NHL IN 60 SECONDS
The NHL season begins with Carolina raising its 2025-26 championship banner before facing Florida, while Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby remain comfortable continuing contract discussions without a deadline. Toronto rookie Gavin McKenna is set to make his regular-season debut against Montreal before meeting fellow recent No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders on Wednesday. In Vegas, Mitch Marner enters his second Golden Knights season carrying the motivation of a six-game Stanley Cup Final loss. Minnesota has also announced the Jessi Pierce Media Beauty Award, honouring the late writer and her three children.
THE BIG FIVE
Crosby and Penguins remain patient over new contract
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are comfortable beginning the regular season without a new contract in place, general manager Kyle Dubas said. Crosby, 39, is entering the final year of the two-year, $17.4 million contract carrying an $8.7 million average annual value that he signed on Sept. 16, 2024. Dubas said the Penguins and Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, will continue their discussions and that there is no real pressure to complete a deal by a particular date. Crosby also said he is comfortable allowing those conversations to continue while he concentrates on playing. He is due to play his 22nd NHL season after being selected No. 1 in the 2005 NHL Draft. Pittsburgh opens against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday.
IHM Signal: Both Crosby and Pittsburgh have publicly framed the extension process as open-ended rather than deadline-driven.
Coach Mark: Crosby’s focus on managing a long season, rather than projecting how he will feel months ahead, underlines why patience is central to this conversation.
READ FULL STORY: Crosby, Penguins content to let extension talks run
Hurricanes ready to raise banner before Panthers test
The Carolina Hurricanes will raise a banner commemorating their 2025-26 championship season before opening the NHL season against the Florida Panthers at Lenovo Center on Tuesday. Captain Jordan Staal said the ceremony will bring mixed emotions, with the players able to celebrate in front of their supporters before immediately turning to a major game. Carolina retained 20 of the 22 players who dressed during the 2026 postseason. Goalie Frederik Andersen left for the Edmonton Oilers as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, while defenseman Alexander Nikishin remains an unsigned restricted free agent. The returning group received commemorative rings in a private ceremony on Sunday. Staal won the Conn Smythe Trophy after scoring eight goals in 19 playoff games, 17 years after winning his previous championship in 2009.
IHM Signal: Carolina’s core has stayed largely intact, with 20 of its 22 postseason players remaining.
Coach Mark: The banner ceremony creates an emotional opening, but the immediate meeting with Florida demands a quick shift from reflection to game focus.
READ FULL STORY: Hurricanes Raise Banner Before Panthers Opener
Wild launch Jessi Pierce Media Beauty Award
Pierce and her three children died in a house fire on March 21, 2026. The annual award will be voted on by Wild media and presented to the player who demonstrates professionalism, accessibility and respect in dealings with local reporters. Wild general manager Bill Guerin said the honour recognises Pierce’s impact on the hockey community and the warmth, kindness and generosity she brought to the rink. Monday would have been her 39th birthday.
IHM Signal: The annual award will preserve the standards of media engagement that colleagues associated with Pierce.
Coach Mark: By rewarding professionalism and accessibility, the award places lasting value on the trust required for thoughtful local coverage.
READ FULL STORY: Minnesota Wild create Jessi Pierce Media Beauty Award
McKenna and Schaefer set for early Toronto meeting
Gavin McKenna and Matthew Schaefer, the past two No. 1 picks in the NHL Draft, are scheduled to meet when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. McKenna is due to make his NHL regular-season debut for Toronto against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, one day before the matchup with Schaefer. The two teenagers have been teammates with Canadian national teams and developed a friendship through those experiences. Schaefer, from nearby Stoney Creek, said the Toronto game will make it easier for family and friends to attend his first game there, though he stressed the Islanders’ focus is on themselves. McKenna said he has played with Schaefer more often than against him and is looking forward to seeing what the Islanders defenseman brings.
IHM Signal: The Wednesday game places the 2025 and 2026 first overall picks on the same stage early in the season.
Coach Mark: Their familiarity from Canadian teams may add personal interest, but both players’ comments keep the emphasis on their respective clubs.
Marner carries Cup Final motivation into Vegas season
Mitch Marner enters his second season with the Vegas Golden Knights determined to use last season’s Stanley Cup Final defeat as motivation. Vegas lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games, leaving Marner focused on returning to that position and winning two more games. The Golden Knights begin their season by hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Marner had 80 points, including 24 goals and 56 assists, in 81 regular-season games during his first Vegas campaign after joining from Toronto. His season included shifts between wing and center, changing linemates and a coaching change when John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy with eight games remaining. Marner then led the NHL playoffs with 29 points in 22 games, including 10 goals and 19 assists.
IHM Signal: Marner’s 29 postseason points led the NHL, even as Vegas fell two wins short of the Cup.
Coach Mark: The playoff chemistry Marner described with Brett Howden and, later, William Karlsson offers Vegas a clear reference point entering the new season.
READ FULL STORY: Mitch Marner carries Cup Final fire into Year 2
IHM SHORT ICE
Wednesday coverage adds English and French options
NHL on Prime’s Wednesday Night Hockey begins with Toronto hosting the New York Islanders on Wednesday, the first of 27 national regular-season games scheduled this season.
Each game will be offered in English and French, while the service will also carry two First Round playoff series and one Second Round series for Prime members.
READ FULL STORY: Prime unveils Home Ice Access for Wednesday Night Hockey
Capitals use Annapolis trip to bring roster together
Washington completed a team-building trip to Annapolis with practice at the U.S. Naval Academy after finalising its 23-player roster following training camp.
The Capitals open their regular season at the reigning champion Hurricanes on Friday, following a trip that gave new players time with teammates away from the rink.
Soucy contract possibility reported in Columbus
Carson Soucy remains in Columbus Blue Jackets camp on a professional tryout, and a contract signing was reported as a possibility after coach Rick Bowness praised his camp play.
Reportedly, Columbus could use defensemen with Dante Fabbro and Damon Severson injured, while a Kirill Marchenko trade to Toronto was also described as possible.
McKenna prepares for Maple Leafs regular-season debut
Gavin McKenna is scheduled to begin his NHL career when Toronto hosts Montreal on Tuesday, with 14 family members and friends expected to attend at Scotiabank Arena.
The 18-year-old No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft recorded one assist in two pre-season games while playing on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
READ FULL STORY: Gavin McKenna ready for Maple Leafs NHL debut
Canucks aim for Demko return before Christmas
Vancouver is aiming to have Thatcher Demko back before Christmas as he continues to recover from hip surgery in January, according to Henrik Sedin.
Sedin said there is no timeline for the goalie’s return and that the club wants Demko to be fully ready before he comes back.
IHM NHL PULSE
Opening week puts recent top picks in focus
Gavin McKenna’s scheduled Toronto debut against Montreal on Tuesday is followed by a Wednesday meeting with Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders. McKenna was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, while Schaefer was selected first in 2025, giving the early schedule a direct matchup between consecutive top selections.
Championship memories meet immediate new-season demands
Carolina will raise its championship banner before facing Florida on Tuesday, while Vegas begins its season with Mitch Marner still drawing motivation from the Golden Knights’ six-game Cup Final loss to the Hurricanes. Both stories show how last season’s Final remains a live reference point as the new campaign begins.
Teams balance preparation with continuity
Washington used an Annapolis trip to bring its final roster together before its opener, while Carolina returns 20 of the 22 players who dressed in the 2026 postseason. The approaches differ, but both centre on strengthening a group before significant early games.
Player availability remains a key early-season theme
Vancouver is taking Demko’s recovery step by step without a firm return timeline, while Pittsburgh and Crosby are leaving extension timing open. In each case, the club has avoided attaching a hard deadline to an important decision.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING NEXT
- Carolina is scheduled to raise its 2025-26 championship banner before hosting Florida on Tuesday.
- Toronto is scheduled to host Montreal on Tuesday for Gavin McKenna’s NHL regular-season debut.
- Toronto is scheduled to host the New York Islanders on Wednesday, when McKenna and Matthew Schaefer are due to face each other.
SHORT ICE Q&A
When does Sidney Crosby’s current contract expire?
Crosby is entering the final season of his two-year, $17.4 million contract, which has an $8.7 million average annual value.
How many Hurricanes who dressed in the 2026 postseason remain with the club?
Twenty of the 22 players who dressed in the 2026 postseason remain with Carolina.
What will the Jessi Pierce Media Beauty Award recognise?
It will be presented annually to the player who exemplifies professionalism, accessibility and respect in engagement with local media.
When are McKenna and Schaefer scheduled to meet?
They are scheduled to face each other on Wednesday when Toronto hosts the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena.
What was Mitch Marner’s playoff points total last season?
Marner led the NHL playoffs with 29 points, made up of 10 goals and 19 assists, in 22 games.
What is Vancouver’s stated goal for Thatcher Demko’s return?
Henrik Sedin said the Canucks are aiming to have Demko back before Christmas, while stressing there is no firm timeline.
FAN PULSE
Which opening-week storyline will you be watching most closely?
A) Carolina raising its championship banner before facing Florida.
B) Gavin McKenna making his NHL regular-season debut.
C) Sidney Crosby beginning the season without a new contract.