The NHL announced every team’s King Clancy Trophy nominee for the 2024-25 season. 

This award goes “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Each team nominated a player.

The King Clancy Trophy will be voted on by a committee made up of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as well as previous King Clancy winners and those who received the historic NHL Foundation Player Award. The committee will consider how a nominee positively benefits his community with inspiration, involvement and impact.

The player with the most votes will earn $25,000 to donate to any charity or charities they wish. Also, the winner can choose to have their team get up to $20,000 from the NHL to support an event for their humanitarian cause.

Last year’s winner was left winger Anders Lee of the New York Islanders. Lee’s been a leader for the Islanders on the ice and has also been heavily involved with the Jam Kancer in the Kan foundation and other initiatives to help cancer patients and families affected by cancer. 

Since the award was introduced in 1988, an Islanders player has won the King Clancy Trophy three times. The Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have also taken the award home on three occasions. The Calgary Flames have won the King Clancy four times, the most of any team in the league. Their last winner was captain Mikael Backlund in 2022-23.

Here are the nominees for this season.

Anaheim Ducks: Radko Gudas

Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy

Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch

Calgary Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau

Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal

Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche: Devon Toews

Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski

Dallas Stars: Matt Duchene

Detroit Red Wings: Jeff Petry

Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov

Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala

Minnesota Wild: Frederick Gaudreau

Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki

Nashville Predators: Ryan O'Reilly

New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes

New York Islanders: Matt Martin

New York Rangers: Adam Fox

Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk

Philadelphia Flyers: Garnet Hathaway

Pittsburgh Penguins: Kevin Hayes

San Jose Sharks: Mario Ferraro

Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz

St. Louis Blues: Colton Parayko

Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman

Toronto Maple Leafs: Mitch Marner

Utah Hockey Club: Alexander Kerfoot

Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes

Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel

Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson

Winnipeg Jets: Adam Lowry

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NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for the 2025 NHL draft.

Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer edged out Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa for the No. 1 spot on the North American skaters list. On the international skaters list, Djurgarden teammates Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund lead the way. 

NHL Central Scouting lists are better viewed as a league-wide barometer rather than a distinctive ranking by an outlet. The NHL’s in-house bureau gives teams and fans rankings to serve as a guide.

Here are some initial reactions to the NHL draft skater lists.

North American Skaters

There is some notable movement on a few players on the North American skaters list, despite Schaefer remaining in first place.

OHL Brampton right winger Porter Martone dropped a couple of spots from fourth to sixth place. He may not be a top-five draft pick after being a virtual lock in that range previously.

WHL Brandon center Roger McQueen has spent much of the season on the sidelines with a back injury, and although he came back just before the playoffs, he missed the final two games of the team’s first-round series loss. His drop from fifth to eighth could be the start of teams becoming more concerned about his long-term health. 

Another interesting drop on the list was Haoxi ‘Simon’ Wang who fell from 23rd to 34th, signifying that teams likely see the tall but lanky Oshawa Generals’ defenseman as a possible second-round pick. He stepped into the OHL at the halfway point of the season after starting in the OJHL, where he generated a ton of buzz. 

On the flip side, Brantford Bulldogs center Jake O’Brien went from eighth to fourth after a great season, showcasing a blend of physical tools and size and some excellent playmaking ability. Radim Mrtka, the Seattle Thunderbirds' import defender, rounded out the top five, moving up a spot. Barrie Colts physical blueliner Kaswhawn Aitcheson finds himself in the top 10, moving up five spots. 

Mason West, a center playing Minnesota high school hockey, jumped from 50th to 27th. He’s worth watching as the NHL draft draws closer. 

West is a big forward who moves fairly well for his size and is finishing the season strong for the USHL’s Fargo Force. He has the package that so many NHL teams want, so it will take just one team falling in love and grabbing him in the late first or early second round.

2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Mid-Season Top 64It's 2025 NHL draft rankings time again as we're about to see the class playing some of its highest-level hockey.

International Skaters

The international list is always a bit more chaotic, and this iteration is no different. 

Although Frondell and Eklund simply flipped positions at the top, the mid-term No. 3 was Ivan Ryabkin, who moved to USHL Muskegon and saw his stock fall to 35th on the final North American list. Modo Jr. center Milton Gastrin moved from fourth to third, and Czech left winger Vojtech Cihar moved up a spot to fourth. 

One of the most interesting names on the final list is Russian right winger Alexander Zharovksy landing at No. 5 after not being on the mid-season list at all. 

Zharovsky has a very interesting package of tools, and he tore up Russian junior hockey with 50 points in 45 games for Ufa Jr. But after not being on the list all year, finding him in fifth place was a moderate surprise. 

Max Psenicka sat eighth in the midterm rankings, but he was off the final list. Maxim Agafonov (17th to 33rd), Dmitri Isayev (ninth to 21st), and Kirill Yemelyanov (15th to 31st) are among some of the names that fell notably. 

Swedish winger Arvid Drott went from 43rd to 25th, playing alongside Eric Nilson (No. 7) on many occasions for Djurgarden Jr. Max Westergard, a Finnish winger playing in Sweden, rose from 66th to 30th. 

You can find the full lists here.

The Colorado Avalanche ended Gabriel Landeskog's conditioning loan early.

Their captain rejoins the NHL club on Tuesday after spending most of the past week with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche announced.

The 32-year-old hasn't played an NHL game since June 26, 2022, when his assist helped the Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. He's had a right knee injury that involved cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023.

Landeskog has been on long-term injury reserve during his recovery. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the Avalanche could assign him on a conditioning loan to the AHL while he's on LTIR for up to the longer of six days and three games for the purpose of determining whether he's fit to play. Although it's been six days, Landeskog only participated in two games, while the Eagles have three regular-season games remaining.

Landeskog played his first professional games in almost three years on April 11 and 12 with the Eagles. While he was left off the scoreboard in his first game, he had a goal and assist in his second.

"Physically, I feel great," Landeskog told reporters after his first game. "Obviously, it's the first game in a long time, so I got plenty of things to work on and get better at, but it was a lot of fun."

Although the Stockholm, Sweden, native said he has a lot of things to improve on to get back into the flow, it was fun to be back.

"Obviously, there were times where I didn't know if it was ever going to happen, so it felt great being in the battle again and on the bench, in the room, on the ice, all of the nuances of a hockey game," he said.

Avalanche teammates Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Josh Manson, as well as former teammate Andrew Cogliano and Avs GM Chris MacFarland, attended the April 11 match to support Landeskog.

Landeskog could be back on the ice with his teammates for the first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars if his knee responded well to the game action. The Avalanche are currently using LTIR pool space to exceed the salary cap's upper limit by just over $6 million, according to PuckPedia. Landeskog carries a $7-million cap hit.

There's no salary cap in the playoffs, meaning the team wouldn't need to clear cap space to take him off LTIR.

In 738 career NHL games, Landeskog has 248 goals and 323 assists for 571 points.

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It’s been said numerous times, but Ivan Demidov is arguably the most purely talented teenager to join the Montreal Canadiens in over five decades. 

His NHL debut lived up to the hype in almost every way imaginable – the Canadiens just didn’t get the win against the Chicago Blackhawks to clinch a playoff spot. 

When Demidov took his first shift, the fans in the Bell Centre were electric. Demidov repaid their love by throwing a few hits and buzzing around the ice. 

On his third shift, the Habs’ teenage Russian phenom danced down the wall, evaded a defender and sent a pass to the slot for Alex Newhook to bang home the game’s opening goal, getting Demidov his first NHL point.

A few shifts later, Demidov got in behind the Chicago defenders, collected the heavy bounce off the end boards, faked a shot as he corralled it to freeze the goalie before dangling the netminder and tucking it in, sending the fans into pure pandemonium. 

IVAN DEMIDOV, TU ES UN MAGICIEN

YOU'RE A MAGICIAN, IVAN DEMIDOV#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/z6HQsModRb

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 14, 2025

Ivan Demidov had arrived. 

Just one period into his North American tenure, Demidov was not only making his mark, but he was also injecting the skill and offensive punch into the Canadiens lineup that fans had dreamed of. The best part was that he was doing it well ahead of schedule. 

It wasn’t a perfect game, which is to be expected for a rookie who was playing on a different continent just over a week ago. 

On Chicago’s third goal, Demidov and Montreal’s Calder Trophy favorite, Lane Hutson, were playing Keep Away from the Blackhawks. A Demidov shot was blocked high in the offensive zone while Hutson was down on the half wall, which created an odd-man break the other way, giving Chicago the lead.

Despite a few mistakes, Demidov consistently made plays at the offensive end of the ice. Whether he was bursting up ice with speed, drawing pressure and finding teammates off the rush or attacking downhill and creating shot chances for himself, it was the Demidov show whenever he was on the ice. 

Canadiens' Ivan Demidov Brings 'Mamba Mentality' And Otherworldly Skill To The NHLThe Montreal Canadiens got a pretty special talent in Ivan Demidov. 

There were moments on the power play when Demidov’s creativity and fluidity were fully unleashed. 

We saw flashes of Demidov’s elite puck skills and handling ability throughout the game. He took shifts with a variety of players, from starting with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia to skating with Nick Suzuki on one shift and Patrik Laine on a few others. 

Demidov finding his place in the lineup will be a work in progress, and coach Martin St-Louis will likely play around with his lineup as he looks to find the best fit for his new toy. What we saw today was that Demidov could create and generate offense with just about anyone. 

The spectacle of Demidov and the hype around his game have intensified since he was drafted last June, when he proudly proclaimed to be ready to inject the killer instinct into this Habs’ lineup. No one expected to see the 19-year-old in the NHL to end this regular season, and no one could have imagined that we’d be anticipating Demidov playing in the post-season for Montreal.

Now, we may get to see both – if the Canadiens get at least one point in their final game or the Columbus Blue Jackets don’t win their final two games in regulation. 

Canadiens Fans Are Gaga About Ivan Demidov – But Expectations Are Extremely HighWe all know how much Montreal loves its hockey – specifically its Montreal Canadiens. 

The excitement from fans has been explosive. From greeting him upon arrival at the airport to rushing to put No. 93 sweaters on their backs, Canadiens fans know just how special Demidov can be for them. He has the potential to be a transformational piece for the sport's most historic franchise.

Although Montreal didn’t get the win in his debut, the atmosphere in the Bell Centre and around Montreal in the leadup to Demidov’s earth-shattering debut was warranted. Their young superstar in the making did everything in his power to prove his worth. A goal and an assist in his debut surely won’t calm any hype as the team looks to charge toward the playoffs with Demidov helping lead the way.

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Gavin McKenna will go first overall in the 2026 NHL draft. It's not a matter of if, but when.

The 17-year-old continues to dazzle in the WHL, scoring a highlight-reel goal. When he gets drafted to the NHL, he will have been the fourth so-called "generational player" to be chosen in the past 12 drafts, joining Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Connor Bedard.

So it only makes sense that McKenna's not really a generational player, right?

It used to be players of this ilk came along once every 20 years or so. But youth hockey is producing players of such prodigious levels of talent that they're cropping up every couple of years now.

Today's video column has more.

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We all know how much Montreal loves its hockey – specifically its Montreal Canadiens. 

There’s a lot for the Canadiens to get hyped up about, including being close to a playoff birth. But with top prospect Ivan Demidov joining the club and making his NHL debut Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks – Montrealers are falling head-over-heels for the 19-year-old.

Demidov has been embraced by Canadiens fans, be it at the airport arriving in the city or just during practice – the affection is probably more than he expected, even with Canadiens staff trying to prepare him for life in a massive hockey hotbed.

That said, Demidov’s hardly the first Russian to potentially thrive in the fishbowl environment of Montreal.

Whether it was Ilya Kovalchuk – who played for the Canadiens briefly in 2020 – or former Habs fan favorites Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov, Canadiens fans have never shied away from expressing their affection for the creativity, craftiness and high-energy games these players bring to the table. Canadiens management is also fully aware of the mutual admiration that exists between Montrealers and their exciting talent.

“It’s another part of what makes Montreal the best hockey city in the world,” Canadiens GM Kent Hughes said Monday regarding the Demidov hype. “We see it often with soccer around the world. When there’s a passion, there’s other aspects that come with it. But I think I have the impression that Ivan has felt the welcome to Montreal.”

Canadiens' Ivan Demidov Brings 'Mamba Mentality' And Otherworldly Skill To The NHLThe Montreal Canadiens got a pretty special talent in Ivan Demidov. 

The hype around Demidov extends to current Canadiens players. Injured Habs center Kirby Dach moved his stationary bike to the bench just to watch him practise. 

But before everyone gets carried away with expectations for Demidov, they should give him a little room to breathe and get his feet under him as he begins competing in the best hockey league on the planet. 

To that end, Kovalchuk talked to RG.org about Demidov in March and how he has to be ready for the sky-high expectations in Montreal. 

“He needs to be ready for the reality of playing in a city where hockey is like a religion,” he said. “Every move he makes will be scrutinized by management and the media. The key is to not be shy and speak their language. It goes a long way in a market like Montreal.”

Demidov needs to heed those words. If he doesn’t light the league on fire as soon as he logs his first few games, the pressure on him will only grow. And if he does excel right away, Demidov will be expected to raise his game even higher. 

Because he’s eligible to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Demidov reportedly has an intriguing clause in his first NHL contract, which would pay him $525,000 if he wins the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the post-season. He can make an even bigger splash as a rookie, but that’s part of the sky-high expectations that may need to be tempered this season.

Canadiens fans are already gaga for the potential Demidov has shown in his on-ice career. If he does lay the foundation to be something truly special in this initial taste of NHL action, Habs fans will surely dive headfirst into a love affair with him that will last for many years.

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The Edmonton Oilers could have another disadvantage against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pacific Division rivals clash on Monday night as the regular season winds down. But the Oilers won’t be playing with their ideal lineup, and that could drag into the playoffs. The Kings, meanwhile, look to be fully healthy when April 19 comes around. 

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch provided injury updates on Monday. The biggest concern is that defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss the first round. The 34-year-old only played 1:52 of ice time in April and reportedly suffered a significant injury.

Trade deadline acquisition Trent Frederic is also questionable for Game 1 of the playoffs. The 27-year-old center has only played in one game for Edmonton, and that was only for about seven minutes against the Kings on April 5.

Superstar Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman will also not play against Los Angeles on Monday for precautionary reasons. McDavid missed eight games in late March, while Hyman hasn’t played for the Oilers since Friday, when he left the game with an injury. 

Leon Draisaitl, Jake Walman and Troy Stetcher also remain out, but Knoblauch expects them to be ready for Game 1. Evander Kane still needs to be cleared to play for the first time this season, but he's looking good, Knoblauch added.

With all these injuries creating holes in the Oilers' lineup, the team called up defenseman Josh Brown from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Quinn Hutson will also make his NHL debut after signing an entry-level contract on Monday. The forward is the oldest brother of the Montreal Canadiens’ Lane Hutson and Washington Capitals’ Cole Hutson.

No Ekholm, No Hope? Oilers Face Harsh Playoff Reality After Key InjuryThere are some serious injuries that almost certainly will spell doom for an NHL team’s Stanley Cup playoff hopes.

As it stands for the Kings, they’re expected to have a mostly healthy lineup by the time Game 1 arrives.

D-man Joel Edmundson is unavailable due to an upper-body injury, and left winger Tanner Jeannott hasn’t played since March 25. It’s uncertain whether both will be ready for the playoffs.

The Kings have a three-point lead over the Oilers in the standings and can clinch home-ice advantage. No team has won more games at home this season than the Kings’ 31.

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Kick off the last week of the NHL's regular season with The Hockey News Wraparound Show.

Will The New York Rangers Be Good Next Year? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

0:00: How much will the loss of Mattias Ekholm impact the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs?

4:03: Could losing Nikolaj Ehlers be crucial to the playoff outlook of the Winnipeg Jets?

6:26: Do the Minnesota Wild have one of the most exciting defensive cores of the future after signing Zeev Buium?

8:27: Should Yakov Trenin have faced supplemental discipline for his actions against the Vancouver Canucks?

12:19: Looking back at Alec Martinez’s NHL career as he announces his retirement

14:05: Will the New York Rangers be competitive next season?

17:23: Is there a chance that Rangers coach Peter Laviolette will be fired?

20:11: Could the Hutson brothers become hockey’s next biggest family?

22:30: Will Nikita Kucherov go down as a better playmaker than Connor McDavid?

24:48: Which NHL teams should pursue Jack Ivankovic at the draft?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to play boring hockey – and it continues to work. 

A 1-0 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens is a perfect example of it. Winning 4-1 with 20 shots against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday is also a safer style of game.

Since they made Craig Berube their coach last summer, the Maple Leafs have changed their style of play. Don’t get it twisted – they still lean heavily on their ‘Core Four’ of star forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares. But Toronto now plays a safer, smarter, “low-event” hockey that will do the squad well in the playoffs.

The Leafs improved the most on defense, thanks to this style of play. They’ve gone from an average of 3.18 goals-against last season – 21st in the NHL in that category – to 2.85 this year, which ranks 12th. 

For his part, Berube has stressed physicality, defensive structure and resilience. By and large, the Leafs responded.

For instance, Berube is happy with the Leafs’ ability to bounce back in the wake of losing games. Toronto recently fell to the defending Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers on April 8, but the team put in an excellent effort in knocking off the Tampa Bay Lightning to solidify its hold on top spot in the Atlantic Division. 

Berube spoke after practice Friday about his team’s determination to atone for subpar performances and make opponents pay a price night in and night out.

“It’s been good for the most part,” Berube said when asked about the Leafs’ heavy, physical game this season. “Yeah, you have games where it’s not as good as it needs to be, but I just look at that Tampa game, and the competitiveness we played with on a back-to-back night, against a very good (Lightning) team – just the puck battles and the physicality that we needed to play with to get out of there with two points. 

“Blocking shots, it’s all that type of stuff. But guys were committed to doing it, and I didn’t like it in the Florida game. I didn’t think we did it well enough, and that was the difference in the game for me. But they responded, and they did it the next night.”

Should The Maple Leafs Be Worried About The First Round Of The Playoffs?Things are never easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs, nor should they be. But wherever the Toronto Maple Leafs end up in the standings, their reward will be a first-round opponent who has dummied them this season.

Whether it’s left winger Steven Lorentz, center Max Domi, left winger Scott Laughton or left winger Bobby McMann – as well as defensemen Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit – Toronto’s supporting cast is supplying the robust physical type of game Berube has been looking for.

“I think we’ve been pretty consistent with our physicality all year, “ Berube said. “It’s not just taking the body on a guy, it’s being hard at your net-front and boxing out, it’s all that stuff, puck battles and blocking shots. So I think we’ve done a pretty good job of it for most of the year, been pretty consistent.”

Meanwhile, Leafs players are echoing Berube’s sentiment. McMann, who got into a fight against Brayden Point in the win over the Lightning, also spoke Friday about his team’s willingness to provide edge and snarl in a way previous Leafs teams may not have provided in recent years.

“I think it’s a collective effort from everybody to try and be involved in every situation and make sure guys are engaged and sticking up for each other and making sure we’re sticking together as a unit,” McMann said. “That's the biggest thing.”

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The Winnipeg Jets earned their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history on Sunday. 

Although Winnipeg lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, the Washington Capitals lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning they can’t catch the Jets.

The Jets led the Western Conference since Jan. 14, dominating the regular season with a 55-22-4 record with one more game remaining. Although Winnipeg and Washington raced for the top spot for most of the season, the Jets separated themselves.

That means the Jets are the first Canadian team to win the Presidents' Trophy in 13 years.

The Vancouver Canucks were the last Canadian team to finish on top of the NHL, accomplishing the feat in 2012. They also won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2011, when they lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Boston Bruins.

Since the award was introduced in 1986, a Canadian team has won the Presidents’ Trophy only eight times. Winnipeg is the fifth Canadian club to win it, with three Canadian franchises winning multiple times. Before the Canucks won, the Ottawa Senators clinched the trophy in 2003.

The Oilers were the first team to capture the Presidents' Trophy, taking it home in 1986 and 1987. After that, the Calgary Flames were the best team in the regular season in 1988 and 1989. The Oilers followed their Presidents’ Trophy win in 1987 with the Stanley Cup championship, while the Flames did the same in ’89.

However, winning the Presidents' Trophy does not often lead to Stanley Cup success. The last team to be the champion of the regular season and playoffs were the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2012-13 season.

In recent years, it has been more likely for teams to win the Stanley Cup one or two seasons after winning the Presidents' Trophy.

The Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Capitals are all recent examples of this. Florida won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 and the Cup in 2024. The Avalanche won the Cup in 2022, one year after being regular-season champs, while the Lightning captured back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021 after finishing first in the 2019 regular season. The Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2016 and 2017 before winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

The Jets, meanwhile, haven’t had plenty of playoff success lately. In their last two playoff campaigns, they lost in the first round in five games. They hope things will be different this year with a Presidents' Trophy under their belt.

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