He was replaced by Team Canada by Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as 2025 playoff MVP. He is currently day-to-day with an injury.
Cirelli left Sunday's game after being hit by the Boston Bruins' Mark Kastelic.
Injured Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was also ruled out for the Olympics. He was replaced by Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
The USA's Seth Jones (Florida), Sweden's Jonas Brodin (Minnesota) and Leo Carlsson (Anaheim) and Philadelphia's Rodrigo Abols (Latvia) earlier were replaced because of injury.
Here are other NHL Olympians who are currently out with injury, with Olympic status to be determined:
USA: Jack Hughes (New Jersey).
Canada: Brayden Point (Tampa Bay), Brad Marchand (Florida), Logan Thompson (Washington).
Sweden: Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado), Elias Lindholm (Boston).
Czechia: Martin Necas (Colorado), Pavel Zacha (Boston).
Saban, the former Alabama football coach and current analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay," is a longtime fan of the Predators.
CAA will coordinate the search, with Haslam as the leader of the committee. Trotz also will be assisting in the search.
" . . . Nick Saban, our newest owner, who has a little familiarity with helping winning organizations, has agreed to be on the search committee as well," Haslam said during the news conference at Bridgestone Arena.
Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz will announce on Feb. 2 that he is stepping down, according to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The report from Friedman also indicates Trotz will continue in the role until his replacement can be found.
The Predators have announced a news conference on Feb. 2. The release said Trotz will have an announcement at Bridgestone Arena along with CEO Sean Henry and owner Bill Haslam. The Predators did not disclose the nature of the announcement.
The timing of this decision sets up a challenging rest of the season. With the Predators' record at 25-23-6 (56 points) and four points out of the final wild card spot, they are within striking distance of the playoffs. But in the ultra competitive Western Conference, their chances of a deep playoff run are slim. Trotz has indicated he's been willing to listen to offers on players like Ryan O'Reilly, Michael McCarron, and Michael Bunting at the trade deadline, which is on March 6.
Trotz, 63, took over as general manager in 2023 after the retirement of David Poile. Trotz was the first coach in Predators history, coaching from 1998 until 2014.
When Trotz took the job, he made a flurry of changes in an attempt to change the locker room culture. Matt Duchene's contract was bought out, Ryan Johansen was traded to Colorado, and the team signed center Ryan O'Reilly. The moves worked to transition the team away from the previous core and into a new look.
But many moves by Trotz came under heavy scrutiny. The decision not to sell Alex Carrier at the deadline in 2024, then sign him over the summer, then trade him just two months into the next season. The decision to sign Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract, instead of transitioning to Yaroslav Askarov in net. Losing Dante Fabbro in waivers to Columbus. Trading Luke Schenn to the Penguins for a third round pick, then seeing the Penguins immediately flip him for a second round pick. It was hard to find wins among the many apparent losses.
As the team looks for its next general manager, it will be worth noting if they keep with tradition and stay within the "Predators family" or if they look outside of the organization.
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper will be making his Olympic debut for Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Winter Games. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
Think of Mike Buckley as a kind of double agent.
Not the sinister kind, who give away state secrets for money or revenge; Buckley is privy to much lower-level intelligence. But that doesn’t mean it’s not just as valuable to the people involved.
Buckley is the Kings’ goaltender coach and his chief pupil is Darcy Kuemper, who will be playing for Team Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympic hockey tournament. Buckley will be in Milan coaching for Team USA. And if the competition goes to form, Canada and the U.S. will meet in the final.
You can see where this is going.
So would Buckley give up the goods on his NHL goalie if it meant helping his national team win a gold medal?
“I probably have a little bit more insight being with him on a day-to-day basis. But at the end of the day, the players still have to execute,” said Buckley, like Kuemper, a first-time Olympian. “So if I tell someone to shoot somewhere at a certain time or a certain spot, they're going to have to be able to execute that.”
The answer then is maybe.
Still, that’s a dilemma Buckley will probably never face since Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, who was spectacular in goal in last year's Four Nations Face-off, will probably start for Canada in Milan. But with the Kings sending four other players (defenseman Drew Doughty, Canada; and forwards Adrian Kempe, Sweden; Kevin Fiala, Switzerland; and Joel Armia, Finland) plus Canadian equipment manager Darren Granger to the Olympics, there’s a good chance guys who have shared a dressing room since September will be competing against one another.
Kings forward Kevin Fiala controls the puck while playing for Team Switzerland at the 2025 world championships. (Michael Campanella / Getty Images)
The same goes for the Ducks, who are sending four players — goalie Lukas Dostal and defenseman Radko Gudas, Czechia; forward Mikael Granlund, Finland; and defenseman Jackson LaCombe, U.S. — to Milan. Ducks star Leo Carlsson, who was expected to start for Sweden, will miss the Games after undergoing surgery to repair a rare injury in his left thigh last month.
So while the Olympics may bring countries together, it also has the potential to turn teammates against one another — at least temporarily.
In the group stage of the tournament, for example, Armia and Finland will play against Kempe’s Sweden. And Canada, with Kuemper and Doughty, will face Switzerland, which is led by Fiala.
“It’s obviously going to be a little strange,” Gudas said. “It’s only for a few games. For that amount of time, you can put things aside a little bit.”
Those kinds of match-ups were rare in the last two Olympic tournaments since NHL players didn’t take part, sidelined by a dispute over insurance, travel costs and scheduling issues. This year 147 NHL players are on the 12 Olympic rosters, with all 32 NHL clubs represented.
Not all the top NHL players will be in Milan, however. Russia has been banned from the tournament because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, meaning Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, won’t play.
Granlund, who won a bronze medal with Finland in 2014, the last time NHL players participated in the Olympics, is glad to be back.
“It was such a cool experience,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest honors I can have as a hockey player, playing for a country in the Olympics. There’s no player in the NHL who wouldn’t go.”
That’s due in large part to the rush that comes with wearing your country’s colors on your chest.
“It’s tough to explain how much it means,” he said. “You grow up in a country like Finland, watching the national team play. As a kid you’re dreaming to play for that team.
“Every single time you put that jersey on, it’s such a pride you feel.”
Doughty, who already has two gold medals, agreed, saying the only time he sings along with the Canadian anthem is at the Olympics.
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty controls the puck while playing for Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off last year. (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
“When we hear it in the NHL, I’m not singing,” he said. “But when you’re wearing a Canadian jersey, that’s one of the biggest moments you can have.”
Not just for the guys on the ice. Granger, the equipment manager, will be making his third trip to the Olympics with Canada. And the journey never gets old.
“It’s not something that you apply for. It’s something that you’re asked to do,” he said. “So I don’t take that lightly. It’s an honor.”
The equipment managers may have the most difficult job in the Olympic hockey tournament since they must prepare and maintain the sticks, skates, gloves and uniforms for 25 players, some of whom they’ve never met. That means checking in with the equipment managers of rival NHL teams to get prepared.
“We have quite a few players that are particular about certain things,” he said. “After a while, you just kind of get used to what those things are. If it’s a player that likes to use three sticks a game, then making sure he has that. If it’s a guy that likes to change gloves every other game, making sure you have enough.”
Yet if Canada wins the tournament, Granger’s reward won’t be a gold medal. Olympic rules say medals only go to the players, leaving the equipment managers, trainers and coaches — even coaches with inside information like Buckley — out in the cold.
“That’s OK,” Buckley said. “I just want the players to get one.”
Plus there have been not one but two goalie fights.
Plenty still remains this season before the Stanley Cup is finally hoisted in June, starting when NHL players head to Milan, Italy, to play in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Here are the key dates for the rest of the 2025-26 season, starting with the upcoming Olympic break:
When is the Olympic break?
The NHL will take a break from Feb. 6-24 for the 2026 Winter Olympics. There are seven games on the schedule on Feb. 5. No trades can take place during the Olympic break.
When is the Olympic men's hockey tournament?
The tournament starts on Feb. 11 with two games. The USA opens play on Feb. 12 against Latvia. All teams will play three games during the round robin, which runs through Feb. 15. The top four teams get byes to the quarterfinals.
Playoff qualification games are on Feb. 17 for teams ranked fifth through 12th, quarterfinals are Feb. 18 and semifinals are Feb. 20.
The bronze medal game is Feb. 21 and the gold medal game is Sunday, Feb. 22.
The Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy squared off in the second period with Boston up 5-2 and tensions high.
During the Lightning's second consecutive power play, a scrum broke out as Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel slashed Boston's Charlie McAvoy. Swayman jumped into the fray, which led Vasilevskiy to start skating down the ice.
Swayman noticed and skated toward Vasilevskiy. Once the gloves and masks were off, the two threw a few punches at each other at center before the on-ice officials intervened.
But team owner Jeff Vinik won't be able to attend the game that he helped bring to Raymond James Stadium because of a serious injury.
The Lightning announced Friday that Vinik had suffered a "major leg fracture" when he had a snowmobiling accident while on a recent vacation with his children.
"He is currently under the care of exceptional medical professionals and is expected to make a full recovery. While we are grateful he is doing well, the extent of the injury means he will unfortunately be unable to attend the Stadium Series game on Sunday," the team said in a statement.
"As an organization, we are deeply thankful for his resilience and dedication and although we are heartbroken we will miss this historic moment for the Tampa Bay Lightning, we know he will be watching and taking immense pride in what Team Tampa Bay has accomplished."
The goalie trade market is pretty scarce, so some NHL teams have reached into the recent past.
And while retired Marc-Andre Fleury is flattered by the attention, he says he plans to stay retired.
"I had some calls and I took the time to think about it," he recently told USA TODAY's Sports Seriously. "It's very nice of them to think of me in that way, very flattering, but then at the end of the day, I stopped playing for some reasons. I thought it was better to just stay on the sidelines."
Fleury hung up his skates after 21 seasons in 2025, finishing with three Stanley Cup titles, a Vezina Trophy and the second most regular-season wins in NHL history (575). Since the playoffs ended for the Minnesota Wild, he played for Canada in the world championships and for one period and a shootout of a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but now his focus is on a post-playing life.
He's enjoying the freedom of having more time but says there are other times when he misses playing.
"I miss the guys, I miss the competition, I miss battling as a team trying to win a game and the feeling that you get when you win a game," he said.
But he's finding plenty to do. He's coaching his 6-year-old, he's playing tennis, has driven a race car, tried some boxing and he went skiing, which he wouldn't be able to do under an NHL contract. He has a partnership with Kraft Hockeyville, which brings a preseason NHL game to a small community and helps refurbish rinks. He occasionally puts on the goalie pads, as his agent, Allan Walsh, posted on Thursday.
He'll be watching as NHL players return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. Being a Quebec province native, he's choosing Canada to win, though he also said the USA and Sweden have solid teams.
"I just think it will be great hockey," he said. "I think it will be fun to watch, so many good teams and players out there. You never know in a tournament. It's not a best of seven, it's one game, so crazy things can happen. It can go different ways."
Fleury was also paying attention when Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose's Alex Nedeljkovic had the first goalie fight since 2020.
"I think it's awesome," he said. "Nobody got hurt and to see two goalies fight, it's always so awkward because we got all the equipment and we're not used to fighting. It's funny to watch."
Fleury nearly had his chance in 2023 but was kept away as he skated down the ice and challenged St. Louis' Jordan Binnington.
"I have nothing against Jordan, really," he said. "I always wanted one fight in the NHL since I came in. In 21 years, I wanted to score a goal and have a fight. I came close on both but couldn't get it done."
As the scouting cycle for the upcoming NHL draft progresses, the gaps between the top talent in the 2026 class are closing at a rapid rate.
Headlined by Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff, this group features a ton of players making second-half surges, such as Chase Reid and Caleb Malhotra, proving the rankings of these prospects are far from decided.
The NHL standings are far from decided as well. The Vancouver Canucks are still in last place, but the St. Louis Blues slid, while the Winnipeg Jets climbed up three spots in the past two weeks.
Considering the standings and the needs of the teams positioned to select in the top 16 of the first round, let's take a crack at what those picks could look like in June.
(Draft order determined by standings, sorted by points percentage, before games on Jan. 29, 2026)
NHL mock draft: Top 16 picks
1. Vancouver Canucks: Frolunda (Sweden) left wing Ivar Stenberg
With 28 points in 29 games, Stenberg is scoring at a rate we rarely see among draft-eligible players in pro hockey, challenging Daniel Sedin's record for the most points by a Swedish League player in their draft year. Production is one thing, but his ability to create offense through contact, his vision, shooting, playmaking and two-way game have him projected as a top-end talent that will give opposing teams nightmares at both ends of the ice.
2. St. Louis Blues: Penn State (NCAA) left wing Gavin McKenna
McKenna has really found his confidence since returning to Penn State after the world juniors, putting together 11 points in his last five games, including a hat trick in a four-point effort against Wisconsin. If he continues to string together games where he shows how overwhelming and assertive he can be offensively, while also finding ways to impact the game away from the puck, he'll reclaim the top spot in this class.
3. Calgary Flames: Boston University (NCAA) center Tynan Lawrence
There are few players who can match Lawrence's pace of play in this class. His ability to transport the puck through the neutral zone remains elite, and there were times this season in the USHL when he looked two steps ahead of every other player, creating dangerous chances. There have been some growing pains since switching to the NCAA, but Lawrence still possesses high-end tools that make him worthy of being selected in this range.
4. New York Rangers: North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff
As a 6-foot-4, 208-pound right-shot defenseman, Verhoeff possesses one of the most sought-after physical profiles in today's NHL. On top of that, he handles a heavy workload at the NCAA level, often playing over 20 minutes a night while displaying a mature defensive foundation and consistently improving as an offensive threat with his shot and playmaking vision. There are others pushing Verhoeff as the top defender in this class, but he remains the top choice.
5. Winnipeg Jets: Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) defenseman Chase Reid
Chase Reid is truly the total package. His length, mobility, and hockey IQ makes it very difficult for opposing players to create advantages over him while defending. He’s also arguably the best player at creating transition offense next to Lawrence in this class with his feel for anticipating offense, developing into a breakout threat with his passing and skating. There’s not much separating him from Verhoeff, and he could easily be a top-3 pick this summer.
Smits may have the highest compete level among all players in this class. His game oozes confidence in his willingness to engage in the rush, and he looks to be a difference-maker every time he steps on the ice despite playing against grown men in Finland. Smits is on Latvia's roster for the Winter Olympics in Milan, and it should be a treat to watch him play against the top competition in the world.
While concerns regarding Lin's size may have others leap him on draft day, he's easily the most detailed defender in this class. He's not overly physical, but he competes incredibly hard and wins puck battles at a high rate without compromising his positioning. His offensive production may be misleading, as he doesn't have any standout tools that would suggest he'll be a top point producer in the NHL, but he's a reliable top-four D-man nonetheless.
Bjorck plays with a motor that has allowed a lot of scouts to overlook his size disadvantages and skating issues this season. He's constantly putting pressure on opponents while on the forecheck and wins a ton of battles that turn into dangerous scoring chances thanks to his crafty playmaking. It's unlikely he'll remain a center as he develops, but he'll undoubtedly be a great complementary winger with top-six potential at the NHL level someday.
Things have trended downward a bit for Belchetz over the past few weeks. He's continued to show flashes of high-end playmaking, and his physical tools alone will still make him highly sought after on draft day. However, with his offensive production slowing down, he must find a way to impose his will as he did early in the season to overcome his skating issues and maintain his status as a top-10 prospect.
The Ottawa Senators will forfeit this year's draft pick after failing to disclose Evgenii Dadonov's limited no-trade clause when they sent him to Vegas in 2021, leading to an invalidated trade between the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks the following year. The Senators drafted in the top 10 four times in the last six years, choosing Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Tyler Boucher and Carter Yakemchuk.
11. Boston Bruins (via Toronto): Prince George (WHL) defenseman Carson Carels
Carels has some of the best hockey sense in this class, and it's reflected in the trust he's gained in Prince George, playing on the power play and penalty kill. What makes Carels so special is that he projects as a top-pairing defender who could play in a shutdown role or use his playmaking instincts to affect the game offensively, depending on what the assignment is on any given night.
12. Seattle Kraken: Prince Albert (WHL) defenseman Daxon Rudolph
Rudolph is a smooth skater who uses his feet effectively to lead rushes and shut down plays in the defensive end. While he's not overly physical, he has great range at 6-foot-2 and is smart with his stick in breaking up plays in zone and off the rush. As Rudolph continues to stack dominant offensive performances with the Prince Albert Raiders, he's inching closer to being a top-10 player in this class.
13. Philadelphia Flyers: Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) defenseman Xavier Villeneuve
There is no defenseman in this class who's more gifted with the puck than Villeneuve. He uses his deception and skating ability to create separation at the blueline very similarly to Lane Hutson. Villeneuve's defensive game leaves a lot to be desired, and as an undersized defender, that could be a cause for concern. However, his compete level and foundation of skills are worth betting on as a potential top power-play quarterback in the NHL.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Brantford (OHL) center Caleb Malhotra
Malhotra's skill, decision-making and mature two-way habits undeniably make him worthy of being picked in this range. He's been a standout offensive producer in his first OHL season on a Brantford team filled with NHL-drafted talent, and in a class without many high-end options at the center position, don't be surprised if he's taken much higher on draft day.
15. Anaheim Ducks: Peterborough (OHL) left wing Adam Novotny
Novotny has continued to be an offensive threat for Peterborough after a solid world juniors showing with Czechia, displaying his high-end skating and wicked shot that beats goaltenders regularly from just outside the dots. Novotny feels like a player coaches at the NHL level will gravitate toward, given his stick habits and polished defensive game. He projects as a middle-six winger with scoring upside who is capable of playing both special-teams roles.
16. San Jose Sharks: HV71 (Sweden) defensemen Malte Gustafsson
Gustafsson is a 6-foot-4 defenseman with good mobility. He's shown flashes of playmaking as of late, earning him some power play opportunities at the Swedish men's level while playing an overall bigger role on a weak HV71 team. He's hovered in this range for a while, but if he shows that he can truly add an offensive layer to his game, there's a good shot he'll end up as a lottery pick this year.
The San Jose Sharks look to take advantage of the market to enhance their team as they gear up for a hopeful playoff run.
According to San Jose Hockey Now, the Sharks have shown interest in winger Artemi Panarin, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Apparently the feeling is mutual. Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reported that Panarin would be interested in signing a contract extension with the Sharks.
Panarin is being held out of the lineup by the New York Rangers as they explore a trade and is not expected to play before the Olympic break. The retooling Rangers said they wouldn't be offering him an extension. Panarin, who has a no-movement clause, is reportedly exploring an extension as part of a trade.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said some teams view Panarin as a "rental but aren't ready to get into a big extension" while other teams believe the opposite.
"Have the Sharks talked to them? Yes," LeBrun said. "My understanding is the Sharks had a discussion with the Rangers. We know (Sharks general manager) Mike Grier and (Rangers general manager and president) Chris Drury have the history, (they) worked together in New York."
However, a skeptical LeBrun shut down rumors of a potential Sharks play for Panarin, due to their recent signings including re-signing 31-year-old forward Alexander Wennberg to a three-year contract worth $18 million on Jan. 4.
"But beyond that conversation, I'm not sure how serious San Jose wants to be here," LeBrun said. "You know, they just traded for (Kiefer) Sherwood. They just signed Wennberg. So I wouldn't have San Jose as a front-runner right now. We'll see."
The 34-year-old has accounted for 19 goals and 57 points in 52 games played.
Panarin, a two-time NHL First-Team All-Star, has played 11 seasons in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Rangers. He tallied 321 goals and 927 points in 804 career games.
