Karsen Dorwart has had a whirlwind few days.

The 22-year-old center signed with the Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend, attended Monday night's game against the Nashville Predators, spent time undergoing medical testing, and finally, on Wednesday morning, hit the ice for his first NHL practice.

"It's pretty special," Dorwart said about the process. "It's kind of been a quick few days, but I'm just super excited. Everyone here has been great and made the transition for me really easy, so I'm just excited."

There's a lot to take in when jumping into the NHL, especially so late in the season, but once he was out there, everything clicked into place.

"That was probably the easiest part, just feeling some normalcy playing," he said. "It was a good day."

Dorwart, a two-way center out of Michigan State, had options when it came to choosing where to start his professional career. But it was the Flyers' commitment to him—and the opportunity they presented—that made Philadelphia the right choice.

"I did have some other options, but I think just the interest from the brass, from [Keith Jones and Danny Briere]—they were unbelievable with me all year. They showed a lot of interest, and I think one thing they had mentioned was opportunity up the middle. So for me, as a center, that was exciting," he explained.

That opportunity won't be handed to him, though, and he knows it.

"You've gotta work for everything you're gonna get, but it reminded me a lot when I first got to MSU, so it was exciting for me."

A Debut on the Horizon

Now that he's officially part of the team, the next big milestone is his NHL debut. The Flyers hit the road this weekend, with games in Montreal on Saturday and at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers next Wednesday. Could Dorwart be in the lineup for one of those?

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps saying!" he said with a grin. "I've never been to Montreal before, and MSG would be speical too. I mean, anywhere you do it is gonna be a dream come true. It's all I've wanted to do since I was a little kid. I'm just very fortunate and blessed to be in the position I am."

His parents Gregg and Janelle, and sister Kalli will be flying to Montreal to watch him play.

Regardless of when it happens, one thing is certain: it will be a historic moment. Dorwart is set to become just the ninth player from Oregon to play in the NHL.

"Obviously not a lot of guys have done it," he said. "Hockey's not very popular out there. Hopefully it grows with the team in Seattle now, but it's just cool. I was blessed to have so many influential people that helped me during my time there and growing up, so they deserve all the credit in the world to help me get to the next point."

From Oregon to Philadelphia

Dorwart's journey to the NHL has taken him across the country, from the Pacific Northwest to California, Connecticut, South Dakota, Michigan, and now Philadelphia. 

"I lived in Oregon until I was 14, and then I billeted in San Jose when I played for the Junior Sharks for two years. I lived with [then-Jr. Sharks head coach] Curtis Brown and his family, and that was just an unbelievable experience. They were awesome for me," he recalled.

"After that, two years in Connecticut at boarding school; that was great. Then juniors [with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede] before heading up to MSU. It's kind of been all over, but so many great people helped me in all those spots and I'm very thankful for them."

Through all those moves, he admitted that he didn't have one specific team he cheered for (although he did say that both of his parents were Minnesota Wild fans), but noted Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon as a player he always looked up to.

"I liked him a lot," Dorwart said. "I watched him when he was in juniors [with the Halifax Mooseheads] when they played Portland in the Memorial Cup."

Settling In

Dorwart is still getting to know his new teammates, but he knows there are a few guys who can offer some advice on transitioning from college hockey to the NHL. Bobby Brink, who played for the University of Denver, and Cam York, who played for the University of Michigan, have both made that jump successfully, and Dorwart plans to lean on them when he gets the chance.

"Not a ton, to be honest," he admitted when asked if he'd talked with them yet. "I kind of left the guys alone the other game day, let them do their thing, and then yesterday was the off day and I was in here getting my medical stuff. I'm sure I'll definitely pick their brain for a bit just to get any advice I can."

One topic that hasn't come up yet? His UMich-Michigan State rivalry with York.

"Yeah, we haven't talked about that yet, but I'm sure it'll come up," he said with a laugh.

One unexpected topic that did come up, though, was his chess-playing ability. Dorwart's Michigan State bio has him self-described as "sneaky good" at chess, and that tidbit has followed him to Philadelphia, much to his amusement.

"If I knew that was gonna come up as much as it has, I probably wouldn't have put it!" he said, clearly a little flustered but taking it in stride. "I used to be good, but I'm not good anymore."

What's Next?

With his first practice behind him, Dorwart's focus now shifts to what's ahead. His first NHL game is looming, and whether it happens in Montreal or New York, it's clear that he's ready for the challenge.

He describes himself as a "two-way center," someone who prides himself on responsibility at both ends of the ice. When Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw was asked about his early evaluations on Dorwart, he had nothing but positive things to say.

"The first time I met him, I asked him, 'What's your best asset?'" Shaw said. "He said his head, his brain; he really thinks the game well. That's a great answer for me. I like guys that are aware on the ice, but I was impressed with how he got around today. It's not easy on your first day, a lot of nerves out there, but he seems like a really centered and focused and humble young man.

"It's always different from practice to game, and there'll probably be some nerves again there for them, but he seems like a really good young man, a real high-character type of guy...He'll probably play a little bit of everything...We'll talk and sort it out and put him in the best situation possible to show us what he can do."

When Alex Ovechkin sets the NHL's all-time goal scoring record, "The Great One" will be there. Wayne Gretzky will be part of a traveling caravan that will attend every Washington Capitals game until Ovechkin breaks the record, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

Gretzky will be joined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, as well as other league personnel, starting Wednesday, when the Capitals take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Bettman, Gretzky and Ovechkin's wife Nastya will then attend every single remaining Capitals game until the record is broken. 

Ovechkin scored his 891st career goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. With the goal, Ovechkin sits three away from tying Gretzky, and four away from breaking Gretzky's record. 

Including Wednesday's game, Ovechkin has eight games left to break the record. The Capitals will alternate between home and away games until the final two games of the season, which will be played on the road. 

If Ovechkin breaks the record, the league will allow Capitals players to leave the bench and celebrate with him. There will also be a formal celebration and ceremony that will halt the game, per The Athletic. It doesn't matter how much time is left in the contest, or if it has playoff implications, the league will halt play to celebrate Ovechkin's record-breaking goal.

That approach is the same one the league took when Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's record in 1994. The NHL halted the game for a 15-minute ceremony honoring Gretzky's achievement. Howe and Bettman were in attendance when Gretzky set the goal scoring record.

In addition to the traveling caravan, the NHL announced Tuesday it will have a camera dedicated to following Ovechkin during the remainder of his games this season. Roughly 10 additional cameras will be at each Capitals game to provide more angles and footage of the historic goal, per The Athletic.

Ovechkin, 39, was an immediate star as a rookie after the Capitals selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. During his 20-year career — all of which has come with the Capitals — Ovechkin is a 12-time All-Star, and three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner. He also led the Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2018.

Given his age, there were questions about whether Ovechkin would approach Gretzky's record during the 2024-25 season. But the Capitals great stepped up his game in a major way. After scoring 31 goals in 79 games last year, Ovechkin already has 38 goals in just 58 games this season.

Gabe Perreault is expected to wear the number 94 for the New York Rangers as he makes his NHL debut on Wednesday night and there’s some deep history behind that decision.

His father, Yanic Perreault repped the number 94 when he played in the NHL. 

Gabe revealed that it was actually Yanic who suggested and inspired him to use that very same number. 

“Growing up, I’ve always had a number with a 4 in it,” Gabe said. “When I talked to my Dad, I think he suggested it a little bit, so definitely because of him a little bit.”

Through Yanic’s 14 seasons in the NHL, he played for the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, and Phoenix Coyotes. 

After two seasons at Boston College, Gabe signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on Monday and now he’s ready to carry on his father’s legacy in the NHL. 

It’s people like Yanic who helped Gabe get to this point, so it’s only right he pays homage to him. 

“I’ll be excited,” Gabe said about his NHL debut. “Obviously, a little bit nervous. But I know that's part of it. That's expected, but I'd be super grateful and really thankful for everyone that's helped me get to this point.”

LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights are back in the postseason, a place they've become all too familiar with since arriving in the NHL eight years ago.

Despite Tuesday's 3-2 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Knights clinched a playoff berth for the seventh time in eight seasons when the Utah Hockey Club beat the Calgary Flames, 3-1, earlier in the night.

Now comes the biggest question: Who will the Golden Knights face in the first round?

If the Golden Knights win their fifth Pacific Division crown, they'll face whatever team is sitting atop the Western Conference Wild Card standings. But if a late-season collapse drops them into second or third place, behind either the Oilers or Los Angeles Kings, the Knights will face one of those two teams.

Here's a glance at Vegas' first-round possibilities, with its 2025 season series and overall (regular season and postseason) records in parentheses:

LOS ANGELES (1-3, 22-15-3): The Kings are the last team the Knights want to face in the opening round, a highly unlikely scenario considering it would take a late-season surge by the Oilers to win the Pacific Division. Though Los Angeles was the original team everyone thought Vegas would have a built-in rivalry with, considering the proximity, the Knights' postseason drama with San Jose overshadowed things. Since then, there have been other postseason clashes that have stolen Vegas' attention, including epic series against Minnesota, Colorado and Dallas. If these two eventually meet this postseason, the rivalry everyone hoped for will undoubtedly come to light.

EDMONTON (2-2, 15-14-3): The Oilers are the defending Western Conference champions, and will have the same rage the Florida Panthers had last season, one year after losing to the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Whomever gets Edmonton in the postseason, regardless of the round, will have to deal with a charged-up Connor McDavid, who finally got to the Final, and now with a whiff of the Cup, will be eager to get back there. Vegas beat the Oilers in six games two years ago, en route to winning its Stanley Cup. That series could still fuel things two summers later.

ST. LOUIS (2-0-1, 18-9-3): As of Wednesday, the Blues hold the top spot in the Wild Card race, and would be the Golden Knights' first-round opponent. It's one of the teams Vegas has had the most success against of the possibilities. That doesn't make the Blues any less dangerous, though. Since a rather disappointing 25-26-6 start to the season, the Blues are on a 16-2-1 run since Feb. 23. During that stretch, the Blues rank No. 1 with 16 wins and 33 points. They also lead the NHL in that span with a 3.84 goals-for average and rank No. 2 in allowing just 2.00 goals per game.

MINNESOTA (3-0, 19-15-1): The Wild looked as if they might challenge for the Central Division after opening the season on winning runs of 18-4-4 through Dec. 6, and 27-12-4 through Jan. 11. Since then, however, the Wild have lost 18 of 32 games (14-18-2) while being outscored 96-73. With seven games left on their docket, four of them are on the road, including back-to-back games in New York against the Rangers and Islanders on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. With as hot as the Blues have been, it's looking more and more like the Wild will be facing division-rival Winnipeg in the opening round, not the Knights.

CALGARY (2-0, 15-8-1): The Knights still have two games left with the Flames, who have an outside chance at catching Minnesota or St. Louis. The Flames have caught fire, no pun intended, having won five of eight after Tuesday's loss in Salt Lake City. With five of its last eight games in Calgary, the Flames can do their part and just need help from the Blues and Wild.

VANCOUVER (2-0, 20-7-3): The Knights still have two games left with the Canucks, who opened the season 16-9-5 through mid-December, but haven't given off playoff vibes ever since. The Canucks have lost 26 of their last 44 (18-18-8), and in that stretch since Dec. 18, rank 29th in the league with their 2.59 goals-for per game average. Vancouver is an unlikely candidate to make a surprise appearance in the Wild Card round, but it remains mathematically alive.

UTAH (2-1, 19-10-0 as Arizona): Utah is clinging to its playoff hopes by a thread, and likely isn't making the postseason. But thanks to a 13-7-3 run since Feb. 4, Utah has an outside chance to sneak by Calgary and Vancouver, if the Wild and Blues slip into a downward spiral. The problem for Utah is that even with a winning record during its winning run, it's been outscored 74-68.