St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella has retired from professional hockey after 14 NHL seasons.

The 35-year-old played 784 games in the NHL, scoring 51 goals and 179 points, spending his 14-year career playing with four teams, starting with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild drafted Scandella in the second round (55th overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft. 

After 373 games with the Wild, Scandella joined the Buffalo Sabres, where he played 176 games. He then played a short stint with the Montreal Canadiens before joining and finishing his career with the Blues.

Scandella skated in five seasons with the Blues, recording nine goals and 34 points in 215 games. Scandella was a steady third-pairing defenseman with the Blues, willing to step into a top-four role if needed. 

Scandella didn't play any NHL games in the 2024-25 season, and although there were reports that he was retiring last off-season, no official paperwork was submitted, but now it has been confirmed by the St. Louis Blues. 

Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios got most of his offseason business done early this summer. But with the start of training camp now just days away, one of the items still on his to-do list was re-signing 23-year-old restricted free agent defenseman Donovan Sebrango.

According to PuckPedia, Sebrango agreed on Wednesday to a one-year, two-way deal with the club for $775,000 (NHL) or $140,000 (AHL), and the Senators made it official on Thursday morning. That leaves defenseman Max Guenette as the last man standing among 2025 RFAs the Sens are still likely to re-sign. 

Sebrango played 50 games for the Belleville Senators last season, putting up eight goals and 20 points. He also made his NHL debut in Ottawa, appearing in two games. The Ottawa native was acquired in 2023 as part of a package deal with the Detroit Red Wings for winger Alex DeBrincat, who had made it clear he wasn’t planning to re-sign in Ottawa as he entered the final year of his contract.

Sebrango's early development as a pro may have been affected by the circumstances of COVID.

With the OHL shutdown for 2020-21, Sebrango jumped right into the pros as an 18-year-old playing for Detroit's AHL team in Grand Rapids, where he spent most of the next three seasons until his trade to Ottawa. If a newly drafted 18-year-old doesn't make his NHL team, his development is not only better off (usually) with a return to junior, but the rules of the CHL-NHL Transfer Agreement demand it.

Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk: 'We Want More'The Ottawa Senators opened their doors at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday, inviting local media and Sens content creators for a first look at what’s in store this season. The event highlighted upcoming promotions, ticket information, and even a bit of hockey talk.

That said, Sebrango's re-signing, along with his brief ascension to the NHL last season, suggests he may now be coming into his own at 23. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he certainly brings good size to the table, and Staios has a fondness for big. Sebrango's athletic bloodlines are strong as well. His father is Eduardo Sebrango, a former MLS star with the Montreal Impact.

Donovan was among the best of his peers in junior, representing Team Canada at the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship and was a third-round pick by the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Senators are set to have five players from that 2020 Draft on their opening night roster: Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Ridly Greig, Tyler Kleven, and Leevi Meriläinen.

Perhaps Sebrango will one day emerge as another key NHL piece from that class.

By Steve Warne
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa

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The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are only months away, and for the first time since 2014, NHL players will participate. Several New Jersey Devils have been named to preliminary rosters, including Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Jonas Siegenthaler, Simon Nemec, and Ondrej Palat. 

The men's tournament will start with preliminary games Feb. 11, with the gold-medal game scheduled for Feb. 22. 

Last season's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament created additional excitement for the upcoming Olympics. It was a massive success as teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States played each other in a round-robin format. 

For Hischier, 26, this is his first opportunity to represent Switzerland in the Winter Games.

"I feel that as an athlete in general, this is something that you want to experience," he said to David Pagnotta and Dennis Bernstein of SiriusXM NHL Network Radio during the NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour. "For me, obviously, (the Olympics) are something I always dreamed of and something I have never been able to experience yet."

With many players set to make their first appearances, The Hockey News recently asked Devils' head coach Sheldon Keefe if the impending tournament will impact his players during the season. 

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, it is going to be a first for me. Obviously, we had the 4-Nations last year, which is somewhat similar in some sense, except there are many more players who are going to be involved this go around. 

"I think there are a couple of things," he continued. "I think you have guys who are going to be competing for spots for (their respective) countries, who are going to be wanting to get off to great starts and do well and be confident going into that evaluation, and ultimately be named to the team. Then you have others who have either already been named or it is somewhat inevitable that they will be named, and those guys are going to want to have their games in order and make sure that they are healthy." 

The Devils will play over 50 of their 82 games before the Olympic break, and Hischier knows that while the Olympics may be on his mind, his focus needs to be on the team that drafted him first overall in 2017.

"I know there is work to do before (the Winter Games), and that it starts with going back to Jersey, having a great training camp, and having a good season start," he told SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. "My focus is working out and skating and preparing myself for the season start in Jersey, and when the time is right to focus on the Olympics, I will."

Once training camp kicks off on Sept. 17, the Devils will look to improve their mediocre 2024-25 season, where the club finished third in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 42-33-7 and 91 points. New Jersey was eliminated in five games in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. 

This season will be different with February's events in mind. It may be new territory for Keefe and his players, but the main objective of a deeper playoff run in New Jersey remains at the top of mind as they navigate these unknown waters. 

"Everyone in the league (players, coaches, managers) is going to have to make sure that our players are primed and ready for (the Olympics)," Keefe said. "At the same time, we are making sure that we are focused on our primary goals with the New Jersey Devils and the NHL."

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily

For the second season in a row, former Chicago Blackhawks forward Tanner Kero will be playing overseas. 

The Kolner Haie of Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) have announced that they have signed Kero to a one-year contract. 

Kero spent this past season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with HV71, where he posted nine goals, 13 assists, and 22 points in 52 games. This was after he spent two previous seasons exclusively in the American Hockey League (AHL), first with the Texas Stars and then the Colorado Eagles.

Kero kicked off his NHL career with the Blackhawks during the 2015-16 season. In 72 games with the Blackhawks over three seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-18, he recorded eight goals, 14 assists, and 22 points. This included setting career highs with six goals, 10 assists, and 16 points in 47 games with the Blackhawks in 2016-17.

The last time Kero played at the NHL level was with the Dallas Stars during the 2021-22 season. During that campaign, he recorded three assists, 12 hits, and a minus-5 rating. 

Blackhawks Rookie Named Under-The-Radar Calder CandidateWith the Chicago Blackhawks now being a few years into their rebuild, they have a very strong prospect pool. They have plenty of exciting youngsters in their system, and a good chunk of them have the potential to be regulars in their lineup in 2025-26. 

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joe Yerdon ranked each NHL team's goalie tandem. The Montreal Canadiens' tandem of Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes at the No. 20 spot. 

By grabbing the No. 20, the Canadiens' goalie tandem was ranked better than teams like the Vancouver Canucks (Thatcher Demko & Kevin Lankinen), Utah Mammoth (Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek & Connor Ingram), and the Edmonton Oilers (Stuart Skinner & Calvin Pickard). 

Teams that were ranked ahead of the Canadiens were the Boston Bruins (Jeremy Swayman & Joonas Korpisalo), Detroit Red Wings (John Gibson & Cam Talbot), and the Colorado Avalanche (Mackenzie Blackwood & Scott Wedgewood). 

Montembeault is coming off a strong season with the Canadiens, as he posted a 31-24-7 record, a .901 save percentage, a 2.82 goals-against average, and four shutouts. Dobes, on the other hand, had a 7-4-3 record, a 2.74 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and one shutout in 16 games for the Habs last season. With numbers like these, he left a strong first impression. 

Overall, while the Canadiens' goalie tandem received the No. 20 spot on Bleacher Report's rankings, there is plenty to be optimistic about with Montembeault and Dobes. Montembeault proved that he can be an impactful starting goalie last season, while Dobes should only improve as he continues to gain more experience. It will be interesting to see what kind of year these two have from here. 

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Winnipeg Team Not Apart of League's Plans - May 19 1995 - Volume 48, Issue 35 - Rob Vanstone

Brandon’s Marty Murray is close to signing with Calgary.

The imminent departure of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets creates a hockey void in the Manitoba capital.

Might the Western League come to the rescue?

“Right now, (Winnipeg) doesn’t fit into our equations,” said WHL president Ed Chynoweth. “We don’t even know if there will be future expansion. We’ve got three or four other cities which have inquired. All of a sudden this comes up and it’s news? I’m not so sure.”

The owners of minor-league baseball’s Winnipeg Goldeyes inquired last autumn about landing a WHL franchise.

More Winnipeg Jets: Jets First-Round Pick Gears Up for First Pro Season in the AHL

“I have no idea how it’s going to unfold,” Chynoweth said. “It’s just another piece in the puzzle of where we’re going in the next five years.”

Winnipeg has not had a WHL franchise since the Winnipeg Warriors moved to Moose Jaw in 1984.

The addition of the Calgary Hitmen gives the WHL 17 franchises.

SIGN OF TIMES: Brandon Wheat Kings’ center Marty Murray-the WHL’s most valuable player for 1994-95-was close to signing with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

Calgary picked Murray in the fourth round of the NHL’s 1993 draft. If Murray, 20, did not reach an agreement before the July 8 draft, he would have been eligible to go back into the draft.

“Everything’s close,” Murray said. “It’s just a matter of getting a day or two to sit down and dot the I’s and cross the T’s.”

Murray had 128 points-including a league-high 88 assists-in 65 regular-season games.

NEW HOME?: Prince George Cougars’ owner Rick Brodsky is salivating over the prospect of moving into a new arena.

A 6,000-seat facility, which has yet to be named, is slated for completion in September.

“It should be open for the start of the season,” Brodsky said. “The city hasn’t expressed 100-per-cent confidence that it will be open, but it should be ready by the middle of September.”

This past season, Prince George sold out all 36 of its home games at the 1,860-seat Coliseum. Brodsky moved the Cougars from Victoria to Prince George after the 1993-94 season.

SUTTER SERIES: The Lethbridge Hurricanes claimed center Shaun Sutter in the sixth round of the 1995 bantam draft.

His father, Brian Sutter, is the Boston Bruins’ coach-and one of six Sutter brothers to have played in the NHL.

Shaun Sutter lives in Boston, at least for the time being.

“The next step is to get him playing in Canada,” said Lethbridge GM Bob Bartlett. “We hope as early as next season.”

The bantam draft is for players bom in 1980. They are not eligible to play in the WHL until the 1996-97 season.

HEY, HEY, HAY: The Tri-City Americans picked defenseman Darryl Hay in the first round of the bantam draft. He’s the 15-year-old son of Kamloops Blazers’ coach Don Hay.

PLAYOFFS

More Winnipeg: Winnipeg Youth Hockey Player in Running For Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year