#professional-hockey

#professional-hockey

Defenseman Dylan McIlrath has spent his career trying to keep up in a rapidly evolving game.(Patrick Semansky/AP) The 138th fight of Dylan McIlrath's professional hockey career began like so many had before, with an opponent creeping too close to his goaltender after a whistle and McIlrath, nicknamed "The Undertaker" since his youth, not hesitating to do something about it.

Former Washington Capitals defenseman Milan Jurcina retired from professional hockey on Saturday after playing two decades in the NHL and Europe.The 39-year-old, Slovakian blueliner played in parts of four seasons in DC with the Caps from 2007 to 2009.He retires after spending the past four seasons in Czechia with Sparta Praha.

The Toronto Marlies produced a performance similar to Friday's game and were easily despatched by a defensively solid Charlotte outfit on Saturday."I don't think our mindset was there the past two games," said Joseph Blandisi."We didn't come ready to play.Our puck play was a little slow and our legs weren't moving.

John Carlson has missed the last 34 games for the Capitals after being hit in the head by a slap shot against the Winnipeg Jets on December 23.Thanks to a report released on Friday, we learned of the incredibly frightening severity of the injuries that Carlson suffered.Namely, a skull fracture and severed temporal artery.

The Washington Capitals made a huge decision on Thursday when they decided to part ways with two beloved players in Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway.The trade of the two pending unrestricted free agents signified a change in direction for the team after they had lost five straight games in regulation and fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

David Krejci reached the 1,000-game milestone earlier this week as a member of the Bruins.To honor the accomplishment, we're taking a look back at some of his career moments in Boston.Next up: how the Bruins planned to replace Krejci after he left for Czech Republic - highlighting his importance to the Black and Gold.

Once a year, Baltimore Spirits takes an attention-grabbing approach to dispatching an abundance of Maryland apples into apple brandy.Inspired by the harvest celebration of Mexico's pechuga mezcal, raw apples are swept with smoke, then distilled with foraged pawpaw, persimmon and black walnut.For the final distillation, a 30-pound Maryland country ham is suspended in the still above the pot, for a distinct prosciutto-y salinity, explains cofounder Max Lents.

The funniest line in professional hockey over the past few decades is your one friend who says the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to win the Stanley Cup this year.How in the world could the Toronto Maple Leafs actually win the championship?This team has been tortured since their last Stanley Cup in 1967 and haven't even reached a final since.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be hosting the 2024 NHL All-Star Game and the NHL can learn a lot from those festivities.It's always exciting when a big event comes to Toronto, especially involving the Toronto Maple Leafs, but as I spoke about a few days ago, the local fan will more than likely just have to watch at home, despite living minutes away from the arena.

Representatives from the federal government formally recognized multiple trailblazing players at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto Wednesday, marking the breaking of racial barriers in the NHL as an event of national historic significance in Canada.Five players  Paul Jacobs, Henry "Elmer" Maracle, Larry Kwong, Fred Sasakamoose, and Willie O'Ree  were all honoured for their efforts to break through longstanding prejudices that prevented players who were Indigenous, Chinese Canadian, Black and from other races from playing professional hockey.

On Thursday 24th November the Toronto Maple Leafs, and indeed all of professional hockey and the NHL, lost a true legend and pioneer of the game as former defenceman Börje Salming sadly passed away at the age of 71 after a short battle with ALS.Salming's passing came less than two weeks after the Hall of Famer was honoured during a truly memorable and emotional Hall of Fame weekend, where he saw just how much he was beloved by Leafs fans and he was able to stand alongside former teammates Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald as well as fellow countryman Mats Sundin.

The New York Rangers have signed forward prospect Brett Berard to an entry-level contract.Berard will now join the Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of the AHL season on an amateur tryout.Berard will report to AHL Wolf Pack today on ATO after signing 3-year entry level deal that will kick in next year.

Scouting report on prospects Sharks acquired in Meier trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea The Sharks made a huge splash Sunday by trading 26-year-old right wing Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils in a colossal nine-player deal.In return, the Sharks received three draft picks and four players: defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, and forwards Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterlund.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Buffalo Sabres are shooting themselves in the foot.If you haven't been paying attention to professional hockey in western New York this season (or any season in the last decade, because let's face it, they've all been about the same), let me catch you up.