National Hockey League

National Hockey League

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left Wednesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period with a lower-body injury, and will not return. Ekman-Larsson went to the dressing room midway through the frame. It appeared that Ekman-Larsson sustained an injury after getting tangled up with Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond. Here is a video of the incident:

Jones was moved to long-term injured reserve Monday after he sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of the Panthers' 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. The 31-year-old Jones was initially considered to be out on a week-to-week basis. But the decision to move him to LTIR raised questions about whether he would be healthy before the United States men's national team plays its first game at the Olympics on Feb. 12 against Latvia in Milan.

I think he's definitely got that sort of mentality that nothing seems to really bother him, so that's a pretty incredible trait to have as far as he just doesn't really ride the waves of what's going on around him. He has that kind of confidence and swagger about him, and just wants to play on the biggest stages, and that's what seems to bring out the best in him. Yeah, he was fun to get a chance to play with, especially on a line for a little bit there too. Not surprised to see he's thriving under the new dress code.

But if we're going to be real, San Jose Sharks defenceman Vincent Desharnais had the better return to action. Not only did he score a goal in his return, but he also had himself a highlight reel open-ice hit on Matthew Tkachuk. And he won a fight against Tkachuk. Safe to say it wasn't the impact that Matthew Tkachuk had hoped to make upon his return, especially with his Florida Panthers having just thirty-four games left to claim and solidify a playoff spot.

"I'm getting ready to go," Wilson said pregame. "My mentality is that I'm going to try and play. I haven't talked to the training staff. We just wanted to attack this day and see how it felt. Got some stuff to discuss, but I don't know 100 percent what the plan is, but I'm feeling a little better, so hopefully I'm close."

The Buffalo Sabres are closing in on a seven-year contract extension for Josh Doan that is worth $6.95 million per season, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The deal includes $7 million in signing bonuses over the first two seasons, sources told ESPN, and it also includes a seven-team no-trade clause when Doan is eligible. Doan, 23, was set to be a restricted free agent this summer.

Lexie Adzija scored Seattle's first short-handed goal of the season in the third period to take the lead for good, and the Torrent beat the Toronto Sceptres 6-4 on Tuesday night in Seattle to snap a three-game losing streak. The expansion Torrent set the franchise's single-game record for goals (six) and tied for the most in the Professional Women's Hockey League this season. The 10 combined goals were the most in a PWHL game this season.

The star-crossed Lindsey Halligan era came to a close in the Eastern District of Virginia yesterday, as two judges said the lawyer Trump installed as acting US Attorney must leave her post. Another judge previously found that the administration "had used an unlawful maneuver to install" Halligan, a former personal attorney for President Trump who had no prosecutorial experience and carried out Trump's orders to pursue flimsy prosecutions against perceived enemies like James Comey and Letitia James. ( Washington Post)

I grew up in a hockey town where there was no escaping Canada's beloved sport. Our suburban streets doubled as rinks; the choppy slap of tennis balls reverberating against hockey sticks a constant sound. As pre-teens, my friends and I would put on lip gloss and tight jeans to hang out at the Friday night junior hockey games. I still find comfort in the sound of skate blades slicing across ice and that sweaty, chemical odour of public arenas.

Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais upended Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich along the boards in the San Jose end. Evan Rodrigues then came in and leveled Desharnais with a hit from behind. That caused a melee to the side of the Sharks' net, with Nedeljkovic jumping to get a piece of Rodrigues. A few seconds later, Bobrovsky skated the length of the ice to get at Nedeljkovic.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have missed out on Kiefer Sherwood, as he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Maple Leafs were reportedly in on Sherwood but ultimately felt short and did not have an offer to entice the Canucks. Sherwood was the top player on the market heading into the Trade Deadline. This is the second trade in two days that the Maple Leafs have missed out on one of their targets.

The Toronto Maple Leaf are right in the thick of the hunt for a playoff spot after bouncing back from a terrible first half of the season. But, that doesn't mean that they are going to keep the roster the same as the NHL trade deadline approaches on March 6. According to one of the latest trade boards from The Athletic's Chris Johnston, a defenseman that we never really expected to be dealt, could be moved before the deadline.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Monday that they have recalled forward Jacob Quillan from the AHL's Toronto Marlies. This comes after William Nylander reaggravated his lower-body injury on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights and was deemed questionable for Monday's game against the Minnesota Wild. He previously missed six games due to the ailment, originally sustained on December 27 against the Ottawa Senators, and returned to the lineup on January 10 against the Vancouver Canucks.