The NHL unveiled the head coaches for the 2024 All-Star Weekend in Toronto on Sunday.

The coach of the team in each division with the highest points percentage through Jan. 13 received the honor: Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers' Peter Laviolette, Vancouver Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet, and Winnipeg Jets veteran Rick Bowness.

Montgomery is headed to the All-Star Game for the second straight year in his sophomore season behind the Bruins' bench. Boston's following up its Presidents' Trophy-winning season with another strong campaign, sitting atop the Atlantic Division with a 25-8-9 record and .702 points percentage.

This will mark Laviolette's fourth career All-Star appearance as a head coach. In his first season in the Big Apple, the Rangers have remained a dominant force in the Eastern Conference, leading the competitive Metropolitan Division thanks to a 26-13-2 record and .659 points percentage.

Tocchet is gearing up for his second All-Star foray during his first full season as the Canucks' head coach. Vancouver has been one of the NHL's most entertaining and surprising teams to watch all season long, so it's no wonder Tocchet will join five of his players (Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, and Elias Pettersson) at next month's festivities. At the midway mark of the campaign, Vancouver reigns supreme in the Pacific Division with a .709 points percentage and league-leading 29-11-3 record.

Finally, Bowness will make his All-Star debut as a head coach. After an up-and-down 2022-23 campaign, he's righted the ship halfway through his second season as the Jets' bench boss. Winnipeg set a new franchise record after winning eight straight games this winter, and the run propelled Bowness' squad to the top of the Central Division with a 28-10-4 record and a league-leading .714 points percentage.

All-Star Weekend will run from Feb. 1-3.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild left the ice to a chorus of boos following their 6-0 blowout loss at the hands of the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, and forward Mats Zuccarello couldn't help but empathize with the fans' frustration.

"It's embarrassing to lose like that at home," he told reporters postgame. "I think every single guy in here feels the same way. It's just not good enough."

"Our home fans, they're here every time supporting us," the veteran continued. "They deserve more than that and we all know it. I think we're all disappointed right now. Monday (against the New York Islanders), we gotta show up."

The Wild trailed just five minutes into the contest when Coyotes forward Alex Kerfoot scored on the power play. Arizona carried a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Minnesota has opened the scoring just 19 times in 42 games this season and has been outscored 47-34 in the first period.

"You don't want to chase games," bench boss John Hynes said, per Bally Sports North. "That's not the right recipe to win. Lately, we've been doing that quite a bit. ... Tonight in particular, you're down by three pretty early in the game, so that's a hill you've got to climb out of. But if you're doing that regularly, that's tough."

Hynes took over for the fired Dean Evason in late November, and Minnesota responded by going 11-3-0 in the new head coach's first month.

The Wild have since fallen off a cliff. Saturday's loss marked their eighth in their last nine games, with their only win coming against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime. Minnesota is now eight points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Hynes said the team held a players-only meeting following Saturday's shellacking. Zuccarello explained that the players aired out their feelings.

"I think every guy in there feels that they can be better and help the team more," he said. "That's just how it is. Sometimes you go through stretches like this where you feel like nothing is working. That's when you have to believe in each other, give each other confidence. That's the only way to get out of it."

Hynes offered a similar solution.

"You can't just go to a drug store and get confidence," he said. "Confidence is built through your preparation, it's built through your performance. ... You have to be willing to figure it out."

The Wild take on the Islanders on Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel won't play Saturday against the Calgary Flames and is currently being evaluated for an undisclosed injury, the team announced.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy added that Eichel is feeling sore and that the early update he got from medical staff indicated the No. 1 center would miss a little bit of time, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

Eichel departed Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins but was able to finish the contest. He ended the night with one goal and one assist in just under 17 minutes of ice time.

After the game, Eichel said he "felt something" when he lost his skate blade in the second period, so he opted to go to the dressing room to get it checked out. The 27-year-old said he felt good at the time.

Heading into Saturday's action, Eichel led the Golden Knights with 19 goals (including four game-winners) and 44 points in 42 contests. He was selected as Vegas' representative for the 2024 All-Star Game earlier in January.

The reigning Stanley Cup champions currently sit in second place of the Pacific Division with a 24-13-5 record.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL unveiled the first five players voted into the 2024 All-Star Game during the first intermission of Saturday's clash between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.

The remaining seven players to be voted in will be announced before the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Colorado Avalanche at 7 p.m. ET.

Rangers star Artemi Panarin is unable to attend the festivities next month as he and his wife are awaiting the birth of their second child.

The league also revealed the first five All-Stars selected to participate in the revamped Skills Competition. The next five contestants will drop before the Avalanche-Maple Leafs game. Voting to select the remaining two participants will open Saturday.

The All-Star Weekend will run from Feb. 1-3 in Toronto, beginning with a player draft to build the rosters. Instead of a division-based setup, four All-Star captains will select four teams consisting of nine skaters and two goalies.

The NHL revealed the initial 32 players named to the All-Star Game earlier in January, as determined by the department of hockey operations. Rookie Connor Bedard was tabbed as the Chicago Blackhawks' representative, but he is expected to miss out on the action after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured jaw. His replacement has not yet been named.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has brought up Trevor Zegras to other organizations this season, and teams believe the talented forward is available, sources told Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

A trade doesn't seem imminent, and it's unclear how far conversations have progressed, Seravalli added. TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tuesday night that the Ducks aren't actively shopping Zegras.

Zegras has struggled to start the 2023-24 campaign, mustering just four goals and seven points in 19 games. He missed all of training camp and the bulk of the preseason as his contract negotiations dragged into the fall, but he ended up signing a three-year, $17.25-million bridge deal as a restricted free agent before the Ducks' first game of the regular season.

The 22-year-old also missed around six weeks with a lower-body injury, an issue which head coach Greg Cronin said had been bothering the player "for a while."

Zegras has shown flashes of his usual show-stopping self lately, though. He scored a Michigan goal in his return from injury on Dec. 23.

Known for his creativity and skill, Zegras has eclipsed the 60-point mark in each of the last two seasons and is coming off back-to-back 23-goal campaigns. He was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy, honoring the league's top rookie, in 2022.

The Ducks made waves on Monday when they traded defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for the rights to top forward prospect Cutter Gauthier.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury tied Patrick Roy for second on the NHL's all-time wins list with Saturday's 4-3 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fleury made 25 saves on 28 shots to secure his 551st win in his 1,003rd appearance. Wild rookie Marco Rossi helped the veteran netminder get the job done with the game-winner in the extra frame.

"Just one more would be good, just to get a little step," Fleury said with a laugh, per Bally Sports North. "It's an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as (Roy). He was one of my idols growing up. I've been very fortunate to play with many great teammates, many great teams throughout my career."

It was a bit of a nail-biter for Fleury, who had to dash back into the crease when Jackets winger Justin Danforth missed on an empty-net chance. With a crisis narrowly averted, Wild forward Marcus Johansson scored the equalizer with just under two minutes remaining in regulation.

Fleury also stood tall in overtime when the Jackets had an odd-man rush. There, he flashed the leather on Yegor Chinakhov, and Rossi scored mere moments later.

"I knew he was to my left," Fleury said of the stop. "When the guy was coming through the middle, he looked at me a bit, but I assumed he was going to try to (pass) there. I was just trying to get across, right? It was fun to catch that one up in the air."

Fleury's next chance to take sole possession of second place will come Monday against the Dallas Stars in Minnesota. He has started four straight games for the Wild with Filip Gustavsson sidelined with a lower-body injury.

"Whoever's in the lineup has to step up, myself included," Fleury said. "It's kind of nice, actually, to play a few games in a row. It feels a little better when you get in there. We needed a win, and finally feels good to get one here."

Martin Brodeur is the league's all-time wins leader with 691 victories.

In September, Fleury said he wouldn't make a decision on his retirement until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Pheonix Copley will miss the remainder of the campaign after undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery, the team announced Saturday.

The 31-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.

Copley suited up for just eight games this season, and his last appearance came Dec. 10 in a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers. He registered a 4-1-2 record to go along with an .870 save percentage and 3.16 goals-against average.

The Kings placed Copley on long-term injured reserve Dec. 17. He suffered the ailment in practice two days prior.

The journeyman emerged as a surprisingly reliable option for Los Angeles last season, posting a 24-6-3 record, .903 save percentage, and 2.64 goals-against average in a career-high 37 showings.

Copley signed a one-year, $1.5-million extension in February and can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

He owns a career .899 save percentage across 76 contests, split between the St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, and Kings.

Los Angeles has been heavily leaning on Cam Talbot, who has been spectacular this season. The Kings currently occupy the third spot in the Pacific Division with a 20-9-6 record.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Sharks dropped their 10th straight game after falling 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, marking San Jose's second double-digit losing streak this season.

This is the second time the Sharks have been the victim of two separate double-digit slumps in one campaign, according to San Jose Hockey Now Sheng Peng. The first time was in 1992-93 when San Jose went on three such runs.

Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi scored the eventual winner on the power play in the opening minutes of the third period, securing Winnipeg's fourth consecutive victory and 10th straight game with point.

Alexander Barabanov opened the scoring for the Sharks in the second frame, but Morgan Barron netted the equalizer just over one minute later.

Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves for the Jets, while Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 28 of 30 shots in a losing effort.

San Jose kicked off the 2023-24 season with an 11-game losing streak. The Sharks showed some promise after that dubious stretch, going a respectable 9-7-2 before beginning their current skid Dec. 15. Their last victory came Dec. 12 against the Jets.

As the losses begin to pile up again, Blackwood is trying to focus on positives.

"I mean, if you look at the last three games, it's one-goal games, right?" he said, per NBC Sports. "We're there, we're close, I guess. So, I guess it's just about finishing the job."

The league's last-place team will get a chance to re-enter the win column Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first half of a home-and-home.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov won't return to Thursday's clash against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an upper-body injury, the team announced.

Barkov sustained the ailment after taking an elbow up high from Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez during the first period. The blue-liner went to sweep the puck around the boards behind Vegas' net and caught Barkov in the face as the center went to complete his check.

Barkov played just under five minutes before departing the contest.

The Panthers also announced forward Evan Rodrigues won't return to the game because of a lower-body injury.

Barkov ranked second on the Panthers with 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) in 34 outings heading into Thursday's Stanley Cup Final rematch.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL revealed the initial 16 players from the Eastern Conference named to the 2024 All-Star Game.

The representatives from each Western Conference team will be unveiled during the first intermission of Thursday's clash between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins.

East

The remaining 12 players (eight skaters, four goalies) will be chosen by a fan vote ending on Jan. 11. The All-Star Weekend will run from Feb. 1-3 in Toronto.

Instead of a division-based setup, the player draft is returning for the first time since 2015. On Feb. 1, four All-Star captains (one from each division) will pair up with celebrities to pick four teams consisting of nine skaters and two goalies.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.