Longtime NHLer Pat Stapleton died Thursday at the age of 79, Hockey Canada announced.

Stapleton spent 10 seasons in the NHL and an additional five years in the WHA. He played eight seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks from 1965-73, wearing the captain's "C" during the 1969-70 campaign. He ranks eighth on the Blackhawks' all-time list for points by a defenseman with 327.

Stapleton helped Canada defeat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series, sporting a plus-6 rating in seven games. He reportedly scooped up the puck from Paul Henderson's famous series-winning goal and kept it.

The native of Sarnia, Ontario, went on to captain the Canadians in the 1974 Summit Series, which they lost to the Soviets.

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The 2020 Maurice "Rocket" Richard race was gearing up for one of the best finishes in recent memory before the coronavirus pandemic forced the NHL to postpone its season.

Alex Ovechkin, David Pastrnak, and Auston Matthews were in an intense battle at the top. Even Leon Draisaitl and Mika Zibanejad weren't completely out of it.

With five goals in as many games before play halted, Ovechkin was sparring with Pastrnak for the overall lead. Matthews, meanwhile, was hot on their tails with four tallies in six contests prior to the hiatus.

Matthews spoke about racing against a legendary goal-scorer like Ovechkin during a video conference call Thursday.

"It's pretty cool and humbling to be in the same conversation as a guy like (Ovechkin)," Matthews said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "Being in a scoring race with a guy like him, he's been a generational player and he's made a big impact beyond the game and led the way for lots of players and lots of guys.

"It's humbling, and hopefully, we can get back to playing hockey and can compete again, that's what everyone wants to do."

The Great Eight sits eighth on the all-time goals list and has won eight "Rocket" Richard trophies, including six in the last seven years. Matthews is still seeking his first, but it'll be tough to capture as long as Ovi is blasting one-timers from his office at the left circle.

Though he knows it's unfortunate fans may not get to see this year's race play out, Matthews acknowledged there are more important things at stake.

"It's obviously frustrating and disappointing to see the season go on pause," he said. "But when you think about those kinds of achievements and accomplishments, being close to scoring 50 goals and stuff like that, it all kind of becomes irrelevant when you're talking about human lives and what's been going on around the world."

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New Jersey Devils interim head coach Alain Nasreddine believes Jack Hughes needs to physically mature before he can take a step forward in his career.

"At this point, I just think it's time. There's no secret that he's young. He's 18, he's got to grow into his body, he's got to add some strength, he's got to add some muscles, and that's basically what's holding him back I would say right now," Nasreddine said on Sportsnet's Hockey Central on Thursday. "I think everyone can see the talent. Everyone can see what he can bring to the game, but right now, it's a tough league. It's a men's league."

The 18-year-old is listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. According to NHL.com, only 22 players in the league are lighter.

Hughes has been a major disappointment in his rookie season, tallying just 21 points in 61 games after being drafted first overall last summer. His 0.344 points per game would stand as the lowest mark by a first overall pick in a rookie season since Vincent Lecavalier (0.341) in 1998-99.

"Obviously (the point production) wasn't there this year but that doesn't mean he didn't progress," Nasreddine continued. "It doesn't mean he doesn't have the potential to become a star. It's just going to be a process and we just have to be patient, starting with himself, but eventually he will get there. When is that gonna be? Is that going to be if we come back in July, if we ever come back? Is it going to be next year? I don’t have the answer but at some point he's going to be an impactful player in the NHL."

It's far too early to slap the bust label on Hughes. After all, he's just a year removed from setting the U.S. National Team Development Program's all-time record for points (228). However, he'll need to show more signs of progress in 2020-21, and Nasreddine believes hitting the weights will help significantly.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens met in the 1967 Stanley Cup Final. Only twice since then has the Stanley Cup Final featured two Canadian clubs. Relive Game 6 of the series, which is not only the final contest in the Original Six era, but the last moment of pure glory for one of the league's most historic franchises.

Watch the stream below:

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The NHL's "preference and its priority" is to hold regular-season games before the postseason begins, sources on Monday's Board of Governors call told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

"Whether that's 82 (games) - probably not - 78, 76, 74, all possibilities mentioned on that call," LeBrun said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

Teams around the league have already played as many as 71 games and as few as 68. Players on squads both inside the current playoff picture and outside of it have said they want some regular-season contests before the playoffs begin. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, on the other hand, have both said they'd be open to going straight to the postseason.

Additionally, time potentially used on finishing the regular season could carve into the league's ability to hold a full postseason. The eventual - and hopeful - Stanley Cup champion may not have to win the usual 16 games to hoist the trophy.

During the same episode of "Insider Trading," TSN's Darren Dreger reported that in a "flash poll" with 24 general managers, 20 supported the idea of best-of-five series from the first round through the conference final, but they want a seven-game Stanley Cup Final.

"A couple" GMs were not in favor of this idea, arguing the playoffs have to be left the way it is with seven-game series all the way through. However, some executives were more open-minded.

"One GM said a best-of-three in Round 1, a best-of-five in Round 2, and then best-of-seven for the conference final and Stanley Cup Final," Dreger said. "And then one creative general manager suggested one-game series for the first three rounds, then a best-of-three in the Stanley Cup Final."

Of course, none of this can be decided upon until there's a clear resumption date. That will ultimately decide how the postseason needs to be condensed - if there's time for any hockey at all.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league will fit games in August if required, and that they want to avoid scenarios that prevent a full 2020-21 campaign.

The NHL also reportedly mentioned Grand Forks, North Dakota, as a possible neutral site venue for games.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are making sure they're prepared to play games at PNC Arena either without any fans at all or in front of a limited crowd.

"We have multiple plans. We have a task force that we've put in place internally to talk about all of these options. One of them is that we come back with no fans, and how we're going to deal with that," general manager Don Waddell said on a video conference call Thursday, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

"The second option is we come back and can only have - pick the number - 5,000 or 8,000 people in the building. The third option is that we can be totally open. We've talked at length and have plans for all of those situations."

The Canes are one of the first teams to publicly acknowledge the possibility of hosting home games with a limited spectator capacity when - or if - the NHL returns to action after postponing its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If the league is able to resume play, it may be forced to use neutral sites. Grand Forks, North Dakota, has reportedly been mentioned as one possible location.

"If you look around what's going on in the country, there are probably some cities that you don't think you can play in. If you're going to play regular-season games, it makes sense to come up with some neutral-site places. Obviously, if you're bringing 31 teams back, you're going to have multiple sites to go to," said Waddell.

The Hurricanes were seeded as the Eastern Conference's first wild-card team when play came to a halt March 12.

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The Ottawa Senators inked forward Mark Kastelic to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.

Ottawa selected the 21-year-old in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.

"Since being drafted just last June, Mark has worked hard to earn this contract," general manager Pierre Dorion said. "We were pleased to see how he progressed in his overage season in Calgary, where he served as Hitmen captain for two consecutive seasons, and where he was on track to post his most productive major junior season. He's a solid two-way center who shows strong attention to detail in his play."

The 6-foot-3 pivot led the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen in both goals (38) and points (68) through 58 games in 2019-20, his fifth season with the club. Kastelic finished his major junior career ranked third in franchise history with 126 goals.

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Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave remains in a medically induced coma at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto after recently suffering a brain bleed, his family said in a statement Thursday.

"Colby is still in a medically induced coma. This is giving his brain time to heal and rest from all he's been through," the statement reads. "We would like to thank the Oilers organization, the entire hockey community, all of our friends, and family, and everyone who has shown us love and support.

"We would like to send a big thank you to Colby's critical care team, neurosurgeons, and nurses at Sunnybrook Hospital. We appreciate all that you are doing for our Colby."

Cave was admitted to hospital Monday after complaining about headaches and was later airlifted to Sunnybrook, where he entered intensive care.

His wife, Emily, took to Instagram on Wednesday night to also provide an update.

"Please wake up. Please wake up. It's all I can keep asking, 'He's going to wake up right?' We need a miracle. Colby's parents and myself, got to see him through a window and talk to him with a walkie-talkie last night. We are no longer allowed to be in the hospital because COVID-19 rules. We have no idea when we will be allowed to see him again," she wrote. "The nurse has tied his wedding band to his ankle. I am dreaming of being able to touch you, hear your voice, squeeze your hand (three times), and kiss you again. I love you so much, and my heart is shattered into a million pieces without my best friend."

Cave primarily spent his 2019-20 campaign with the Oilers' AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. The 25-year-old was with the Boston Bruins' organization before joining Edmonton last season.

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