Jordan Eberle scored twice, Mathew Barzal had a goal and two assists and Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves as the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Thursday night.
Jake DeBrusk scored the lone goal in a shootout and the Boston Bruins won their home opener with a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
Jacob Markstrom, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm were just some of the stars who led the Calgary Flames to victory Monday, rallying past a Vancouver Canucks team who dominated the first period of the game.
Jordan Kyrou got the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, Justin Faulk scored twice and the St. Louis Blues rallied to beat the San Jose Sharks 5-4 Monday night.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 27 shots for his 29th career shutout, Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored with 4:09 remaining, and the New York Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 1-0 in their home opener Monday.
Sam Reinhart and Curtis Lazar each scored two goals to lead the Buffalo Sabres to their first win of the season, 6-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
J.T. Miller has missed the first three games of the season due to COVID-19 protocols and the way his Vancouver Canucks teammates have struggled, his return couldn't come at a more important time.
Jake Guentzel beat Ilya Samsonov in the fourth round of a shootout and the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their first win of the season with a 4-3 victory over Washington on Sunday.
Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists, Matt Murray made 20 saves in his Ottawa debut, and the Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Friday in their first game in more than 10 months.
Gabriel Landeskog scored two goals to reach 200 for his career, helping the Colorado Avalanche rebound from an opening-night loss with an 8-0 rout of the St. Louis Blues on Friday.
The Canucks didn't give themselves much of a chance Thursday to be 2-0 as the Oilers, and especially superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were different than the players who lost 5-3 to Vancouver on Wednesday.
Filip Forsberg scored the tiebreaking goal at 5:48 of the third period to lead the Nashville Predators over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 in their season opener Thursday night.
T.J. Oshie had a goal and two assists in Peter Laviolette's debut as Washington's coach and the Capitals opened the season with a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Patrik Laine scored twice, including the overtime winner, and added an assist as the Winnipeg Jets won their season opener 4-3 over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Brock Boeser scored twice, including the winner, as the Vancouver Canucks downed the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Wednesday in the 2020-21 NHL season opener for both teams.
Joel Farabee had a goal and three assists, Michael Raffl, James van Riemsdyk and Nolan Patrick also scored to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday in the first game of the NHL season.
With NHL revenues taking a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lack of fan attendance, the league has brought on four sponsors for the names of the new four divisions in its re-aligned schedule.
John Muckler oversaw one of the successful eras in modern Ottawa Senators history. As a new generation of Senators players continue to find their way in the NHL, Wayne Scanlan remembers Muckler, who died Monday at the age of 86.
Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians will get diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, according to a report from the Canadian Cancer Society. As a result, pretty much everyone has some sort of connection to . . .
The Dallas Stars have officially named Rick Bowness as the team's head coach, a decision that was long expected after Bowness led the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final.
Given the initial success of the Vegas Golden Knights following their Expansion Draft, where do you think the Seattle Kraken will finish in their inagural season?
The Ottawa Senators and forward Connor Brown have agreed to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.6 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
Jake Virtanen has been auditioned several times as a top-six winger, but has never seized that role. He should get another chance now that he's signed a new two-year deal with the Canucks.
The Western Hockey League's board of governors announced Wednesday that the junior hockey league's next regular season is scheduled to begin in early 2021.
The Montreal Canadiens have landed one of the bigger names left on the free agent market, signing forward Tyler Toffoli to a four-year, $17 million contract.
When news first broke that prized free agent winger Taylor Hall was signing with the Buffalo Sabres Sunday night, the first reaction from many across hockey was to be surprised.
Free agency is here, and as we watch the rumours fly and players land on new teams, here's an updated summary of the biggest names still looking to sign on the dotted line this fall -- plus, updates for those who already have.
The Toronto Maple Leafs reinforced their blue line Friday by agreeing to terms with free agent defenceman T.J. Brodie, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
By adding Kyle Turris, the Oilers get a bargain No. 3 centre who can move up in the lineup if needed. But the team still has some work to do this off-season with holes on defence and in net a priority.
The Chicago Blackhawks have decided not to bring back goaltender Corey Crawford, senior vice president and general manager Stan Bowman announced Thursday.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner following Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup victory in Game 6 on Monday night.
The hardest Stanley Cup playoffs to stage may have been the hardest ever to win. And the contender that’s travelled the most heartbreaking road of them all can finally shed tears of joy. Take a bow, Tampa Bay: You were no flash in the pan!
Corey Perry scored on a goalmouth scramble in double overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday to stay alive in the Stanley Cup Final.
Kevin Shattenkirk’s goal 6:34 into overtime gave Tampa Bay a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars on Friday and left the Lightning one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup.
Steven Stamkos scored, but lasted just five shifts in his return before apparently reaggravating his injury in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
The Nashville Predators can now say they boast a Norris Trophy winner on their blue line, as captain Roman Josi has been named the 2019-20 season’s top defenceman.
Fresh off a dominant 110-point campaign that saw him net the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer, Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl has been named the winner of both the 2019-20 season’s Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award.
On the brink of elimination heading into Tuesday night’s Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Barry Trotz’s club managed to earn the win to keep the Conference Final match-up going, cutting the Bolts’ series lead to 3-2.
Anton Khudobin made three of his 32 saves on a crucial 5-on-3 penalty kill late, Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn scored in the second period and the Dallas Stars are a victory away from the Stanley Cup Final after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 Saturday night in Game 4.
Alexander Radulov scored 31 seconds into overtime on a wrister from the middle of the right circle and the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference final.
Paul Stastny scored to end a lengthy goal drought by Vegas forwards, Robin Lehner stopped all 24shots he faced for his fourth shutout of the playoffs and the Golden Knights rediscovered their winning ways and beat the Dallas Stars 3-0 Tuesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference final, evening the series.
After a lengthy journey that's wound through five organizations, Anton Khudobin finds himself in the spotlight, proving his worth as perhaps the best backup in the NHL, and just as possibly the most well-liked by teammates.
Thatcher Demko stopped all 48 shots he faced for his first-ever post-season shutout to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night and force Game 7 in their NHL playoff series.
Ivan Provorov scored at 15:03 of the second overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Islanders 5-4 on Thursday night to force a deciding Game 7.
After seeing five shots in six months, Thatcher Demko faced five in the opening eight minutes on Tuesday and 43 in his first National Hockey League start since March 10. Fortunately for the Vancouver Canucks, he hasn’t forgotten how to play goal.
Scott Laughton scored on a redirect in overtime after Philadelphia blew a late two-goal lead, helping and the Flyers stave off elimination with a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare began a five-goal scoring spree in the first period and the Colorado Avalanche avoided second-round elimination with a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 on Monday night.
For the fourth time in the last six seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 5 against the Boston Bruins on Monday.
The NHL is investigating whether former Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon made racially insensitive comments during the team's two-week stay in the playoff hub city of Toronto.
Matt Martin and Leo Komarov scored in the second period and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 on Saturday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Ondrej Palat scored twice, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 Saturday to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their second-round series.
Considering they are one of the favourites to win the Stanley Cup, the Vegas Golden Knights are surrounded by a lot of noise these days – some of it actually coming from their mouths.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins say they weren't aware of boycotts in other leagues, in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, which led to the two teams playing on Wednesday. But now they have an off-day to reflect on a response.
Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning thumped the Boston Bruins 7-1 on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Phillippe Myers scored 2:40 into overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, tying the second-round playoff series at a game apiece.
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Mike Green announced his retirement on Wednesday after 15 seasons in the NHL. Green, who opted out of the NHL's Return to Play last month citing deeply personal family health reasons, confirmed his decision to The Athletic.
Tyler Toffoli, Elias Pettersson, and Bo Horvat combined for four goals and seven points to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in NHL playoff action Tuesday.
They are getting familiar with mental duress. In fact, the Tampa Bay Lightning shouldered a full series worth of it during Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Game 2 alone.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Kasperi Kapanen back to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a multi-player transaction that sees Toronto acquire a first-round pick.
Kevin Hayes had a goal and an assist and Carter Hart made 31 saves as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Friday to win their first-round playoff series 4-2.
It doesn’t make sense that Jordie Benn, having played seven games in eight months, should have one of his best performances of the season under unforgiving playoff circumstances. Then again, there are more than a few incredible things happening within these Canucks.
The Flames looked poised to extend their stay in the bubble just a little bit longer, but ultimately came up short as the Stars piled up seven straight goals to claim the series win.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the first Eastern Conference team to secure a spot in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 5-4 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5.
Spurred by some offensive dominance from Nazem Kadri and Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche cruised past the Coyotes in Game 5 to clinch the 4-1 series win.
Nick Suzuki buried the winner 22 seconds after Philadelphia tied the score in the third period and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Flyers 5-3 on Wednesday to stave off elimination in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
Nazem Kadri had two goals and an assist, Philipp Grubauer stopped 14 shots and the Colorado Avalanche overwhelmed the Arizona Coyotes 7-1 Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Jake DeBrusk scored twice in Boston's dominating third period to help the Bruins rally and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and added an assist as the St. Louis Blues defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Monday to draw even in their NHL playoff series.
Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers will miss Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues with a still-undiscosed injury he sustained in last Friday's contest.
Corey Crawford made 46 saves in a stellar performance, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 on Sunday night to stay alive in their first-round playoff series.
The actions of the Calgary Flames going forward will reveal their true character after a soul-destroying loss to the Dallas Stars in overtime on Sunday.
Carter Hart made 23 saves for his first-career playoff shutout as the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 16 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 49 shots and the Arizona Coyotes held on to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Saturday to close within 2-1 in their Stanley Cup playoff series.
Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice, Carey Price made 30 saves for the seventh post-season shutout of his career, and the Montreal Canadiens thumped the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 on Friday to even their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Brock Nelson scored the go-ahead goal on a second-period breakaway 15 seconds after Alex Ovechkin tied it, and the New York Islanders beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
Two days after making an NHL-record 85 saves in a five-overtime loss, Joonas Korpisalo stopped 36 more shots to help the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Thursday to even the series at a game apiece.
News of Claude Julien's hospitalization came as a shock to everyone, and it means Montreal's head coach will be out of sight for some time. But he certainly won't be out of mind as the Canadiens look to continue their unlikely post-season.
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour has been fined $25,000 for comments he made following his club's 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins Wednesday.
Nazem Kadri and J.T. Compher scored 10 seconds apart in the third period, Philipp Grubauer stopped 14 shots and the Colorado Avalanche opened the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 3-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday.
Patrice Bergeron scored the winner early in double overtime, and the Boston Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 Wednesday in Game 1 of their first-round series that was postponed 15 hours to a rare late-morning start.
Dillon Dube scored twice in the first period and the Calgary Flames beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday.
Joonas Korpisalo made 33 saves as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 on Sunday to win their best-of-five qualifying round series 3-2.
The Vancouver Canucks overcame a third-period deficit and finished it off in overtime to eliminate the Minnesota Wild and advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs' round of 16.
Auston Matthews delivered the overtime dagger Friday after seeing his teammates improbably score three goals in the final four minutes of regulation with Frederik Andersen on the bench for an extra attacker, securing a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets to force a deciding Game 5 in this qualifying series.
Brad Richardson scored the series-clinching goal in overtime as the Arizona Coyotes advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday with a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their qualifying round series.
The No. 8 Calgary Flames have advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the No. 9 Winnipeg Jets 4-0 in Game 4 of their best-of-five Qualifier Series.
Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 shots as the Vancouver Canucks edged Minnesota 3-0 to put the Wild on the precipice of elimination in NHL playoff qualifying action Thursday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs squandered a 3-0 lead and a golden opportunity Thursday and must beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday to extend this Stanley Cup qualifying series to a deciding fifth game.
Mike Hoffman and Brian Boyle scored 2:07 apart in the opening minutes of the third period, and the Florida Panthers avoided elimination with a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders in Game 3 of their preliminary round playoff series on Wednesday.
Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin will be sidelined for the rest of the team's qualifying-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets after he was taken off the ice on a stretcher following a collision with Oliver Bjorkstrand in Game 2
J.T. Miller's goal and assist led the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, evening their qualifying series at one win apiece.
Auston Matthews scored late in the second period to finally solve Columbus goalie Joonas Korpisalo as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Blue Jackets 3-0 on Tuesday to even their best-of-five qualifying round series at one game apiece.
Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist, Juuse Saros stopped 24 shots and the Nashville Predators beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 Tuesday to even their Stanley Cup qualifier series.
Sidney Crosby, Jason Zucker and Jake Guentzel scored for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night to tie the best-of-five qualifying series at one game apiece.
Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland will be fined $5,000 for his spear in Game 1 of the club's qualifying round series against Minnesota. Wild forward Luke Kunin was also issued a $1,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct for his role in the scuffle.
Nazem Kadri scored a buzzer-beating power-play goal to give the Colorado Avalanche a 2-1 comeback victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in Western Conference round-robin play Sunday night.
Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves in his first post-season start, Cam Atkinson scored early in the third period, and the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 on Sunday to take an early lead in their best-of-five qualifying round series.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the first of Arizona's three first-period goals, a healthy Phil Kessel had two assists and the Coyotes held on to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 Sunday to open their Stanley Cup qualifier series.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 27 shots and the New York Islanders opened their best-of-five playoff series with a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday in the NHL's return following a 4 1/2-month break.
The Winnipeg Jets lost two important players to injury in Saturday's Game 1 against the Calgary Flames and head coach Paul Maurice said both Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine will see specialists on Sunday.
Jeff Petry scored at 13:57 of overtime, Carey Price made 39 saves, and the underdog Montreal Canadiens stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday to open their best-of-five qualifying round series as the NHL raised the curtain on the restart to its pandemic-halted season.
Rookie winger Dominik Kubalik scored two goals and added three assists, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-4 win over the host Edmonton Oilers in the opener of their best-of-five qualifying round series on Saturday.
Sebastian Aho scored a goal and set up another in the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday in the NHL's opening playoff game following a 4 1/2-month pause.
After announcing earlier this month that they would be keeping their current name but pledging more support to the Native American community, the Chicago Blackhawks detailed more of those plans Wednesday.
The Winnipeg Jets, backed by the razor-sharp goaltending of Connor Hellebuyck, overcame a sloppy first period to beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 in exhibition play Wednesday.
Pittsburgh's Conor Sheary scored the first-ever NHL goal in the month of July, but his Penguins lost 3-2 in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers in exhibition play on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.
Morgan Rielly had a goal and two assists, Alexander Kerfoot scored twice, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in their exhibition matchup Tuesday as the NHL's restart to its pandemic-hit 2019-20 season got into full swing.
The HockeyCircles Family is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jack McIlhargey. Jack was one of our Founding Members, and a great friend to all who knew him. Our sincere condolences to Kayrne and family. You will be missed by all Jack....
After being "embarrassed" by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of last year's playoffs, some doubt whether or not this group can win a Stanley Cup. There's a lot on the line in 2020 for the Flames, and another early exit could lead to big change.
Defencemen Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, of the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, and left winger Dominik Kubalik of the Chicago Blackhawks have been named the three finalists for the 2019‑20 Calder Memorial Trophy, the league announced Wednesday.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will be a limited participant in training camp but is expected to play in the playoffs after suffering a lower-body injury during Phase 2 skates.
The NHL's stagnant cap of $81.5 million could remain flat for a while and exacerbates what was already going to be a serious budgeting problem for the Vancouver Canucks.
Much of the NHL’s adjusted critical dates calendar is still considered tentative, but the potential look the league released Friday night as part of its return-to-play package certainly painted a chaotic picture about how it intends to finish the 2019-20 season and transition to 2020-21 in an expedited fashion.
Call it all systems go on the league’s summer restart following Friday’s ratification of protocols governing the return-to-play plan and an extension to the collective bargaining agreement running through September 2026.
The NHL's protocols — still subject to ratification by NHL players and owners — offer the clearest picture yet of what a 24-team playoff tournament might look like in lockdown, assuming that can be pulled off. Chris Johnston breaks down all the details.
The NHL and the NHLPA have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding on an extension to the collection bargaining agreement and a separate agreement on returning to play, both sides announced Monday.
As the NHL and NHLPA continue to hammer out details for the league's Return to Play plan, it's expected that Toronto and Edmonton will be announced as hub cities.
As the NHL and NHLPA continue to hammer out details for the league's Return to Play plan, it's expected that Toronto and Edmonton will be announced as hub cities.
As the NHL and NHLPA work towards an agreement on returning to play, the two sides are also trying to strike a deal on a CBA extension. Elliotte Friedman reports that those discussions have included a cap on escrow and a salary deferral for the players.
In a world dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic — one where life for countless people and businesses has been turned upside down — the NHL will hold the most unusual draft lottery in its history the same night the first round was originally supposed to go ahead in Montreal.
The NHL could not agree on contingency plans should a player test positive for COVID-19 during a proposed playoff tournament in Vancouver which means the city will not host the league's restart.
The NHL has informed the Pittsburgh Penguins that the city of Pittsburgh is no longer being considered for one of the two hub cities in the league's return to play plan.
With the New Jersey Devils missing out on the NHL's 24-team return from the pause caused by the novel coronavirus, centre Nico Hischier is putting his extended off-season to good use.
The cohort quarantine, which keeps players separate from the general public, would allow the NHL to bypass the traditional 14-day quarantine for anyone entering Canada.
Bernie Saunders left hockey behind just two years after his NHL debut. Now he's speaking out against discrimination for current and future generations of Black players.
The three Canadian teams vying to become hub cities are expecting news on Friday that the Canadian government’s quarantine restrictions have been loosened.
According to the proposal to make Vancouver an NHL hub city, teams will have to stay in the quarantine bubble beyond 14 days if they are still actively playing games.
By the time the Stanley Cup Playoffs start it'll likely have been more than four months between NHL games. So, will teams return closer to October form, when more goals are scored, than playoff form?
San Jose Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson is showing his support for teammate Evander Kane, who spoke out last week about the need for allies in the hockey community in light of the issues of systemic racism and police brutality that have come to the forefront amid the protests over the death of George Floyd.
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy tweeted Tuesday that as long as the NFL's New York Giants and Jets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils follow health and medical protocols, they could open training camps or even hold competition.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will make an announcement today at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT regarding the Return to Play Plan for the 2019-20 NHL season. Catch the announcement on a special presentation of Tim & Sid, which will air on Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 590 The Fan and sportsnet.ca beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
The NHL released a document on Monday detailing Phase Two of its return-to-play plan as the league and its players continue to figure out if, how, and when the NHL can safely return this summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.