Thornton to have hearing for check to Nosek’s head

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton will have a hearing Monday for a hit to the head of Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

Thornton checked Nosek up high late in the second period of Game 3 on Sunday.

He was assessed a minor penalty for a hit to the head.

Nosek was able to return to the game and played eight shifts in the third period.

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Makar to make NHL debut for Avalanche in Game 3

The Colorado Avalanche aren't wasting any time getting Cale Makar in the lineup.

Makar will make his NHL debut Monday night in Game 3 of Colorado's first-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames, the club announced.

The Avalanche signed the 20-year-old to a three-year, entry-level contract Sunday.

Makar's University of Massachusetts squad lost to Minnesota Duluth on Saturday in the Frozen Four national championship game.

He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA Division I men's hockey player after amassing 49 points in 41 contests this season.

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Patrick Kane to captain U.S. at worlds

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane will once again lead the United States at the World Championship.

Kane was named the captain of the squad for the upcoming tournament by USA Hockey on Monday.

The 30-year-old winger will be representing his country for the eighth time on the international stage.

Kane captained the team to a bronze-medal finish at the 2018 worlds. He led the event in scoring and was named tournament MVP.

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Krug, DeBrusk in Bruins’ Game 3 lineup vs. Maple Leafs

Torey Krug and Jake DeBrusk will suit up for the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after the morning skate.

Krug was leveled by Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin in the second period of Game 2 on Saturday. He left the contest and didn't return.

DeBrusk was cross-checked in the head by Leafs forward Nazem Kadri in the third period of the same game. He also left and didn't play another shift.

Kadri has a hearing scheduled for Monday afternoon with the NHL's Department of Player Safety to answer for the cross-check on DeBrusk.

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Hughes, Kakko finish atop Central Scouting’s final draft rankings

Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are the No. 1 North American and international skaters, respectively, in the final draft rankings released Monday by NHL Central Scouting.

Hughes, the presumptive first overall pick in June's draft, has produced 48 points in 24 games with the U.S. national team development program's Under-18 squad this season. The 17-year-old center will turn 18 on May 14.

Kakko, an 18-year-old winger from Finland, notched 38 points in 45 contests with TPS Turku in 2018-19, and added four goals and an assist in five playoff games.

The New Jersey Devils won the draft lottery on April 9 and own the first overall pick. The New York Rangers will pick second.

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IIHF defends disallowed Finnish winner in women’s gold-medal game

The International Ice Hockey Federation is attempting some damage control following Sunday's controversial finish at the Women's World Championship.

In a statement issued Monday, the governing body of international hockey explained why Finland's overtime winner was disallowed in the gold-medal game against the United States, which ultimately won in a shootout.

"All goals that were scored during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship were reviewed by the IIHF video goal judge operations," the statement read. "The overtime goal scored by Team Finland against Team USA was reviewed and disallowed by the video goal judge operations, due to non-incidental goaltender interference."

Petra Nieminen scored the would-be overtime winner before it was reviewed and overturned after Finland already celebrated what it believed to be a historic home-ice victory.

The IIHF stated Monday that the video goal judge took two specific rules into consideration:

According to IIHF Playing Rule 186 v. Goaltender and Goal/Goal Crease Disallowed: An attacking skater who makes contact other than incidental with a goaltender who is out of his(/her) goal crease during game action will be assessed a minor penalty for interference. If a goal is scored at this time, it will not count.

According to IIHF Playing Rule 183 ii. Protection of a Goaltender: Incidental contact is allowed when the goaltender is in the act of playing the puck outside his(/her) goal crease, provided the attacking skater makes a reasonable effort to minimize or avoid such contact.

The governing body acknowledged that the on-ice official handed U.S. goaltender Alex Rigsby a tripping penalty on the play but clarified that penalties assessed on the ice aren't reviewable by the video goal judge.

With the 2-1 shootout victory, the United States won its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Women's World Championship.

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Thornton trolls Golden Knights’ Reaves about fight with Kane

Joe Thornton seems to have enjoyed teammate Evander Kane's fight with Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves.

The San Jose Sharks' elder statesman playfully chirped Reaves about the scrap when asked about it postgame Sunday night.

Kane and Reaves duked it out toward the end of Game 3 after jawing at each other from the benches.

The Golden Knights prevailed 6-3 to take a 2-1 series lead.

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Thornton trolls Golden Knights’ Reaves about fight with Kane

Joe Thornton seems to have enjoyed teammate Evander Kane's fight with Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves.

The San Jose Sharks' elder statesman playfully chirped Reaves about the scrap when asked about it postgame Sunday night.

Kane and Reaves duked it out toward the end of Game 3 after jawing at each other from the benches.

The Golden Knights prevailed 6-3 to take a 2-1 series lead.

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