Sidney Crosby isn't changing his tune on the eve of the Pittsburgh Penguins' visit to the White House.

“From my side of things, there’s absolutely no politics involved,” the Penguins captain told reporters Monday, via the club's official website. “Hopefully, it stays that way. It’s a visit we’ve done in the past. It’s been a good experience. It’s not about politics, that’s for sure.”

Crosby and the two-time defending champions will visit U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, and the Penguins superstar isn't sure how that will unfold.

"I don't know what to expect, to be honest," he said. "We've gone there before and it's been a good experience, so that's how I'm approaching it."

Crosby added that he wasn't exposed to political statements in sports during his upbringing.

"I can't speak for everyone else," he told reporters. "I just grew up under the assumption that that wasn't something you really brought into sports. ... Everyone's kind of got their own view, but that's kind of how I grew up playing hockey. I wasn't really surrounded by that, or didn't really have any examples to go off from that, so I just, I kind of understood it as, (I) just stayed out of it."

Last month, the Penguins revealed they still planned to visit Trump at the White House despite the Golden State Warriors' decision to forgo their trip after the president used vulgar language to describe NFL players who peacefully protest racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem.

Since then, several black NHLers have weighed in on the issue and mulled protests of their own. Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown became the first player to make a silent statement during "The Star-Spangled Banner" when he raised his fist on Saturday night.

Related - Lightning's Brown: 'I have received death threats' since protest

Crosby followed up the Penguins' announcement of their intent to visit the White House at the time by saying he supported it, which drew criticism that Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan called "unfair".

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Matt Duchene insists he wasn't too hurt by Peter Forsberg's call for him to be benched and traded.

“I saw it," the current Colorado Avalanche forward told reporters, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, after a 4-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday afternoon.

"I don’t think it was meant to be anything personal," Duchene added. "He and I have a great relationship. So I’m not taking it personally. I think he’s just commenting on the situation. A lot can get lost in translation.”

On Swedish television over the weekend, Forsberg said the Avalanche should sit Duchene and trade him because the legendary former member of the organization would rather play "with someone that wants to be there."

Forsberg won two Stanley Cup championships with Colorado and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

“He was a guy I idolized growing up," Duchene said Monday. "I still have the same admiration and respect for him as a player and a guy - he was a guy I looked up to a lot as a kid.”

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar made it clear he disagreed with Forsberg's remarks earlier Monday, saying it's hard for someone outside the Colorado dressing room to say what Forsberg did, and praising Duchene for his play so far this season.

The current Avalanche center, who's been on the trade block since last season, notched a goal and an assist in the season opener, fired five shots on goal in Colorado's second game of the campaign, and chipped in an assist on Monday.

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Nico Hischier picked up the first point of his NHL career in style Monday afternoon.

The 18-year-old burned Buffalo Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella behind the net and fed teammate Brian Gibbons, who converted on the perfect pass and gave the New Jersey Devils a 2-0 lead.

Hischier was taken first overall by the Devils in June's draft.

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Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo took to the ice for Monday's game against New Jersey with a typo on the back of his jersey.

(Image courtesy: NHL.tv)

As you can see, there's an extra "o" after the opening two letters, and that's not OK.

The error was eventually spotted and rectified.

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar acknowledged a suggestion from former team star Peter Forsberg that Matt Duchene should be benched and traded in light of constant speculation about the player's future, but he will run the team as he sees fit.

"I disagree with (Forsberg)," Bednar said Monday before a game against the Boston Bruins, per Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. "It’s hard for someone to say that that's outside of our room, you know? These guys have been together for a long time and we're focusing on winning hockey games, and he's a big part of that."

The Avs have long been thought to be on the verge of trading Duchene on the heels of a disastrous 2016-17, but so far, so good early on in a fresh campaign.

"I think Matt’s a top player for us right now, arguably our best forward last game, so I like the way we’re handling the situation," Bednar said. "I like the way he’s handling it. He’s here to play and his line has been real good."

That's not to say Duchene will remain with the team long term, but his situation hasn't proven to be a distraction.

"So our focus is playing hockey (now) and I think that’s what Matt’s done a real good job of, coming in here and focusing on playing the game, being productive and being a good pro," Bednar added. "I don’t have any problems with the way we’ve handled it this (season)."

Duchene recorded a goal and an assist in the team's season opener on Oct. 5.

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Dylan Strome's game apparently needs more time to develop in the minors.

The Arizona Coyotes have assigned the highly-touted center to the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, general manager John Chakya announced Monday.

Through two games this season, Strome was held without a point, averaging 12:09 of ice time and firing three shots.

Strome was selected third overall by the Coyotes in 2015, but has not been able to crack the lineup for any length of time. He spent the past two seasons with the OHL's Erie Otters, where he dominated. But for now, he'll settle in at a level in-between.

Forward Mario Kempe was concurrently recalled from the Roadrunners.

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Dylan Strome's game apparently needs more time to develop in the minors.

The Arizona Coyotes have assigned the highly-touted center to the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, general manager John Chakya announced Monday.

Through two games this season, Strome was held without a point, averaging 12:09 of ice time and firing three shots.

Strome was selected third overall by the Coyotes in 2015, but has not been able to crack the lineup for any length of time. He spent the past two seasons with the OHL's Erie Otters, where he dominated. But for now, he'll settle in at a level in-between.

Forward Mario Kempe was concurrently recalled from the Roadrunners.

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J.T. Brown has the support of his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates.

That was the message expressed by veteran winger Ryan Callahan after Brown raised his fist during the national anthem Saturday to protest, in his words, "police brutality, racial injustice, and inequality (in America)."

"The big thing is, we've got 25 different guys in here, everyone is going to have a different opinion, come from a different background and upbringing," Callahan said Monday, per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "Whether we agree or disagree with what (Brown) is doing, as a team we support him. We support (Brown) on and off the ice. Our biggest thing is we've got his back."

The Lightning play host to Washington on Monday, and Capitals winger Devante Smith-Pelly said he reached out to Brown after the courageous act.

"I'm proud of him, proud that he did that and proud that he stood up and put himself out there," Smith-Pelly said. "Because it's tough. It's tough anytime, but in this particular sport, it's tough to put yourself out there.

"It's a lonely feeling, even without doing a protest. So that he stood out and put himself out there, I respect it a lot."

Brown, who's been subject to racist comments and even death threats, in light of his silent protest, did not address the media in advance of Monday's game.

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Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and Philadelphia Flyers right winger Wayne Simmonds have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Oct. 8, the league announced Monday.

Here's a quick rundown of their exploits:

1. Ovechkin led all players in goals and points (7) after recording a hat trick in the season opener and four the next time out. Per the NHL, "with hat tricks in each of the Capitals’ first two games, Ovechkin became the fourth player in NHL history and first since 1917-18 to record hat tricks in each of his team’s first two games of a season."

Related: Ovechkin credits sister-in-law for historic scoring binge

2. Fleury posted a record of 2-0-0 and a .973 save percentage as the Golden Knights opened their inaugural season undefeated. He now has 377 career victories, good for 15th on the all-time NHL wins list.

3. Simmonds registered a hat trick in the Flyers' season opener and added another goal to sit second very early on in the scoring race. Two of those goals were game winners for a Philadelphia team that went 2-1-0 on a season-opening California road trip.

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Hockey fans have reason to pay attention to the Arizona Coyotes and New Jersey Devils this season.

According to oddsmakers, forward Clayton Keller and Nico Hischier are listed as the favorites to win the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie in 2017-18, with a pair of Boston Bruins and a Vancouver Canuck coming in close behind.

Here's a look at the top 11 options:

(Odds courtesy: Bodog)

Hischier, of course, was drafted first overall in 2017, while Keller was the seventh-overall selection in 2016.

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