• The Canadian Press

    GM Staios taking cautious approach to off-season after Sens miss playoffs again

    OTTAWA — Another season out of the playoffs has left Ottawa Senators players frustrated and disappointed, but a complete overhaul doesn't appear to be in Steve Staios's plans. In his media availability with media Friday morning, the Senators general manager acknowledged his players' feelings — captain Brady Tkachuk said Thursday as players cleaned out their lockers that he was “sick and tired of losing" — but was cautious in revealing plans for next season. “I think the word frustration comes fr

  • The Canadian Press

    Canucks set to face Predators in first playoff appearance since 2020

    VANCOUVER — Expectations for the Vancouver Canucks were not high heading into the season. Asked in September if he expected the team to make the playoffs, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford hedged. “To be very to the point, the changes that we made, we have a playoff team if everything goes right,” he said. Things did go right. On Sunday, the Canucks will host their first home playoff game since 2015 when they kick off a first-round matchup against the Nashville Predators. Vancouver h

  • The Canadian Press

    Flames want to promote their team as a desirable destination for NHL players

    CALGARY — Winning more games and the construction of a new arena will convince more NHL players that Calgary is a desirable place to play, some Flames say as they head for the exits. Calgary finished 17 points out of a playoff spot this season with a record of 38-39-5, and missed the post-season a second straight year. A slow start to the season combined with big-name pending free agents not signing contract extensions produced midseason lineup changes that hampered the club's progress. Other pl

  • The Canadian Press

    Who will win the NHL's top awards this season? Here are AP's predictions

    Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov, Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews are all in the running to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. MacKinnon has carried the top-heavy Avalanche into the playoffs, Kucherov has played a role in half the Lightning's goals, McDavid got the Oilers back in it after a horrid start and Matthews scored 69 goals, the most of any player in a season in nearly 30 years. McDavid and Kucherov also became just the fourth and fifth player