Tkachuk is the team's first captain since Erik Karlsson donned the "C" in 2018.
"Brady personifies leadership," team owner Eugene Melnyk said in a statement. "While on the ice, he craves winning and commands respect. Off of it, he routinely sets a good example for his teammates and carries himself with a combination of confidence and dignity. He's deserving of this next step in his career. We're proud to bestow the honor of being the team's 10th captain upon him."
Tkachuk recently inked a seven-year, $57.5-million extension with the Senators. The 22-year-old was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The team's leadership group includes Thomas Chabot as a full-time alternate and Connor Brown, Nick Paul, and Nikita Zaitsev as a rotating group of alternates.
"Brady's ingrained understanding of what it means to be a pro has made him the right choice for the team's captaincy," general manager Pierre Dorion said. "He holds a unique skill set and places team success above all else. Admired by teammates and coaches, and respected by opponents, he's certain to serve as a great ambassador for both our team and for the city of Ottawa."
Tkachuk has scored 62 goals and added 67 assists in 205 career games with the Senators.
The Devils selected Holtz with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He's scored five goals in four games with the Comets this season.
The 19-year-old has joined the Devils in California and will practice with the team Thursday. The club has two games remaining on its road trip against the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.
To make room on the roster, New Jersey waived goaltender Scott Wedgewood on Wednesday. The netminder was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.
Trade talks surrounding Eichel have been ongoing for months. The 25-year-old has been sidelined with a neck injury since last March and is seeking to have an artificial disc replacement surgery - which the Sabres wouldn't allow.
The expectation is that Eichel will now have the procedure done shortly and could return to the ice in four months, Dreger adds.
Tuch underwent shoulder surgery in late July and is expected to be sidelined another three months. The 25-year-old is signed through the 2025-26 season with an average annual value of $4.75 million on his contract. Krebs was selected with the 17th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He appeared in 13 games with the Golden Knights, collecting one assist.
Defenseman Brian Dumoulin also tested positive. Sullivan added that Crosby is displaying mild symptoms and Dumoulin is currently asymptomatic.
Symptomatic players are typically expected to miss at least 10 days.
Defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel were placed in the league's COVID-19 protocol Monday after testing positive. Kris Letang was present at practice Wednesday for the first time since testing positive on Oct. 23.
The Penguins have been dealing with COVID-19 cases since before the season even started.
#Pens that have entered COVID-19 protocol this season: -- Sidney Crosby (current) -- Kris Letang -- Jeff Carter -- Brian Dumoulin (current) -- Jake Guentzel -- Chad Ruhwedel (current) -- Marcus Pettersson (current) -- Zach Aston-Reese
Robin Lehner is calling on hockey players to step up after Kyle Beach came forward publicly about his alleged sexual assault by a former Chicago Blackhawks video coach.
"I just want more players to, whatever it is, take a stand. Because we, as players, we can bring change as much as anyone else," the Vegas Golden Knights goaltender said Tuesday night when asked if he feels he's carrying the weight of player advocacy.
"Again, it's difficult for me and I wish more people (step) up and fight, because it's for hopefully my kids, a lot of players' kids, we want them to succeed and play in this league. We want hockey and the NHL to be as good as possible."
Lehner has been an advocate for mental health awareness since he went public in 2018 about his experiences with bipolar disorder and addiction. The 30-year-old said he reached out to Beach last week and had a conversation with him.
I’m gonna start with saying thank you to Kyle Beach. What he has done is courage on the highest level. We all need to be better in supporting each other. I had a really emotional talk with kyle today. I can’t say how much I appreciate you for what you have done last few days. 🙏
Lehner, who was in talks with the NHL and NHLPA earlier in October to discuss changes to the league's approach to mental health, doesn't expect instant change.
"There's a process to it. It's not something that happens in a day. Recognizing you have a problem and then move on from there and try to pinpoint what can be done and, you know, to be honest, I had a lot of great talks with both NHLPA and the NHL before this all came to light with other things, and ... we can all do better," Lehner said.
"I'm not finger-pointing at anyone. I just want the new generation of players to have the safety around them to get help if they have an issue, whatever it might be, and, obviously, hopefully nothing like this ever happens again."
Lehner said stars often aren't as aware of potential issues as lesser-known players, but they're all responsible for educating themselves.
"I try to explain to people that fringe players - the third-liners, fourth-liners, guys that go up and down - it's been very different treatment in my experience through my, I think it's my 12th season now, what I've seen and what, say, star players get," Lehner said.
He added: "But sometimes it's unfair to put on the star players too, that they don't speak up enough, because to be quite honest, from what I've seen, they don't see a lot of the things that need to change. They get different treatment. I encourage everyone to talk to each other and have conversations. ... Ifwe talk about culture or whatever, it needs to come from the players, honestly. Everyone needs to talk about it."
In the first edition of theScore's 2021-22 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we take a look at which goalies are off to hot starts early in the season.
GAA = Goals against average xGA/60 = Expected goals against per 60 minutes SV% = Save percentage HDSV% = High danger save percentage GSAA = Goals saved above average
5. James Reimer, San Jose Sharks
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
3-1-0
1.54
2.25
.950
.957
4.96
There's no chance anybody entered the season with Reimer on a list of the league's top netminders, but here we are. The 33-year-old has been fantastic for the Sharks and is one of the main reasons the club is off to a 6-3-0 start.
Reimer's .950 save percentage and 1.54 goals against average both rank second in the league, and his .957 high danger save percentage leads all goalies. Reimer has never been a true workhorse netminder - topping 40 games played just three times in 11 seasons - so his volume of playing time likely won't keep him on this list for too long. But for now, we have to give credit where it's due.
The 33-year-old had been near the bottom of the league in multiple statistical categories since signing a monster contract with the Panthers in 2019, barely looking like his former Vezina-winning self. It's been a whole different story this season, as the Russian netminder owns a perfect 6-0-0 record alongside a dazzling .944 save percentage.
One of the only things that seemingly could've held this Panthers team back was its questionable goaltending. But, for the time being, Bobrovsky looks like he's back to being elite, which is scary for the rest of the NHL.
3. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Sarah Stier / Getty Images Sport / Getty
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
5-1-2
1.85
2.67
.943
.870
7.72
Shesterkin signed a historic deal during the summer with the Rangers, receiving the largest second contract ever given to an NHL netminder. He had just 47 games under his belt at the time, but Shesterkin's talent in the crease is undeniable.
The 25-year-old, who's already established himself as one of the league's top goalies, doesn't have many holes in his game. He ranks second in the NHL with 7.72 goals saved above average, all while facing 32.5 shots per 60 minutes. Shesterkin will surely be in the Vezina conversation for years to come, and it'll only be a matter of time before he gets his hands on the trophy.
2. Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
4-1-2
1.56
2.22
.947
.907
6.90
The Flames are one of the NHL's hottest teams early on, and a big reason for that is Markstrom's superb play. With three shutouts so far this season - including an impressive 45-save outing against the Penguins - it's no surprise that the 31-year-old is near the top of this list.
Markstrom sits No. 1 in the NHL with a .964 save percentage at five-on-five while also owning an impressive .900 high danger save percentage. This is the exact kind of play the Flames expected from Markstrom when they gave him a massive contract last summer. Some reliable goaltending could be Calgary's recipe for success after the team was plagued by inconsistency over the last few seasons.
1. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / Getty
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
7-0-0
1.29
2.68
.956
.855
8.65
Andersen's Hurricanes tenure couldn't be off to a better start. Carolina is the only undefeated team remaining in the NHL with a sparkling 8-0-0 record, and Andersen is responsible for seven of those victories.
He ranks first in the league with 8.61 goals saved above average and a .956 save percentage. After a rough campaign with the Maple Leafs last season, Andersen has rebounded nicely in his new home and is once again looking like one of the league's best netminders.
Honorable mentions: Mikko Koskinen, Elvis Merzlikins, Ilya Sorokin
With an assist against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, Getzlaf officially passed Teemu Selanne as the franchise's all-time leading scorer. The point was Getzlaf's 989th of his career in his 1,111th game.
Teammates poured onto the ice to share the moment with the 36-year-old.
Getzlaf has spent his entire career with the Ducks since being drafted with the 19th pick in the 2003 NHL Draft. He helped guide the club to a Stanley Cup victory in 2007.
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday in New York to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks' mishandling of an alleged sexual assault in 2010, the team confirmed to TSN's Darren Dreger.
The meeting was originally supposed to take place Monday, but Cheveldayoff requested it be moved up.
An independent investigation found that Cheveldayoff - who was an assistant GM with the Blackhawks at the time - took part in a May 2010 meeting in which team executives were informed that former video coach Brad Aldrich had behaved in a sexually inappropriate way toward a player, later revealed to be Kyle Beach.
However, per the investigation, the franchise didn't act on that information until reporting it to human resources three weeks later, days after the team won the Stanley Cup.
Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville - who was also deemed to be part of the meeting - met with Bettman on Thursday afternoon. Panthers GM Bill Zito and team president Matt Caldwell were also in attendance, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
The Panthers announced Thursday evening that Quenneville resigned.
Cheveldayoff has been the Jets' GM since 2011 when he left the Blackhawks after two seasons with the club.
The news comes after Quenneville met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman earlier Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks' mishandling of an alleged sexual assault in 2010, when Quenneville was Chicago's head coach.
Andrew Brunette will serve as Florida's interim head coach, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The 63-year-old Quenneville released the following statement:
"I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered," Quenneville said. "My former team, the Blackhawks, failed Kyle, and I own my share of that.
"I want to reflect on how all of this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone."
Bettman also released a statement, saying Quenneville will face no further discipline. He added that if Quenneville ever wishes to re-enter the NHL, he'd first need to have a meeting with the commissioner.
Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the resignation of Joel Quenneville. pic.twitter.com/1KjdI2SKOL
"The National Hockey League agrees with the decision tonight by Joel Quenneville to resign his duties as head coach of the Florida Panthers," Bettman said. "In his former role as Chicago Blackhawks head coach, Mr. Quenneville was among several former members of the club's senior leadership group who mishandled the 2010 sexual assault claim by former player Kyle Beach against the club's then-video coach, Brad Aldrich."
He continued: "I admire Kyle Beach for his courage in coming forward, am appalled that he was so poorly supported upon making his initial claim and in the 11 years since, and am sorry for all he has endured."
An independent investigation found that Quenneville was involved in a May 2010 meeting in which multiple team executives were informed that Aldrich acted in a sexually inappropriate way toward a player, later revealed to be Beach.
However, per the investigation, the franchise didn't act on that information until reporting it to human resources three weeks later, days after the team won the Stanley Cup.
Quenneville has said on multiple occasions that he was unaware of the allegations until he learned of them through the media.
Quenneville coached the Blackhawks beginning in 2008 until he was fired during the 2018-19 season. He was behind the bench during the club's three Stanley Cup victories.
The Panthers hired Quenneville in 2019. He was in the midst of his third season with Florida.
