Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The 2023-24 NHL season had goal-scoring fireworks, thrilling playoff races and a championship remaining through which the greatest participant in the world led his crew again from a 3-0 deficit solely to fall wanting the Stanley Cup in Game 7.
Yet after an offseason stuffed with beautiful strikes, dramatic choices and important tragedy, the 2024-25 NHL common season units up to be much more memorable.
If you have not saved up with the NHL in the previous few months, do not fret, we have got you coated. Here's an opportunity to atone for the whole lot that has occurred — the hirings, firings, signings and even a blockbuster commerce. It's all in our information to the 2024-25 season for lapsed followers. Read up earlier than the puck drops!
The NHL mourns Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau
Before the pleasure of a brand new season, the hockey world was confronted with an unfathomable tragedy.
Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, had been killed on Aug. 29 close to their boyhood residence in New Jersey. Police stated they had been struck by a suspected drunken driver whereas they had been driving bicycles. Both had been to function groomsmen at their sister Kate's wedding ceremony the subsequent day. The driver was charged with two counts of dying by auto, together with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motorized vehicle.
The hockey world was devastated by the information. On the ice, Gaudreau was “Johnny Hockey,” an electrifying offensive participant with 743 factors in 763 profession video games who possessed a pleasure for the recreation. He was named to the All-Star Game seven instances and gained the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play in 2016-17 whereas with the Calgary Flames.
Memorials had been established at arenas in Columbus, Calgary and Boston, the place the brothers performed their school hockey. The Flames stated that the hockey sticks left to keep in mind the Gaudreaus can be repurposed into wood benches offered to increase funds for charity.
The Blue Jackets will honor Johnny Gaudreau all through their season. His jersey nonetheless hangs in his locker room stall. They wore helmet stickers in the preseason with “Gaudreau” printed between the photos of two doves and the uniform numbers of the brothers: No. 13 for Johnny and No. 21 for Matthew, the quantity he wore for Boston College. They'll put on a commemorative patch on their jerseys throughout the season.
Goalie Elvis Merzlikins has Johnny Gaudreau's quantity on his masks in addition to the picture of a plate of pasta, which was Johnny Hockey's go-to pregame meal.
The Blue Jackets additionally postponed the regular fanfare of their first regular-season residence recreation to honor the Gaudreau brothers on Oct. 15.
The gamers are additionally supporting Gaudreau's household after their loss. The Blue Jackets confirmed up to be with Johnny's daughter Noa for her second birthday earlier this month.
One assumes Johnny Gaudreau may also be remembered when Team USA takes the ice in the first 4 Nations Face-Off, having represented his nation at a number of worldwide tournaments.
Four nations, one match
The 2024-25 NHL season will take a breather from Feb. 10-21 for a first-of-its-kind match offered by the NHL and the NHLPA: the 4 Nations Face-Off, held in Montreal and Boston.
The match was born out of necessity. The NHL could not stage one other World Cup of Hockey that concerned Russia or Russian athletes due to the invasion of Ukraine. But the league needed to stage a world occasion of some variety forward of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the place NHL gamers will compete for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.
The 4 nations concerned in the match are the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden. It's a round-robin format — three factors for a win in regulation time; two factors for a win in time beyond regulation/shootout; one level for a loss in time beyond regulation/shootout; and 0 factors for a loss in regulation time. NHL guidelines will apply to the video games. The two groups with the greatest match document advance to a one-game remaining on Feb. 20 in Boston.
The restricted discipline of groups means main stars reminiscent of Leon Draisaitl (Germany) and David Pastrnak (Czechia) may have to wait till the Olympics for his or her best-on-best highlight.
But the 4 Nations Face-Off provides hockey followers one thing they have been ready practically a decade to witness: the present technology of stars from the U.S. and Canada dealing with off on Saturday, Feb. 15 in Montreal … and probably a second time in the event that they each attain the remaining. Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, the Hughes and Tkachuk brothers vs. Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and an older gentleman named Sidney Crosby? Let's go.
Alas, followers have gained a world midseason match however have misplaced the NHL All-Star Game this season. We'll miss you most of all, Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting.
After Cup Game 7 loss, an enormous offseason for the Oilers
It did not appear attainable that Connor McDavid may get much more determined to win his first Stanley Cup than he already was earlier than final season. But seeing his emotional breakdown after the Oilers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to the Florida Panthers in the Final solely to lose the Cup in Game 7 — like when he was too distraught to settle for his playoff MVP award on the ice — revealed a celebrity much more motivated to increase the chalice.
The Oilers are actually battle-tested championship contenders who added much more high-end expertise in the offseason: Jeff Skinner, a goal-scoring winger whose contract was purchased out by Buffalo; and Viktor Arvidsson, a point-producing winger signed away from the Los Angeles Kings. They be a part of a stable nucleus of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Stuart Skinner, who has lastly given this crew a long-term answer in aim.
Edmonton had a noteworthy season past that.
Draisaitl signed the richest contract extension of the wage cap period: eight years and $112 million, beginning in 2025-26.
GM Ken Holland didn't return to the crew. He was changed by Stan Bowman, making him the first former Chicago Blackhawks government rehired by an NHL crew since Chicago's sexual assault case got here to gentle in 2021.
The NHL reinstated Bowman, coach Joel Quenneville and fellow government Al MacIsaac in July. All three had been sidelined by commissioner Gary Bettman after an impartial investigation discovered the Blackhawks mishandled the allegations made in 2010 by participant Kyle Beach that he was sexually assaulted by video coach Brad Aldrich.
When employed by Edmonton, Bowman stated: “These things will never happen on my watch again.”
One of his first duties as common supervisor was deciding what to do when the St. Louis Blues tendered provide sheets to Oilers restricted free agent ahead Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg.
The aggressive transfer paid off for the Blues, who landed each gamers by means of the hardly ever used free agent transaction. Some speculated that GM Doug Armstrong was going after Bowman, his former division rival in Chicago. To which Armstrong replied: “Quite honestly, I'd do it to my mother if she was managing the Oilers.”
Cup champ Panthers retool
The crew that defeated Edmonton in Game 7, the Florida Panthers, definitely made the most of their Stanley Cup celebration, from the notorious Elbo Room to the Atlantic Ocean. But when the partying stopped, the questions started: Could the Panthers repeat?
They noticed some important defections from final 12 months's crew: defensemen Brandon Montour (Seattle) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto); forwards Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit), Ryan Lomberg (Calgary), Kevin Stenlund (Utah) and Kyle Okposo (retired); and goalie Anthony Stolarz (Toronto). Among the reinforcements are defensemen Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt; and middle Tomas Nosek.
There's some expectation for regression on this season's Panthers — Sam Reinhart's 57 objectives received him a brand new contract (eight years, $69 million), however won't be repeatable. Yet the basis is powerful with Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling and Sergei Bobrovsky. And based mostly on the previous two postseasons, they know the way to win after they get in.
Nashville ballad of Stamkos, Marchessault
The Tampa Bay Lightning shocked the hockey world by shifting on from captain Steven Stamkos. He was a franchise pillar for 16 seasons, scoring 555 objectives in that span, together with 40 final season.
But a contract deadlock noticed him depart as a free agent to the Nashville Predators (4 years, $32 million) whereas the Lightning shortly changed him with a youthful mannequin: former Penguin and Hurricane Jake Guentzel (seven years, $63 million), who turns 30 on Oct. 6. He'll slide into Stamkos' former spot on Tampa Bay's prime line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.
Stamkos' departure wasn't the solely important cut up that benefitted the Predators. Jonathan Marchessault was an authentic “Golden Misfit” for the Vegas Golden Knights and gained the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after they gained the Stanley Cup in 2023. He had a 42-goal marketing campaign final season, however that wasn't sufficient to persuade Vegas to retain him, regardless of Marchessault wanting to stay with the crew. He moseyed on over to Nashville, searching for to elevate a playoff crew final season right into a Cup contender this season.
Devils plug their holes
The New Jersey Devils face-planted final season after a playoff breakthrough in 2023. GM Tom Fitzgerald recognized the cavities and did all he may to fill them earlier than this season.
The goaltending, third worst in the NHL final season, now has a battery of former Calgary Flame Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, acquired from Montreal final season. Fitzgerald added veteran defenseman Brett Pesce (Carolina) and Brenden Dillon (Winnipeg). Forwards Paul Cotter (Vegas), Stefan Noesen (Carolina) and former Devil Tomas Tatar (Seattle) had been added for depth.
The Devils additionally added a brand new teaching workers, led by former Maple Leafs bench boss Sheldon Keefe. His job is pretty clear: get the Devils to defend higher, work with their gifted younger core led by Jack Hughes like he did with Toronto's and get a crew that appeared headed for Cup competition pointed again in that course.
The teaching carousel
It was one other offseason of veteran coaches transport their game-night fits to new places. Along with Keefe, they included:
Craig Berube, former Stanley Cup winner in St. Louis, employed by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Scott Arniel, changing the retiring Rick Bowness in Winnipeg
Dan Bylsma, who gained a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh, changing Dave Hakstol in Seattle. Most notably, he introduced his AHL Coachella Valley assistant Jessica Campbell with him, as she turns into the first lady to be named an NHL coach
Ryan Warsofsky, promoted to San Jose Sharks head coach
Dean Evason, former Minnesota Wild coach, taking up in Columbus
Former Devils coach Lindy Ruff, returning to the Buffalo Sabres, the place he coached for 15 seasons
Travis Green, the Devils' interim coach after Ruff was fired, employed by the Ottawa Senators
Bruins commerce Ullmark, get messy with Swayman
No crew had extra success in the standings over the previous three seasons than the Boston Bruins, partially as a result of they had been No. 1 in crew protection throughout that span. The most important purpose: their goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, acknowledged as the greatest in the NHL.
But each goalies needed the majority of the taking part in time, and the Bruins wanted to liberate wage cap house for gamers reminiscent of free agent middle Elias Lindholm, so that they traded Ullmark to the Senators, who had the league's worst goaltending final season.
That anointed Swayman as the Bruins' starter … besides he wanted a brand new contract as a restricted free agent, and the two sides are thousands and thousands aside. Swayman did not report to Bruins coaching camp and not using a new contract.
Then issues received actually contentious: Bruins president Cam Neely stated he was shocked by Swayman's asking value and added “I know that I have 64 million reasons why I'd be playing right now” concerning his absence from camp. Swayman's agent Lewis Gross denied that quantity was ever supplied, and referred to as out the Bruins for making their talks public. “We are extremely disappointed. This was not fair to Jeremy,” Gross stated.
Boston coach Jim Montgomery stated that Joonas Korpisalo, acquired for Ullmark, is the probably starter for his or her season opener on Oct. 8. Swayman has till Dec. 1 to signal a contract so as to play this season.
Teams making massive strikes
The Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals took on one another's issues with a big commerce. The Kings despatched middle Pierre-Luc Dubois — a bust in the first 12 months of an eight-year contract ($68 million) after being acquired from Winnipeg — to Washington for goalie Darcy Kuemper, who misplaced his job to Charlie Lindgren and had three years left on his $26.25 million contract. The Capitals additionally picked up Ottawa defenseman Jakob Chychrun for a package deal that included defenseman Nick Jensen.
Here are the different important strikes that transpired this summer time:
The rookie class of 2024-25
Boston University middle Macklin Celebrini was chosen first total by the Sharks in the 2024 draft, the first time in franchise historical past San Jose had the No. 1 decide. He'll be a part of school rival-turned-NHL-roommate Will Smith from Boston College on the Sharks this season.
Among the different rookies to watch:
Philadelphia Flyers ahead Matvei Michkov, who came to visit from the KHL throughout the summer time, confirmed off his dazzling offense in the preseason. Even coach John Tortorella seems prepared to let him prepare dinner
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson of Boston University makes up for an absence of dimension with loads of offense from the again finish
Cutter Gauthier, acquired by Anaheim final season after he refused to play for the Flyers, may very well be an impression participant in the Ducks' prime six forwards
Dallas Stars ahead Logan Stankoven continues to be a rookie by the guidelines, regardless of taking part in 24 video games final season and 19 extra in the playoffs
Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf ought to see loads of motion with Jacob Markstrom gone
Welcome to the NHL, Utah
The saga of the Arizona Coyotes lastly got here to an finish final season when Alex Meruelo offered the franchise to Utah Jazz homeowners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April. Originally, Meruelo was promised that he may reactivate the franchise inside the subsequent 5 years if he constructed an NHL-approved enviornment. But he walked away from Coyotes possession in June, which means if the NHL ever returned to Arizona it could be with a brand new proprietor.
Everything occurred so shortly that the new crew in Salt Lake City won't have a reputation or mascot in its first season. The former Coyotes are actually Utah Hockey Club, carrying jerseys with the phrase “Utah” diagonal throughout the chest. A reputation for the crew is predicted to be in place for 2025-26, with “Yeti” or “Yetis” as the front-runner.
The buzz for the crew regionally has been sturdy, however some followers exterior of Utah have mocked the difficult sightlines at Delta Center. Hey, it is nothing that a $3 hot dog cannot repair.
A legendary school soccer rivalry hits hockey
The NHL has two outside video games on its schedule for this season. On Dec. 31, the Winter Classic returns to Wrigley Field for the first time since 2009 with a recreation between the Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues.
On March 1, a school soccer rivalry strikes over to the ice as the Columbus Blue Jackets host their first outside recreation at Ohio State's stadium in opposition to the Detroit Red Wings. Expect loads of Buckeyes vs. Wolverines hype for the recreation at the Horseshoe.
Ovechkin is simply 42 objectives away from No. 895, which might break Wayne Gretzky's beforehand unsurmountable profession whole and make Ovechkin (formally) the biggest aim scorer in NHL historical past.
He has scored at a 42-goals-or-better tempo in 15 of his 19 NHL seasons. But the 39-year-old's aim whole dipped to 31 final season, the lowest whole in an 82-game season of his profession. Ovechkin then did not tally some extent in a four-game playoff loss to the Rangers.
In an NHL season that is shaping up to be a wild trip, seeing that document shattered can be the wildest half — and one thing that transcends hockey.
