While a vast majority of the 1,312 NHL games through June will take place in North America, the spotlight this season is on international play.

The outlook for NHL free agency.

The NHL team that moved from Arizona to Salt Lake City will be known as the Utah Hockey Club during its inaugural season.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sat next to the former Arizona Coyotes owner in a downtown Phoenix hotel meeting room, trying to put a positive spin on the funeral for a franchise.

The NHL is the only major North American professional sports league that has not expanded its playoffs in recent years.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Winnipeg a strong market where “hockey matters,” and said he believes the Jets' falling attendance will be resolved.

Italian officials want to hold the hockey games at brand new 16,000-seat arena in Milan (which is co-hosting along with Cortina d’Ampezzo), but in what’s become a theme of other construction efforts for the 2026 Games, the Italians are doing things at the last minute and better hope no delays occur.

The police chief in London, Ontario, has issued a public apology to a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will wait for the judicial process to play out before making any decisions about four players charged in a 2018 sexual assault case in Canada.

NHL players are returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade.

Four current members of the National Hockey League and a former NHL player have been charged with sexual assault.

The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with Corey Perry on a contract for the remainder of the NHL season.

The last centralized NHL Draft for the foreseeable future is going out with the glitz and bright lights of Vegas.

The death of American hockey player Adam Johnson from a skate blade to the neck has led officials in the NHL and other leagues to continue discussions about cut-resistant protection.

The Golden Knights raised their Stanley Cup championship banner in the most Las Vegas way possible.

The NHL sent a memo to teams last week clarifying what players can and cannot do as part of theme celebrations this season, including a ban on the use of rainbow-colored stick tape for Pride nights.

The Coyotes say owner Alex Meruelo has executed a letter of intent to buy a piece of land for a potential arena in Mesa, Arizona.

Rocky Wirtz, who won three Stanley Cup titles as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and presided over the team during one of the NHL’s biggest scandals, has died.

A new women’s pro hockey league will begin competing in North America as early as January.

Tennessee State announced it will become the first historically Black college and university to introduce ice hockey.

NHL teams won’t have players wear themed jerseys during pregame warmups next season.

Marty Walsh was less than halfway through his term in the Biden administration as labor secretary when the phone rang with an interesting opportunity.

The modern era for Las Vegas sports began when the NHL awarded the city an expansion franchise in 2016.

Mark Stone was presented the Stanley Cup by Commissioner Gary Bettman as captain of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL is still committed to Arizona after Tempe voters rejected a referendum for a Coyotes arena.

The Arizona Coyotes were confident more than two decades of instability were coming to a close.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the way the league and two teams handled controversial developments involving Pride night celebrations.

The Boston Bruins have hired a law firm led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to review their player vetting process after signing prospect Mitchell Miller and then rescinding his contract offer.

Bruins President Cam Neely says the team “dropped the ball” with its internal vetting of Mitchell Miller, ultimately leading to the decision to rescind its contract offer to the defenseman.

The NHL salary cap could be going up more than expected sooner than expected.

The NHL for the first time has done an internal demographic study of its staff and all 32 teams.

The Montreal Canadiens have selected Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick in the NHL draft.

The Colorado Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup after dethroning the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

The chairman of the Nashville Predators has agreed to sell the majority of his stake in the NHL team to former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is projecting record revenue this season.

Josh Manson scored 8:02 into overtime, Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves in his return to the net from an eye injury, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The start of the NHL playoffs included more penalties called than any other first round in almost a decade.

Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist and the Florida Panthers topped the Washington Capitals 5-1 on Thursday night to even their Eastern Conference first-round series at a game apiece.

Turner Sports and ESPN are carrying the NHL playoffs after they aired for 16 years on NBC and NBCSN.

Seth Jarvis and Nino Niederreiter scored second-period goals while Antti Raanta was strong in net to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Puck and player tracking in the NHL has taken major leaps since it was first tested in January 2019.

Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, who helped the Montreal Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died at age 70.

The NHL has unveiled a new logo for the Stanley Cup playoffs and Final that replaces the one used for the last 13 years.

The NHL is launching a faceoff probability stat that uses 10 years of data to determine the likelihood of each player in the circle winning the draw.

Emile “The Cat” Francis, the diminutive goalie who became a Hall of Fame coach and general manager with the New York Rangers has died.

The Arizona Coyotes will use Arizona State’s new on-campus hockey arena for at least the next three years while the team looks for a permanent home.

The NHL has announced that players won't be able to participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Some NHL players say they are unsettled by word that a positive COVID-19 test during the Winter Olympics in China could lead to a long quarantine.

The Jack Eichel era in Buffalo is over.

The Chicago Blackhawks have held settlement talks with the attorney for a former player who has sued the team.

Commissioner Gary Bettman is defending the NHL’s handling of disciplinary matters following an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks over sexual assault allegations in 2010.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has talked to Kyle Beach about what the league can do to better protect its players after Beach said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach in 2010 and his allegations were largely ignored by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Andrew Brunette is ready to coach the Florida Panthers for as long as the team needs.

Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz wants the Hockey Hall of Fame to cover the name of an assistant coach on the Stanley Cup after he was accused of sexually assaulting a player during the team’s run to the 2010 title.

The NHL has decided not to discipline a former Chicago Blackhawks assistant general manager for his role in the club's mishandling of sexual assault allegations made by a player in 2010.

Joel Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers on Thursday, two days after the second-winningest coach in NHL history was among those implicated for not swiftly responding to allegations by a Chicago Blackhawks player of being sexually assaulted by another coach during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The former player at the heart of the Chicago Blackhawks assault scandal has come forward publicly.

The Panthers are rolling this season but coach Joel Quenneville being named in a report detailing how the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled sexual assault allegations that an assistant on his staff sexually assaulted a player during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010 could derail Florida's hopes.

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville says he'll meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual abuse scandal.

The day started with Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato on top of the iconic Space Needle raising a deep blue flag with the tentacle shaped ‘S’ flying over the city.

Several months after COVID-19 vaccinations were made widely available in the United States, vaccination status continues to disrupt professional and college sports.

The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

While the fisticuffs never materialized, the Washington Capitals made a season-opening 5-1 victory against the division-rival New York Rangers memorable for Alex Ovechkin’s 731st and 732nd goals and Hendrix Lapierre’s first.

Tristan Jarry had 26 saves, Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle scored early second-period goals, and the short-handed Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in the regular-season opener.

NHL players are going back to the Olympics.

Jersey advertisements are coming to the NHL.

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has denied allegations his wife made on social media that he bet on NHL games, including against his own team.

University of Michigan dominates start of NHL draft with defenseman Owen Power and forward Matthew Beniers becoming the first teammates selected first and second overall since 1969.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL schedule will include a break for the 2022 Winter Olympics even though there is no commitment the league's players will go to Beijing.

Expect a fast and furious NHL offseason to unfold in the coming days and weeks.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says time is running out to reach a deal to send players to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Vegas forward Ryan Reaves was suspended two games by the NHL for his roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct on Colorado’s Ryan Graves during the Golden Knights’ 7-1 loss in Game 1 of their second-round series Sunday.

The New York Rangers have been fined $250,000 by the NHL for criticizing head of player safety George Parros.

Tyrrell Hatton is the fourth player out of the Valspar Championship because of a positive test for the coronavirus.

The National Hockey League is coming to TNT.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb 2, 2017 file photo, Former St. Louis Blues player Bob Plager waves to fans while speaking during a ceremony to retire his number before an NHL hockey game between the Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs in St. Louis. Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in a car crash in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)ST. LOUIS – Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. “It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager,” the team said in a statement. “He was an original 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an original in every sense of the word.

AP Photo/Chris Seward)A year after the pandemic temporarily shut down the NHL, a handful of roadblocks remain to handing out the Stanley Cup again this season — including the U.S.-Canada border. The border remains closed to nonessential travel, an issue the NHL addressed before the 2021 season began in January by realigning its divisions. But the league has a decision looming on what to do when a Canadian team faces a U.S. opponent in the third round of the playoffs. Talks are ongoing with Canadian government officials, though nothing needs to be settled yet since cross-border play won't happen until mid-June. “We’ve got a little bit of time to deal with this,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during a video interview Thursday.

Players stand on the ice during the playing of the national anthem before an NHL hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Detroit. The NHL and ESPN are together again after announcing a seven-year agreement that also includes extensive streaming rights. “This is a win, win, win. ESPN will produce 75 national games per season that will stream exclusively on both ESPN+ and Hulu. Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu and has been offering packages that include Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+.

FILE - National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to members of the media , Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Sunrise, Fla. The National Hockey League will be returning to ESPN beginning next season. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, file)The National Hockey League will return to ESPN beginning next season. ESPN started airing NHL games when it went on the air in 1979 by making deals with individual teams. It had the national NHL rights from 1985-88 and 1992-2004.

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) races for the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period of of Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game at Stateline, Nev., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli))STATELINE, Nev. – Nathan MacKinnon scored a dazzling goal more than nine hours after assisting on another to highlight a most unusual and lengthy outdoor game at Lake Tahoe that the Colorado Avalanche won 3-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Although it’s fair to say that none of those had the picturesque setting of this rink located on the 18th fairway of a golf course on the shores of Lake Tahoe and surrounded by trees with snow-covered mountains towering in the background. Fleury made 36 saves for Vegas and fell to 0-3 in three career outdoor game starts. AdPART 1The Avs controlled the play under the sun, getting an early goal from Girard and outshooting Vegas 17-8 in the first 20 minutes.

Members of the Colorado Avalanche, in white, and the Vegas Golden Knights, red play during the first period of the Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game in Stateline, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. The NHL decided to halt the game Saturday afternoon because bright sun and temperatures hovering around freezing led to poor ice conditions that had players and officials repeatedly falling because of holes on the ice. We obviously didn’t want anyone getting hurt. The ice was great.”But the delay didn't alter Bettman's commitment to outdoor games, even in unconventional settings outside of a stadium venue like Lake Tahoe. Both teams were unable to practice on the specially built outdoor rink before Saturday's Vegas-Colorado game because of the ice conditions.

On the eve of his franchise-record 1000th regular season game, the superstar looks just as dangerous as ever, with no end in sight. Crosby will cross another milestone Saturday night when he becomes the first Penguin to play in 1,000 regular-season games. Ad“He’s not ready to relinquish the best player in the game attribute or that he’s carried here for a decade-plus,” Sullivan said. The idea of Crosby playing with regularity again — let alone getting to 1,000 games — seemed improbable at best. AdStill, despite the constant setbacks, Crosby remained committed to both the short game and the long one.

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)The NHL is taking another step forward in data, analytics, and puck and player tracking. The league has reached an agreement with Amazon Web Services to put all its video and data on the cloud. AdNHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy unveiled the deal on NBC Sports Network late Wednesday. Later this season, fans looking up stats on the NHL's website will get corresponding video clips and vice versa. “It kind of melts your mind with the number of opportunities that are sitting in front of us.”___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

New York Rangers coach David Quinn of the New York Rangers stands behind the bench during the team's NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in New York. (Bruce Bennett/Pool Photo via AP)The NHL revised its virus protocols in a bid to keep the shortened season on track, but not before a fifth team was idled by COVID-19 problems. Hours after the league announced changes visible in arenas and important behind the scenes, Colorado joined the growing list of U.S.-based teams shut down for virus concerns. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog joined teammate Tyson Jost on the league's COVID-19 unavailable list Thursday. Bettman said fewer than half the players in protocol have been because of a confirmed positive test and many of those were asymptomatic.

The Avalanche currently have two players on the league’s COVID-19 list: captain Gabriel Landeskog and forward Tyson Jost. AdThe Wolverines’ 13th-ranked women’s basketball team and highly competitive hockey squad also were cleared to enter their facilities. Michigan’s men’s basketball team is scheduled to play Feb. 11 at home against No. ___Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog, Buffalo defenseman Jake McCabe and Minnesota forward Nico Sturm were added to NHL COVID-19 protocol list. ___West Virginia is boosting home attendance to 2,800, or 20% of capacity, for the men’s basketball game Feb. 13 between the 17th-ranked Mountaineers and No.

For Peter Laviolette, his Washington Capitals will keep playing for the next week without four prominent players who broke the rules. There's no indication the Capitals are being shut down, though they will have to play the next four games without captain Alex Ovechkin, No. The NHL defers to local authorities, and the minimum four games for the Capitals players relates to the District of Columbia's quarantine regulations. The Hurricanes have so far had three games postponed because of their outbreak and won't play for at least a week. I think that’s really what we’re going to find out.”___AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard and Stephen Hawkins contributed.

The NHL did not specify which team prompted the postponement, though four Hurricanes players were added to the COVID-19 list Tuesday. The NHL already postponed the start of the Dallas Stars' season after six players and two staff members tested positive for the virus. Hurricanes players Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin and Teuvo Teravainen joined captain Jordan Staal on the unavailable list because of COVID-19 protocols. The teams aren’t scheduled to play again in Nashville until the end of the season with back-to-back games on May 7-8. Now the Predators, who gave players Tuesday off after the postponement, are scheduled to visit Dallas on Friday night for the Stars' season opener.

In this image provided by the Washington Capitals, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson wears a helmet bearing a Capital One logo during NHL hockey practice, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (Zach Guerette/Washington Capitals via AP)There will be advertisements on NHL players' helmets this season as teams try to recoup revenue lost to the pandemic. The New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators became the first teams to unveil helmet ads Tuesday. “Of course, the teams are in a big hole,” Nashville chief revenue officer Chris Junghans said after the team announced its deal with Bridgestone. “So, they're looking for valuable, real valuable, tangible assets that will help us, guys like me, make partners whole. Each of the first three teams got a deal done with the company that sponsors the naming rights for its arena.

The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)Hockey is set to return Jan. 13 after the NHL and players completed a deal Sunday to hold a 56-game season that would include playoffs lasting into July to award the Stanley Cup. The league's Board of Governors voted to approve the agreement that was backed by the NHL Players' Association executive board Friday night. The NHL completed last season in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, with players, coaches and staff isolated from the general public and virus-tested daily. In the three U.S. divisions, teams will play eight times against each other.

FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)The NHL is preparing for a pandemic-altered regular season limited to divisional play while trying to determine if the league’s seven Canadian teams will be allowed to play in their country. The deal has already received support from the NHL Players’ Association, and features a 56-game regular season beginning Jan. 13. In an email to the AP, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly deferred questions to the Sharks regarding their status. As for the issues affecting the Canadian teams — Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver — Daly said they remain unresolved.

NHL players have balked at changing the collective bargaining agreement and the league is preparing to open the season Jan. 13 after starting training camp on New Year's Day, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “We are certainly continuing to work through all the issues we would need to resolve to start a season,” Deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly said. The league and union agreed to a CBA over the summer that included a 10% salary deferral for the 2021 season and a cap on money left in escrow. Players, however, did not want to renegotiate a deal that’s only a few months old. The league is planning to play between 50 and 60 games in the regular season before beginning the playoffs.

Time is running short for the NHL to start its season on Jan. 1. Without going into detail, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The AP “various similar concepts are being discussed” when asked about the 52- or 56-game schedule and mid-January start. Under a mid-January start date, players would have to begin reporting after Christmas, followed by a shortened training camp and preseason. The league initially considered having the season start in late November or early December, before pushing it back to Jan. 1. ___For more AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman warned players Wednesday they are likely going to have to pay one way or another to make up for the league’s projected lost revenue whenever the 2020-21 season gets underway. Speaking on a Sports Business Journal panel, Bettman stressed the NHL is not attempting to reopen the collective bargaining agreement some five months after it was extended. And that means players will have to bear the brunt of any shortfall to owners. “If we have to pay out lots of cash, two-thirds of which is going to come back to us, that may cause some stress,” Bettman said. The National Hockey League Players’ Association did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The NHL on Monday displayed a new jersey for each of its 31 teams, looking to create some buzz at a time when there are no games. The league and players are still targeting a Jan. 1 start for the 2021 season, though there's plenty of uncertainty about when and where fans might be able to attend. These “reverse retro” jerseys were several years in the making but are being launched at a time that's usually hockey season and while revenue is being lost without ticket sales. “It’s creating buzz and noise in the marketplace where normally we would be having games going on,” said Brian Jennings, NHL chief brand officer and senior executive vice president. It has created a level of interest in the NHL when the return of games is at least six weeks away.

The triumph of winning the NHL championship in a bubble was certainly no less sweet for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played 964 regular-season and 137 playoff games to get to this point, losing in the final twice before. Tampa Bay had Point and No. Coach Jon Cooper thought the attitude needed to change from wanting to beat every opponent 9-0 because that’s not realistic in playoff hockey. ... Alexander Volkov made his NHL playoff debut for Tampa Bay, which also saw Patrick Maroon become just the eighth player to win the Cup in back-to-back seasons with different teams (St. Louis).

NHL officials acknowledged Friday there is a long way to go before celebrating hockey's return during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams must submit rosters and full 52-person traveling parties Friday and travel to the hub cities of Toronto or Edmonton, Alberta, on Sunday. The quicker turnaround time and the availability on testing is not subtracting from the publicly available testing, Meeuwisse said. Mayer believes individual player demonstrations may happen organically; members of the Maple Leafs have worn Black Lives Matter shirts at their practice facility. More to come on that, but it is something that of course were talking about incorporating.___AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed.

It was a recognition by both sides that we were being confronted with an incredibly difficult, a novel, unprecedented situation. Less than three weeks before NFL training camps are set to open, the league is experiencing push-back from its players on whether to play preseason games next month. Major League Soccer has had two teams already withdrawing from competition because of the number of players testing positive for the coronavirus. I think Don and I both recognize labor peace was something we couldnt even quantify how important it was, Bettman said. The new labor agreement also addressed players demands to gain a post-career subsidy for health care.

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2018, file photo, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)Roger Goodell would like to see Colin Kaepernick back in the NFL this season. The NFL commissioner said during ESPN's The Return of Sports special on Monday that he is encouraging teams to sign the 32-year old quarterback, who hasn't played the past three seasons. If he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously its gonna take a team to make that decision. I hope were at a point now where everybodys committed to making long-term, sustainable change, Goodell said.

NHL players could start participating in voluntary small-group workouts, and teams began opening their training facilities Monday. Players learned Thursday training camps can open July 10, pending an agreement on returning to play later this summer. Now, the players are expected to trickle back in preparation of the resumption of the season. Players started skating by the handful this week in places like Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Edmonton, while some teams waited to open their doors. Veteran Nashville general manager David Poile said that while almost a dozen players remained in the area, the NHL has instructed teams not to ask or encourage players to show up because this stage is voluntary.