Hockey usually is a young man’s game. Don’t tell that to Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Brad Marchand, Corey Perry and so many others who are still on top of the NHL in their late 30s and beyond.

Crosby produced at a point-a-game pace last season at 37, the same age Marchand was when he scored six goals in the Stanley Cup Final to help Florida repeat against Edmonton, which counted 40-year-old Corey Perry as one of its better players. Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record at 39 and should surpass the 900 mark early this season at 40.

Thanks to changes in sports science, training and technology over the past 20-plus years, the window for stars to remain in their prime is getting longer and longer. And it’s only making the sport better.

“We’re coming into an age of that,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “The science that’s changed over the last 20 years will allow these players to recover faster. ... They’re better fit, conditioned athletes over their entire lives.”

Maurice credited owners for investing a tremendous amount of money and resources into player care. His team is on the leading edge of recovery methods at all ages, which is a big part of why the league’s southernmost team is going for a threepeat.

Everyone is looking for an edge

Patrick Kane is set to turn 37 in November and is on pace this season to pass Mike Modano for the most points by a U.S.-born player. He was the first pick in the 2007 draft, three months before this year’s No. 1 choice, Matthew Schaefer, was born.

A three-time Cup champion with Chicago, Kane credits his and others’ longevity to a decision that there is no longer an offseason.

“It’s incredible the way the guys are almost treating it like a full-year job,” Kane said. “Everyone’s trying to find that edge, whether it’s nutrition or what you do in the summer, how you train, how you recover. Everyone seems to be doing something.”

Sam Reinhart saw that in Crosby and Marchand at Canada’s Olympic orientation camp when they “made it look easy.” The soon-to-be 30-year-old found it inspiring.

“It’s motivating that if you take care of yourself, you work hard, you train, you know when you’re a bit younger, there’s no reason you can’t be at your best when you are a little bit older,” Reinhart said. “It doesn’t look like they are slowing down anytime soon. They’re both machines in the gym and both looking as young and agile as ever.”

Some is luck, but more of it is work

Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman is on the younger side of this curve with his 35th birthday approaching in December, and yet at 6-foot-7 and 244 pounds, he is still among the best defensemen in the NHL. Hedman should make his Olympic debut for Sweden in February.

Hedman has been healthy for much of his career and stayed durable. He played between 76 and all 82 games over each of the past four seasons.

“I’ve been blessed not being hurt too much, but that’s training going into that,” Hedman said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things. The sports science, you can get so much data of what you need at certain points of the season, so that helps a lot. ... But I think it’s just knowing your body and trying to keep up with these young kids because the game is getting faster and faster.”

Ovechkin caught and passed Gretzky in large part because he is almost never injured. Washington’s captain missed 16 games with a broken leg and still got the job done.

“That’s one of the things that he’ll be remembered by is a lot of people talk about his durability as a player and not getting hurt,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said.

Playoffs are when the old dogs thrive

Maurice acknowledged a quarter-century after the fact that scratching eventual future Hall of Famer Paul Coffey in Carolina’s playoff opener in 1999 was a mistake. Coffey was one of the Hurricanes’ best players on the ice in Game 2, and that provided a valuable lesson on the way to back-to-back titles.

“These older players view the playoffs differently. They understand,” Maurice said. “Older guys have a perspective that young players don’t. Young players can be great, but I think you can almost be assured that you’re going to get the very best out of your older players in playoffs.”

Marchand, who rode the exercise bike in Edmonton prior to his double-overtime Game 2-winning goal in the final, has been a clutch performer his entire career in Crosby’s eyes. But the player known as “Sid the Kid” subscribes to Maurice’s theory about coming up big in the biggest moments.

“Definitely in the playoffs, I think that experience, that type of game probably lends itself to older guys who have been through it and understand it,” Crosby said. “We need us older guys to keep going.”

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers and defenseman Niko Mikkola have agreed on an eight-year, $40 million contract extension that would keep him with the team through the 2033-34 season.

The deal begins next season.

Mikkola’s contract only adds to Florida’s pile of long-term deals with current players. Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Anton Lundell and Seth Jones are under contract through 2029-30. Brad Marchand is signed through 2030-31, Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling have deals through 2031-32, while Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad are signed through 2032-33.

Mikkola would be 38 when his new deal expires.

“Niko has proven himself to be a dependable defenseman who uses his speed and physicality to impact both ends of the ice,” Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito said. “He was an indispensable piece of our past two championship campaigns, and we are thrilled that Niko will be continuing his career with the Florida Panthers.”

Mikkola has been with the Panthers for two years; the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in both of those seasons. He had career-highs in goals (6), assists (16), points (22) and plus-minus rating (plus-12) during the regular season a year ago, plus led Florida’s defensemen with 137 hits.

The 6-foot-6 native of Finland has also played for the New York Rangers and St. Louis. It’s expected that he will be part of the Finnish team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Images of Aleksander Barkov hoisting the Stanley Cup are scattered all over the Florida Panthers’ team facility. It’s the ultimate reminder of the last two championship seasons: the team captain being the first one to lift hockey’s chalice.

Now, the Panthers face perhaps the ultimate challenge: Doing it again — without Barkov.

The Panthers were the consensus favorite to win the Stanley Cup a week ago; their odds are now behind about a half-dozen teams, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, now that Barkov is expected to miss seven to nine months because of tears to the ACL and MCL in his right knee. That timeline basically means the entirety of the regular season and maybe the entirety of the playoffs as well.

And just like that, a back-to-back champion is certain to be doubted. That may be a good thing.

“Look, you can’t replace this guy,” said Bill Zito, the president of hockey operations and general manager. “So, we have to do things differently. It’s just going to be different. And we’re going to have to figure out ways for all of us to be better, myself included. And it’s going to be a fight. It’s going to be a battle. We’re going to have to scratch and claw.”

Simple stats don’t come close to explaining Barkov’s value to the Panthers.

The Finnish star hasn’t even led his own team in scoring since the 2018-19 season. He was tied for 41st on the NHL scoring list last season, tied for 27th the season before that, tied for 35th the season before that and has never finished any season better than 10th. Since Barkov entered the league 12 years ago, he’s 17th in points, 31st in goals and 16th in assists.

Look deeper, the Panthers say. Barkov sets the pace on the ice. He sets the tone in the locker room, as proven by his wearing of the “C” — the biggest indicator of hockey leadership — on the left shoulder of his sweater. If there’s a spectacular play to be made with a game on the line, the Panthers know the guy wearing No. 16 will likely deliver. And if there’s a player who is more effective on both ends of the ice, Florida can’t think of one.

Last season, Barkov won the King Clancy Trophy in recognition of leadership on and off the ice combined with humanitarian work, as well as the Selke Trophy that gets presented to the NHL’s best defensive forward.

“He’s the best two-way player in the game,” Panthers forward Brad Marchand said. “You’re not going to replace that guy.”

And yet, the Panthers still believe.

Zito has built a team with depth; Florida had 11 players with at least one game-winning goal in last season’s playoffs alone, tying for the second-most by any team in any postseason run in NHL history. That depth is going to be seriously tested; besides Barkov, forward Matthew Tkachuk is likely out until at least December and Tomas Nosek — a fourth-line center who had a big role in the playoffs a year ago — is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

“There’s no easy games in this league and then losing Barkov makes it that much harder,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “That’s something we’re going to have to embody, a day-by-day mindset — almost like the playoffs. Come in every day, do a job and do it together.”

There will be more opportunities for certain players now.

Anton Lundell — who some on the Panthers have openly compared to a young Barkov anyway — likely takes Barkov’s spot on the top line. Mackie Samoskevich, someone who the Panthers say is much better than he was as a rookie a year ago, will be asked to do more. Evan Rodrigues has been on all four lines at various times over the last two seasons, and he’ll likely be asked to bounce around as needed again. Even players like Sam Reinhart (who had four goals in the Stanley Cup-winning Game 6 victory over Edmonton last season) and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett are capable of more, the Panthers insist.

“This is true in a number of players: they’re not 22 anymore, but they’re still trying to get better,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “They’re still trying to add things to their game. They’re coming to the rink to get better.”

Barkov will be around the team. His voice will still be heard in the locker room. The only difference is he won’t be on the ice.

And if that leads some to doubt the Panthers, Marchand said that’s fine with them.

“I don’t think this group needs fuel,” Marchand said. “We know who we are. We know what our goals are and what we’re looking at doing this year. Looking down the road at winning the Stanley Cup is the last thing you want to do right now. There’s such a long road before that and there’s so many different things you need to overcome.”

PITTSBURGH — Returning to Pittsburgh for one final farewell just felt right for Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury stopped all eight shots he faced during the third period of his final game with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 4-1 preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

“It was a little surreal, a little crazy, but also comfortable,” Fleury said. “When I played here with other teams, I always felt a little weird, but this felt normal … like it used to.”

Fleury officially retired from the NHL as a member of the Minnesota Wild at the end of last season. But the beloved 40-year-old goaltender signed a ceremonial professional tryout contract earlier this month to see old teammates and friends, come full circle and complete a 21-season NHL career that began in Pittsburgh.

“I feel bad because I’ve done so many laps and goodbyes and I keep coming back,” Fleury said. “I’m thankful I got the opportunity to come back for one more go-around.”

Fleury, a former Vezina Trophy winner who also played with Vegas and Chicago, is second in NHL history only to Martin Brodeur with 575 wins and 1,051 regular-season games played, and his 76 NHL shutouts are tied for 10th in league history.

But this night was meant to celebrate Fleury, who is most well-known for his time in Pittsburgh where he won three Stanley Cups and holds nearly every major goaltending record in Penguins’ history, including games played (691), wins (375), goals-against average (2.58), shutouts (44), playoff games (115), playoff wins (62) and playoff shutouts with 10.

Fleury, who practiced with the Penguins on Friday, wore his familiar bright, yellow pads and a specially made mask to commemorate the special weekend. Fleury was offered a choice as to when he could play on Saturday and he opted for the third period to try to win one more game with the Penguins.

The sellout crowd rose to its feet in unison and gave Fleury a standing ovation as he led the Penguins’ from the tunnel to begin the third period. Loud chants of “Fle-ury” “Fle-ury” and “One More Year” filled the arena minutes after the puck dropped to begin the period. Fans erupted with thunderous applause each time Fleury made a save or touched the puck, including stops on Hudson Fasching, Cole Sillinger and Erik Gudbranson.

In the final two minutes, with the game in hand, the crowd showered Fleury with chants of “Thank You Fleury.” When the final horn sounded, fellow franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang embraced Fleury one more time in the crease.

“Every time he touched the puck, the reception was unreal,” Crosby said. “It felt like a playoff game. It was nice to get him the win.”

Fleury spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Penguins. He helped Crosby, Malkin and Letang win the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017 before Vegas selected Fleury in the 2017 expansion draft.

Pittsburgh traded up to draft an 18-year-old Fleury No. 1 overall in 2003 during a tumultuous period in which the franchise nearly moved. More than two decades later, Pittsburgh is no longer a playoff fixture, but Fleury helped stabilize the franchise and turn the Penguins into one of the NHL’s marquee teams.

His signature moment with Pittsburgh came June 12, 2009, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit. Fleury made a last-second desperation, post-to-post diving save on Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom to seal a 2-1 win and deliver Pittsburgh its third Stanley Cup.

The fans remembered on Saturday.

Before the game, crowds gathered multiple rows deep behind the Penguins’ goal hoping to catch a glimpse of Fleury during his final pregame warmup with the team. Many took photos and video to commemorate the moment, wore familiar No. 29 jerseys and held homemade signs expressing their love for Fleury, who lobbed pucks over the glass in between facing shots.

“It was surreal to be back with the Penguins and seeing the guys in front of me,” Fleury said. “It was amazing. It was just like old times.”

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — There was a time when Marc-Andre Fleury would take days like Friday for granted. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, too.

Days when the four players most closely associated with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ run of excellence 2008-17 — an era in which they played for the Stanley Cup four times and raised it above their head in triumph three — would spend an hour competing against each other during training camp, gather for a picture afterward for whomever might stop by and think nothing of it.

Not this time. Not when it was the last time.

And it is, the second-winningest goalie in NHL history stressed, the last time.

Wearing a specially-made mask featuring various symbols of his 21-year career and the No. 29 jersey that may someday soon find itself hanging in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena, Fleury made it a point to drink in every last moment of his final practice as a professional ahead of a one-period cameo during the Penguins’ preseason game against Columbus on Saturday.

Skating onto the ice in front of several hundred fans who chanted his name and carried signs like “We Came All The Way From Canada To See You Come Home,” Fleury did what he did nearly every day of his two-plus decade stay in the NHL: he leaned into it.

There he was, theatrically flopping his signature yellow pads in an attempt to stop a Crosby deflection. There he was, laughing after robbing Letang with a glove save. There he was, making Malkin shake his head after turning the Russian star away from in close.

“That might be what I love the most (about hockey), just to be on the ice and have a lot of shots, see the guys a bunch (and) be able to chirp a little bit,” Fleury said afterward while sitting in his familiar corner stall inside the club’s dressing room. “Yeah, it’s a lot of fun for me.”

The 40-year-old officially retired from the NHL as a member of the Minnesota Wild in the spring but signed a professional tryout contract with the Penguins earlier this month after being approached by Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas, who wanted the future Hall of Famer to take one final bow in the city where he remains beloved nearly a decade since leaving in the 2017 expansion draft.

While the pathologically upbeat Fleury joked afterward he wished he had more stamina, for about 90 minutes there were flashes of the form — and the style — that helped the Penguins morph from the worst team in the league when he arrived as the top overall pick in the 2003 draft to two-time defending Stanley Cup champions when he left.

“It’s just the enthusiasm,” Crosby said. “I think the energy that he brings, it’s really unique.”

The franchise relied on that energy, particularly early on in Fleury’s 13-year stay. Wins were hard to come by in the early days as the Penguins poured the foundation of what came as close to a dynasty as the NHL allows in the salary-cap era.

Yet the losing and the pressure never seemed to get to Fleury. He simply kept moving forward. Six years after he arrived, the player universally known as “Flower” sealed the franchise’s third championship by making a diving stop of Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom in the waning seconds of Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup finals.

The save — an athletically unorthodox act of desperation that encapsulated his talent — cemented Fleury’s spot in Penguins history. And while he went on to have great success elsewhere, including guiding the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Cup finals in 2018 and winning the Vezina Trophy as the game’s top goalie in 2021, Pittsburgh was never too far from his mind. Or his heart.

Every return trip to the city where he came of age over the last eight years felt a little strange. Not just for Fleury but for a crowd thrilled to see him while simultaneously hoping he’d lose.

Those mixed emotions for all involved are gone now and his unexpected (if brief) return represents a full-circle moment not just for Fleury, but the Penguins.

While Crosby remains a force at 38, Pittsburgh is no longer a playoff fixture. Dubas is overseeing a youth movement that includes young goaltenders like Sergei Murashov, who wasn’t even born when Fleury made his NHL debut. Fleury spent a portion of practice kneeling alongside the 21-year-old Russian, listening and offering a little bit of advice.

Asked what that advice might be, one of the league’s notorious practical jokers just laughed.

“‘You better try hard, I’m coming to take your spot,’” Fleury said.

Only, he’s not. Though he thinks his wife Veronique is “tired of him already,” Fleury has not had any second thoughts about stepping away from the game he played so passionately and so well for so long.

“I’ve found out there’s nothing else I can do. There’s nothing else I can do that will fulfill that hole, right, of playing hockey,” Fleury said. “But at the same time, I’m older, slower, more hurt, you know, a little more sore, and less flexible, less fast, maybe.

“Yeah, I think it’s time.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have yet to secure star forward Kirill Kaprizov beyond this season with a long-term contract.

Owner Craig Leipold is trying to remain patient and stay in his lane, fully confident in leaving the process to general manager Bill Guerin and his assistants.

“Billy’s the guy. He’s the one that does the negotiating, no matter who it is, and that’s his responsibility and his role,” Leipold said. “We’ve got a great relationship.”

Can the same be said about the dynamic between the NHL club and Kaprizov’s camp? That’s difficult to discern, with neither side divulging much about whether a new deal is still realistic before the regular season begins in two weeks. Leipold declined to discuss any specifics regarding Kaprizov, who has 386 points in 319 regular season games and 21 points in 25 playoff games.

Kaprizov said after the team’s first practice that he considers Minnesota his “second home” behind his native Russia and likes being in the Twin Cities area and playing for the Wild.

“We have a lot of time. It’s just 2025, and it’s one more year I have,” he said then. “I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go in playoffs and win there.”

At his annual preseason media address last year, Leipold confidently said no other team could offer Kaprizov a longer or richer contract than the Wild. Guerin expressed confidence at the beginning of the offseason in the completion of a deal, but that didn’t happen during the summer and Kaprizov has been on the ice with the team for a week with no news about the 28-year-old left wing.

“As we all know, this is a sport that is more than one player,” Leipold said. “But obviously he’s a special player, and special players do special things. So we’d love to have a player of his caliber on our team.”

Which they do now, clearly but for how long?

One complicating factor in the Kaprizov situation for the Wild has been the rising salary cap and the other stars around the league who also are unsigned beyond this season.

“That’s a lot of new money in the system that, frankly, a year or two ago we certainly had no idea was going to be available,” Leipold said. “So, it does change things, but we have to change with it.”

Leipold spoke to reporters during the Wild’s first home preseason game, their first time taking the ice at Grand Casino Arena. The 25-year-old facility has given the capitol city’s quiet downtown a boost of economic and social activity since it opened for the NHL club as Xcel Energy Center. The utility company’s naming rights for the arena expired earlier this year.

The Wild have begun talks with city, county and state officials about public help for a renovation project they believe is necessary to compete for revenue streams with newer NHL arenas and other venues in Minnesota.

Across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have begun to assess options for replacing the 35-year-old Target Center. But Leipold said the two teams will not consider sharing an arena like the majority of American markets with both NBA and NHL franchises do.

“We are going to stay in St. Paul, and they are going to stay in Minneapolis. It’s pretty hard to negotiate from that point.” As for the Wild finally getting out of the first round of the playoffs, a feat they have only accomplished three times — and not in more than 10 years?

“I believe in it. I believe in hard work and preparation. I like our team. I hope we’re lucky enough not to have injuries. I think this could be a really special year,” Leipold said. “I’ve thought that before, but one of these years everything’s going to kind of come together in a nice package, and hopefully it’s this one.”

Matthew Schaefer being the first NHL No. 1 pick out of the Ontario Hockey League since Connor McDavid in 2015 is pressure enough. Then there’s following Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini into the league.

Bedard with Chicago and Celebrini with San Jose immediately were put into prominent roles. Bedard won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, and Celebrini finished third in the voting.

Taken atop the draft by the New York Islanders, Schaefer may not be in that conversation this season, through little fault of his own. He is a defenseman, a position that traditionally requires a longer, steeper learning curve, and the team is not going to rush a potential franchise cornerstone of the future.

“We’re going to give him time,” said coach Patrick Roy, who made the all-rookie team as a goaltender on the way to the Hall of Fame. “We’re going to be extremely patient with him. He’s a phenomenal kid, has great values. He’s very humble. It was fun in that first conversation to see him. He looks you in the eyes, and you could tell he wants to learn and he wants to be the best he can be.”

Schaefer, who just turned 18 on Sept. 5, is not alone, as most of the top picks in this year’s draft need more experience. A look at the top of the NHL’s rookie class:

Matthew Schaefer, Islanders

Roy was Colorado’s coach in 2013 when Nathan MacKinnon was the top pick with big expectations. Roy said he plans to follow a similar approach, starting Schaefer lower in the lineup and getting the chance to earn more ice time.

Schaefer opened training camp on the third defensive pair alongside veteran Scott Mayfield.

“My ears are wide open for him to let me know what I need to do better,” Schaefer said.

The Islanders consider it a collective effort to help Schaefer acclimate to life in the pros and the hype of going first in the draft.

“Obviously, there’s going to be some sort of pressure on him,” center Bo Horvat said. “If anybody’s going to handle it, it’s going to be him. ... He’s a very likable kid and easy to get along with right away, so he’s going to fit into our group really well.”

Ivan Demidov, Canadiens

How much did hockey-mad Montreal care bout Demidov signing an NHL contract and arriving from Russia late last season? There was a livestream dedicated to his international flight landing in Toronto on the way to join the team.

“I was like, ‘Oh man, this is crazy,’” captain Nick Suzuki said.

Demidov, the fifth pick in the 2024 draft, got a head start by playing in two regular-season and five playoff games last spring. He is the prohibitive Calder favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

“It’s super impressive to see someone have that much talent at that age, and he obviously had a great start with us and had some nice moments in the playoffs, as well,” Suzuki said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the roster this year.”

Michael Misa, Sharks

The second pick behind Schaefer joins a talented young core in San Jose headlined by Celebrini and Will Smith.

“He’s an awesome kid,” Celebrini said. “There’s a reason he went second overall. He’s a special player.”

Misa upon getting drafted said he intended to play in the NHL right away. General manager Mike Grier expects Misa’s play to dictate that..

“He wants to be the best,” Grier said. “He wants to play against the best. I’m sure this is what he wants to do, but we’re not gonna hand him anything. He’s got to come into training camp and try and take a job and earn a spot.”

Ryan Leonard, Capitals

Like Demidov, Leonard broke into the NHL late last season, playing a total of 17 games as Alex Ovechkin broke the career goals record and Washington reached the second round of the playoffs.

Leonard had just two assists, but he’s now counted on to be a regular contributor for the Capitals, even if his mindset was just to earn a roster spot.

“Nothing’s guaranteed, so just going out there and try to prove that I can make the team and play at the level,” Leonard said.

When Mike Sullivan’s time in Pittsburgh came to an end after nearly a decade behind the bench produced two Stanley Cup championships, he became the most-sought after coach on the market.

With plenty of vacancies around the NHL, Sullivan had his pick of the litter. He landed with the New York Rangers, tasked with taking over an Original Six franchise that missed last season’s playoffs but is loaded with talent.

Sullivan has coached Sidney Crosby and was picked by USA Hockey to lead the country at the upcoming Olympics in Milan. Starting this journey with the Rangers had him struggling to find a way to capture his emotions.

“This is a new challenge for me,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard for me to express in words how excited I am about this challenge and about this opportunity.”

Sullivan is one of nine coaches with a new challenge in front of him. A look at the changes for nearly a third of the league and what to expect:

Mike Sullivan, Rangers

Sullivan made trips over the summer to begin building personal relationships with his players. The 57-year-old from Massachusetts wanted to get to know players away from the rink and vice versa. When it comes to hockey, Sullivan’s straightforward approach is evident.

“Obviously a good pedigree,” defenseman Carson Soucy said. “He’s intense, very detail-focused and he wants to win.”

The Rangers haven’t won it all since 1994 but reached the Eastern Conference final in 2024.

Joel Quenneville, Ducks

Quenneville is back in the league with Anaheim, four years since resigning from Florida in the wake of an investigation into Chicago’s 2010 sexual assault allegations. Quenneville said at his introductory news conference he understands those who question is return and will “demonstrate (by) my actions that I am a man of character.”

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup three times with Quenneville as their coach. Only Scotty Bowman has more NHL wins.

“Just to have a voice like that behind the bench guiding and leading our team, we got a good mix of some veterans and some young guys, so I think it’s a great hire and I’m really, really excited to play for him,” winger Sam Colangelo said.

Rick Tocchet, Flyers

Tocchet nearly was as prized as Sullivan after he decided not to renew his contract in Vancouver. Philadelphia is a homecoming of sorts for Tocchet, who played over 700 games in orange and black during separate stints.

“Him being back in Philly and wanting to be there and picking us, his excitement for where we’re headed, I think it excites us as a team and kind of the growth that we’re about to take,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “He’s already a step ahead. He already knows the organization, the city, the fans and so I think that’s going benefit us moving forward.”

Glen Gulutzan, Stars

Dallas fired Peter DeBoer following three consecutive trips to the West final. Pulling franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger in the series-deciding loss and his handling of it afterward played a part.

“You never want to see anyone lose their job,” Oettinger said. “It’s a tough business and with how good we’ve been the last three years, it’s tough. ... Looking forward to getting a fresh start.”

That comes with Gulutzan, rehired 12 years after being fired by the Stars his first time around. Gulutzan the past seven seasons has been an assistant in Edmonton, where he ran the power play and earned praise from Connor McDavid for his communication skills.

Marco Sturm, Bruins

Playing over 1,000 games in the NHL, coaching Germany at the Olympics and spending multiple years as a Los Angeles Kings assistant didn’t prepare Sturm for taking over in Boston. It took three full seasons running a bench with Ontario of the American Hockey League to be ready.

“This is the time,” Sturm said. “Timing is everything. And I couldn’t end up in a better spot than Boston.”

Jeff Blashill, Blackhawks

Connor Bedard, the top pick in 2023, might finally have a long-term coach after Chicago fired Luke Richardson last December and played out the season with Anders Sorensen in an interim role. Blashill gets his second head-coaching job in the league after seven years with Detroit from 2015-22.

“We’re excited to have him,” Bedard said. “He’s thrilled to be with us. He’s showing a ton of excitement.”

Lane Lambert, Kraken

Dan Bylsma lasted one season in Seattle after he was promoted from the minors to replace Dave Hakstol. Lambert, fired in January 2024 by the New York Islanders, is tasked with getting the Kraken back to respectability.

“He brings a structure, an emphasis on structure that we desperately need a little bit,” captain Jordan Eberle said.

Dan Muse, Penguins

Muse, who was an assistant under former Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, takes over with Pittsburgh nearing a crossroads. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang still are around but a youth movement is coming. Muse has caught players’ attention.

“I came and grabbed dinner here at the rink,” Letang said. “When I left, I think it was 8 o’clock and he was still on his computer working on some stuff. So there you go. You see the passion that he has for the game and trying to work on every little detail to make us better and improve every single guy out there.”

Adam Foote, Canucks

Tocchet’s exit opened a void for the Canucks, who would love to convince elite defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes to stick around beyond the end of his current contract in 2027. Hughes said he had his two best seasons with Foote, a former defenseman, as an assistant, but that guarantees nothing.

“It’s different being a head coach,” Hughes said. “I’m sure there’s going to be challenges as a first-year head coach that he’s going face, just like anyone else would. But I think he’s prepared for it.”

PITTSBURGH — Scotty Bowman and Ron Francis headline the Pittsburgh Penguins' Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Bowman, the NHL's all-time winningest coach, and Francis, the league's fifth all-time leading scorer, were both important members of the Pittsburgh teams of the early 1990s that claimed the franchise's first two Stanley Cups.

The duo, both of whom are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, will be joined by forward Kevin Stevens and former coach/general manager Eddie Johnston during an on-ice ceremony when the Penguins host Columbus on Oct. 25.

All four inductees played a role in Pittsburgh becoming one of the league's marquee attractions during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Johnston was the general manager when the Penguins drafted Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux with the first overall pick in 1984 and later served as the club's head coach from 1993-97.

Bowman was Pittsburgh's director of player personnel during the 1990-91 season, during which he helped the club bring in a series of veterans - including Francis - to round out a roster ready to compete for a title. Bowman took over as head coach in 1991 after Bob Johnson was forced to step down because of a brain cancer diagnosis shortly after leading the Penguins to a championship.

Pittsburgh won its second straight Stanley Cup in 1992 with Bowman behind the bench. He then guided the Penguins to the Presidents’ Trophy in 1992-93 but exited the following offseason in a contract dispute.

Francis spent eight seasons in Pittsburgh after coming over in a trade with the Hartford Whalers. He scored 164 goals to go with 449 assists with the Penguins, adding another 100 points in the playoffs.

Stevens was a three-time All-Star across his two stints in Pittsburgh, scoring 260 goals and adding 295 assists in 522 games with the club.

LAS VEGAS — Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has not ruled out playing again for the Golden Knights — even this season — hoping to avoid surgery as he goes through rehabilitation on his injured hip.

Vegas placed him on long-term injured reserve earlier this year, which gave the Golden Knights room under the salary cap to sign prized sign-and-trade acquisition Mitch Marner.

At the time, it was announced that Pietrangelo would undergo surgery for bilateral femur reconstruction that most certainly would have ended any hopes of playing this season. Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon even doubted Pietrangelo would play again.

But the 35-year-old Pietrangelo said in a news conference he has responded well to rehab and was keeping an open mind about playing this season. He has two seasons remaining on a seven-year, $61.6 million contract.

“Nothing’s really concrete,” Pietrangelo said. “I’m going to take it day by day and go through my process and see where it goes.”

He said his hip has been a long-term issue, but particularly flared up last season.

Pietrangelo had planned to play for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off at the NHL’s mid-season break, but withdrew from the tournament with the hopes of being healthy enough to contribute to a potential deep Golden Knights playoff run. It wasn’t an easy decision because Pietrangelo said he was disappointed that his wife and children didn’t get to see him play in that international event.

As for the Golden Knights, Vegas won the Pacific Division, but was eliminated in five games in the second round by eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton.

“Last year was when (the injury) really took a toll,” Pietrangelo said. “I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. By the time it really started to get to me last year, to try and address it with how good of a team we had, it would’ve cut the whole year off for me.

“When you have a roster like we did and you have an opportunity you think to win, that’s a tough thing to give up. So that didn’t really cross my mind. I didn’t really know exactly what we were dealing with until the end of the season.”

He talked about the importance not only of keeping this chapter on his playing career open, but also of making sure he was healthy enough to do the things involved with being a good dad and husband.

Pietrangelo has remained in Las Vegas to be close to his teammates and maybe even help younger players either with the main club or the American Hockey League affiliate in nearby Henderson.

As a key member of two Stanley Cup championship teams — St. Louis in 2019 and Vegas in 2023 — Pietrangelo carries the gravitas of an accomplished veteran player. He also has 637 points in his 17-year career.

“I love being part of a locker room,” Pietrangelo said. “Anybody that’s played sports, especially at our age, to get together with the guys, it’s been really, really fun to come here and still see everybody and be part of the group.”