had a give-and-go with Teuvo Teravainen that took Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom out of the net, and Bedard beat him.
This gave Bedard goals in four straight and points in nine straight. To say he's been on fire would be an understatement. With 26 points, Bedard is tied for second in NHL scoring with Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini.
Chicago's matchup with New Jersey was a national broadcast in the United States on TNT. Before the game, Wayne Gretzky, who is a panelist for TNT these days, had some really nice things to say about Connor Bedard.
"He's been absolutely spectacular." Wayne Gretzky said of Bedard. "It's such a pleasure to see because coming into this league at 18, you [have] all this pressure on you, you [have] all of this focus on you, you're not a very good team, you're a young team, you're rebuilding. He was front and center; he didn't back away from anybody or shy away from the media. For him to work as hard as he did in the off-season to come in and play at the level he's playing at now, he's earning his way onto Team Canada."
It is not every day that you get compliments like this from The Great One. As the NHL's all-time leading scorer and multiple-time Stanley Cup champion, Wayne Gretzky knows a thing or two about being an NHL superstar, and he sees something special in Bedard.
Gretzky brought up Team Canada unprompted. He seems pretty convinced that Bedard deserves and will be on the team. There is a lot to still be decided on that front, but it is hard to argue against his case. If he keeps playing at his current pace, leaving him off would simply suggest that he never had a chance at all.
The TNT panel, which had Gretzky joined by Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, and Liam McHugh, also broke down Bedard's first-period goal. Gretzky compared his goal-scoring play to a Larry Bird no-look pass and called it a fun play to watch.
There is a lot more media attention and praise coming for Connor Bedard as Chicago's next game will be a Hockey Night in Canada match against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Before the season started The Hockey News editorial board delivered its predictions about the NHL's Final Standings.
Guess where the Rangers were selected? Fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. Now guess where the Rangers are standing right now? Fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.
THN's critics have Carolina, New Jersey and Washington ahead of the Beloved Blueshirts
At this moment, New Jersey, Carolina and Pittsburgh – yeah, the Penguins of all people – stand ahead of Mike Sullivan's skaters – but not by much.
The Devils (12-4-1, 25 points) play a fast game, solid at all stations.
Carolina (11-5-0, 22 points) always delivers a competitive club and this season is no exception. But the Canes goaltending always is mediocre; and remains so.
So far the teams below the Rangers – Flyers, Islanders, Capitals, Blue Jackets – all are playing over-.500 hockey. Each one of them appears decent enough to remain in the race right down into the homestretch.
The Maven believes that the Rangers – if their current upward trend holds – could climb into first place within weeks and remain at the top through April.
All signs indicate that the Seventh Avenue Skaters have gotten their respective acts together and are getting serious about their strengths while patching the weaknesses.
Winning at long last at home was the turnaround's start. Continuing to win on the road has provided a good base.
The match in Columbus will only have meaning if New York loses, but The Maven does not expect that to happen. Therefore, the theme today is: FIRST PLACE OR BUST!
The first meeting between the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks this season didn't go the way that Detroit would have preferred, as they were ultimately beaten by a 5-2 final score at Honda Center on Oct. 31.
It was during that contest that Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider appeared to have scored the game-tying goal in the second period, only to have it waived off after he was ruled to have used a distinct kicking motion.
Moments later, the Ducks scored to make the score 3-1, a tally that would later stand up as the game-winner.
The Ducks, who have ranked near the bottom of the Western Conference for the past several seasons, are suddenly leading the Pacific Division and tied for second overall in the conference.
Players like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier are leading the Ducks in scoring, while Troy Terry is currently on a nine-game road scoring streak. The Ducks have no shortage of young talent, which Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan described as “dynamic.”
"They're a pretty dynamic team," McLellan said following Thursday morning's skate. "Their young superstars have really evolved, you take (Leo) Carlsson and (Cutter) Gauthier they're playing at a high level and they're very confident right now. They have to be at the top of the offensive production in the National Hockey League, and they're feeling good about their game."
"They can skate, they have skill and size, and they're confident. That's probably why they're 11-4-1."
During the offseason, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, a former Red Wings forward and assistant general manager, parted ways with former head coach Greg Cronin and hired Joel Quenneville.
Quenneville is very familiar with the Red Wings, having coached against them in multiple postseason series as the bench boss of both the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks, the latter of whom he guided to three Stanley Cup championships.
While it's impossible to ignore the dynamic that Quenneville has brought to the Ducks, McLellan also acknowledged Verbeek's staff as a whole for their hot start to this season.
"I would say yes, but I would include the rest of his staff and I would also include the Ducks' (Verbeek's) management team," McLellan answered when asked if Quenneville deserves the credit for their start. "They filled in some holes and brought in some complimentary players that others thought were done...they've come in and played well for their team."
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DENVER — Taylor Makar has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche ahead of Thursday night’s matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, the team announced Thursday.
The 24‑year‑old forward has appeared in 13 games this season with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, recording one goal and three assists.
The call-up comes in the wake of a lower-body injury suffered by Valeri Nichushkin, who left Tuesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks early in the third period after blocking a shot. Coach Bednar confirmed Wednesday morning that the 6-foot-3, 209-pound right winger would "miss some time," but there is currently no timetable for his return.
A seventh‑round selection in 2021, Makar signed a one‑year, entry‑level contract extending through the 2025‑26 season.
Prior to turning professional, he spent three seasons at UMass Amherst, compiling 15 goals and seven assists across 85 games from 2021 to 2023. He subsequently transferred to the University of Maine for the 2024‑25 campaign, where he produced 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points in 38 contests.
Meanwhile, Cale Makar, Taylor's older brother, continues to lead the Avalanche’s blueline corps in 2025‑26, tallying six goals and 17 assists in 17 games.
Colorado sits atop the NHL standings with an impressive 11‑1‑5 record.
Taylor Makar made his NHL debut on November 1 when the Avalanche lost in overtime against the San Jose Sharks in a 3-2 heartbreaker. He averaged 6:07 of ice time during the game. It marked the first time two brothers had taken the ice together for the same NHL team since Mathieu Joseph and Pierre‑Olivier Joseph suited up for the St. Louis Blues during the 2024‑25 season.
The Game
Live from Ball Arena, the Avs will take on the struggling Sabers, who live in frosty conditions, but they've been just as cold with their shooting, as they've dropped seven of their last eight games. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.
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Thursday's NHL schedule is a loaded ten games, packed with excitement and promise fast-paced action, dramatic finishes, and plenty of highlight-reel moments. One of the most compelling games of the night features the red hot Anaheim Ducks facing off against the ice cold Detroit Red Wings, who've lost four of their last five games. The Ducks look to rebound after suffering a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday and build on their 11-4-1 start with a win on Thursday.
For those following our betting challenge, we began with a $10 bankroll and aim to grow it through smart, data-driven wagers. Past runs have turned small stakes into triple-digit profits, and tonight’s focus is the Red Wings-Ducks matchup, which offers another strong opportunity to build momentum.
Our bankroll had reached $264.60 before a setback in last Tuesday’s Golden Knights and Red Wings game. After a successful bet on the Mammoth beating the Sabres on Wednesday, our current bankroll stands at $72.76 and we're ready to keep our hot streak going once again.
All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
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Despite recent trends, the Red Wings enter this matchup as favorites, which isn't surprising given the history between these two teams. Just two weeks ago, the Ducks defeated Detroit, but prior to that, the Red Wings had dominated at home, winning 16 of their last 23 matchups against Anaheim. Overall, Anaheim has struggled in the Motor City, claiming just two victories in eight trips. If the Ducks hope to end that skid, they’ll need to bring their best effort.
Both teams are poised for a potential turnaround. Detroit is coming off three straight losses and could use a bounce-back performance, while Anaheim’s impressive run of seven wins in their last eight games suggests they might be due for a setback. Offensively, both squads boast elite talent with Anaheim’s 20-year-old top-line center, Leo Carlsson, being one of the biggest surprises of the season. The early season breakout has 26 points in 16 games, second only to Nathan MacKinnon in league scoring. Carlsson has historically excelled against Detroit, tallying points in all four career matchups with a goal and seven assists. His play will be crucial in keeping the Ducks competitive.
Goaltending will be a major storyline, as both teams have struggled between the pipes. Anaheim is expected to give regular starter Lukas Dostal the night off, turning instead to backup Petr Mrazek. The 33-year-old former Red Wings netminder has had a rough start to the season, posting a 4.57 goals-against average and an .865 save percentage over three games, allowing 14 goals. In his career against Detroit, Mrazek has a 3.26 GAA and .878 save percentage over 16 games. In net for Detroit is former Ducks star John Gibson, whose homecoming to Anaheim didn’t go well as he allowed four goals on 31 shots in his first game back.
With elite offenses on both sides and goaltenders in tough form, this game is likely to see plenty of scoring. Ultimately, the Red Wings will look to leverage their home advantage and historical dominance over the Ducks to secure a much-needed win, while Anaheim will rely on Carlsson and their hot offense to stay in the fight. A wager on the Red Wings and the over at -114 odds with an $72.76 bankroll would return a profit of $64.03, for a total payout of $136.79 in return.
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