Former NHL referee Michael "Mick" McGeough died late Friday night after being taken off life support following a stroke, his son Luke announced.

The 62-year-old was rushed to a Regina hospital on Sunday with the early signs of a stroke, and his condition worsened as he awaited tests. He met with a neurosurgeon in Saskatoon to see if clots in the back of his brain could be removed, but the damage was irreversible.

McGeough then returned to his family in Regina where he was removed from life support.

"The National Hockey League lost a true friend of the game last night with the passing of Mick McGeough," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"As one of the League’s top referees for 21 years from 1987-88 until his retirement following the 2007-08 season, Mick’s passion for the game shone through on a nightly basis. He earned and maintained respect from players, coaches, general managers and his peers throughout his career with a unique style that combined humility and humor with decisiveness and fairness. The NHL family extends its deepest sympathies to his wife Angie and his five children - Jared, Luke, Kara, Karlie and Isaac."

McGeough officiated 1,083 regular-season games and another 63 playoff contests, including the 2006 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes.

McGeough's family set up a GoFundMe page on Thursday with a goal of raising $10,000. As of Saturday morning, it had already raised over $12,000.

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Former NHL referee Michael "Mick" McGeough will be taken off life support, his family stated on a GoFundMe page.

McGeough was taken to a hospital in Regina on Sunday with the early signs of a stroke, and his condition worsened while waiting for tests. He met with a neurosurgeon in Saskatoon to see if clots in the back of his brain could be removed. Unfortunately, the damage caused by the stroke was irreversible.

The 62-year-old has now returned to Regina to be with his family.

McGeough officiated 1,083 games during his career and another 63 playoff games, including the 2006 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes.

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The New Jersey Devils will get a boost to their lineup on Friday afternoon.

Defenseman Sami Vatanen and forward Brian Boyle were activated off injured reserve and will be in the lineup against the New York Islanders.

Vatanen had missed the past three games with a lower-body injury and Boyle was sidelined the previous five contests with an upper-body injury.

In 17 games this season, Vatanen has one goal and seven points, while Boyle is tied for fourth on the club with six goals in 15 games.

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock believes William Nylander will sign with the club before it's too late.

Nylander and the Maple Leafs remain locked in a contract stalemate. The restricted free agent has until Dec. 1 to sign a new deal or he'll be forced to sit out the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign. But Babcock thinks the 22-year-old's love of the game will lead him back to the Maple Leafs.

"I'm confident, hopeful," Babcock said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "I mean Willy loves hockey. I know Willy good - he's a great teammate and a good person - and he loves hockey. He wants to play hockey. So I'm betting on that. How's that?"

Many took notice at Thursday's practice when Babcock quipped: "We have significant pieces not here and they will be here." Those "pieces" were believed to be Auston Matthews, who remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, and Nylander.

Despite missing Nylander for all 22 games and Matthews for the past 11, the Maple Leafs sit just one point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop will likely miss a week after suffering a muscle strain during Monday's game against the New York Rangers, general manager Jim Nill said Tuesday, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News.

The 31-year-old was replaced to begin the third period after allowing one goal on 13 shots in the 2-1 defeat.

Bishop is off to a strong start this season with an 8-5-1 record, a 2.33 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. Luckily for the Stars, if Bishop misses any significant time, the team can rely on backup Anton Khudobin, who has been strong in relief this season. Khudobin is currently 3-3-1 with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

The Stars occupy the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

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Connor McDavid doesn't believe former Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan was the sole reason for the team's poor play to begin this season.

The Oilers fired McLellan on Tuesday after losing six of their last seven games and replaced him with veteran bench boss Ken Hitchcock. But McDavid says the entire team is responsible for those results, not just McLellan.

"We're all to blame here," McDavid told reporters. "This obviously isn't on Todd at all, it's on us as players and that's just how the business works sometimes. We got to wake up here."

McDavid did admit, however, it was a change that needed to be made.

"Todd was a guy that everyone liked," he said. "Ultimately, we're a team that's underachieving right now and no one likes where we're at, so the change is necessary."

Hitchcock, an Edmonton native, joins the club as the third-winningest coach in NHL history, and McDavid is excited to have him aboard.

"Obviously he's got a tremendous record, both in the NHL and in international play," McDavid said. "He's a guy that's got lots of experience and we're looking forward to it."

The Oilers enter Tuesday night sitting five points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but just three back of the Vancouver Canucks for third place in the Pacific Division.

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Juulsen will be sidelined indefinitely due to a facial fracture, the team announced on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury when he took a puck to the face during the Canadiens' 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday night.

Juulsen has played in 17 of Montreal's 21 games this season, recording one goal and five points.

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The Edmonton Oilers have named Ken Hitchcock as the replacement for fired head coach Todd McLellan, the team announced on Tuesday.

Hitchock will stay on for the rest of the season after which his status and future as head coach of the Oilers will be re-evaluated, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

The move comes after the Oilers lost six of their last seven games. They sit five points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and three points behind the Vancouver Canucks for third place in the Pacific Division.

McLellan concludes his Oilers tenure with a record of 123-119-24 in 266 games. The Oilers have struggled since reaching the second round of the playoffs during the 2016-17 campaign, posting a 45-50-7 record since then.

Hitchcock joins the team following a one-year stint with Dallas Stars last season that saw the veteran bench boss relieved of his duties after finishing three points out of a playoff spot with a 42-32-8 record.

The 66-year-old ranks third all-time in coaching wins with 823 victories during his 21-year career.

The Oilers are back in action on Tuesday when they take on the San Jose Sharks.

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Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron is out with a rib and sternoclavicular injury, and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

The 33-year-old was injured against the Dallas Stars on Friday when he was hit into the boards during the second period. He remained in the game but was in "serious pain," according to Lauren Campbell of NESN.com.

The Bruins' roster is already decimated by a slew of injuries. Kevan Miller, Charlie McAvoy, Urho Vaakanainen, Brandon Carlo, Zdeno Chara, and John Moore are all currently dealing with various ailments.

Bergeron has posted nine goals and a team-high 26 points in 19 games.

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Monday night will mark Mike Hoffman's first game in Ottawa since being traded from the Senators.

Hoffman was flipped to the Florida Panthers after originally being dealt to the San Jose Sharks back in June. At the time, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion suggested that the trade was an attempt to improve the team's locker room dynamic.

Ottawa traded the forward after it became public that Erik Karlsson and his wife Melinda had accused Hoffman's fiancee, Monika Caryk, of being behind a campaign of harassment against the Karlssons on social media.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday's game, Hoffman suggested the narrative put forth by Dorion wasn't entirely true.

"People sometimes need reasons on why they get rid of some players," he said, according to "Tim and Sid." "If you go and ask anyone around that locker room if I was a problem, I think you'll be able to find that answer yourself."

His former Sens teammate, defenseman Mark Borowiecki, said he'd always been on good terms with Hoffman.

"I will say I've played with Hoff(man) for I think seven years between minors and the NHL, I always got along with him," Borowiecki told reporters, via Sportsnet. "I never had any issue with Hoff. We chatted a bit during the game in Florida and will probably do the same tonight, but at the same time, we know a guy like him: a big shooter from the outside, big speed, you got to put a body on him and play him hard. So, friends off for a little bit."

Hoffman enters Monday's game riding a 15-game point streak, the longest such streak in Panthers history. In all, Hoffman has eight goals and 18 points in 17 games with Florida this season.

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