Vancouver Canucks prospect Quinn Hughes made his highly anticipated NHL debut Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Canucks selected Hughes seventh overall at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The smooth-skating defenseman registered 33 points in 32 games with the University of Michigan this past season and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award given to the nation's top collegiate player.
Quinn's brother, Jack, is widely considered the top prospect for the 2019 draft.
The "storm surge" will fade away before the postseason.
Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams confirmed the club will do one last celebration on Thursday night, regardless of the result against the Washington Capitals.
Regardless of the outcome tonight, this will be our last storm surge of the season. It has been an absolute treat celebrating victories with our @NHLCanes fans and muddying up the waters a little bit. We’ve created a buzz again in Carolina but we know ultimately we’ve done that
Three home games remain on the Hurricanes' regular-season schedule. They'll host the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and the New Jersey Devils on April 4.
Carolina enters Thursday's action occupying the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The team sits one point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens with a game in hand, and three points clear of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Hurricanes' post-win routines have captivated the hockey world, while also drawing criticism from the likes of analysts Don Cherry and Brian Burke.
After Cherry called the team a "bunch of jerks," the Hurricanes sold T-shirts featuring that phrase and also projected the words onto the ice.
David Pastrnak's Dunkin' Donuts TV advertisement is popular around Boston, and it aired at the perfect time during the Bruins' meeting with the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
The commercial, which depicts Pastrnak going to the penalty box, was played while he received a (rare) real penalty against New York:
Vancouver Canucks stud prospect Quinn Hughes is feeling healthy and ready for his NHL debut once he's medically cleared.
"If I'm not 100 percent, I'm very close," Hughes said Wednesday. "Skating these past five days has been great. I'm ready when my number is called."
Hughes signed a three-year entry-level contract with Vancouver on March 10 but has been sidelined with a bone bruise after blocking a shot while still with the Michigan Wolverines.
Canucks head coach Travis Green said he hasn't confirmed Hughes' status with the club's medical team but is hoping the 19-year-old will be cleared to debut Thursday versus the Los Angeles Kings, according to The Canadian Press.
Vancouver drafted Hughes seventh overall in 2018, expecting him to be a franchise cornerstone on the blue line as the Canucks continue to rebuild. Hughes notched a team-leading 33 points in 32 games with Michigan this season.
Frederik Andersen hasn't been himself of late, but he's looking at the final push before the postseason as his chance to get back on track.
"These last games are as close to a preseason as you can be without being back there, but you're trying to get your swagger and get your confidence and feel good about yourself going into the playoffs," the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender told reporters Wednesday. "That's the main thing for everyone in this room."
The 29-year-old said he's not concerned with how many games he plays before the regular season concludes.
"I don't really care what that exact number is, that's a waste of time for me," he said.
Andersen is 35-15-5 with a .917 save percentage this season, but he only has two wins and an .841 mark over the last six contests, having allowed four goals or more four times in that span.
Despite an eight-game absence earlier this season, only seven netminders have played more minutes than Andersen in 2018-19.
J.P. Barry is not happy about his client getting hurt in a seemingly unnecessary scuffle.
The prominent agent, who represents Montreal Canadiens winger Paul Byron, is questioning the unwritten rules of hockey that encourage players to settle scores by fighting.
Byron was injured in a fight with Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar on Tuesday night. The bout was apparently Weegar's response to Byron's high hit on him in January, which drew a three-game suspension.
"This wasn't a hockey fight," Barry texted to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Paul knew he had to deal with it then or likely later. Paul probably gives up five inches and 50 pounds to a very tough player - how is this the code?"
Barry added, "Player Safety already gave Paul three games for an improper check and now the 'code' gets to give him several more? ...
"This exact situation is Exhibit A for re-examining our current rules for fighting. If the fight is patently retribution for something that happened long before this game was ever played, how is that allowed to occur without being addressed?
The agent said he expected many others to praise Byron as a "warrior" who "answered the bell."
"These are the people that believe in the old 'code,'" Barry continued. "It's time for Player Safety to be the new 'code.' What really matters is eliminating avoidable concussions wherever we can."
Byron struggled to skate off the ice after the fight and didn't return to the game.
Weegar asked Byron whether he wanted to fight and the Canadiens forward said yes, the Panthers blue-liner told La Presse's Richard Labbe postgame.
Byron won't play on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets and he'll be evaluated on a daily basis, his club announced Wednesday.