NHL Hockey Player News

Vancouver plans on giving Thatcher Demko a full night off during their upcoming back-to-back, and have recalled Jiri Patera from Abbotsford (AHL), likely to serve as the backup to Kevin Lankinen in one of this weekend's games. The 26-year-old Patera has a 3.10 GAA and .894 SV% through five games (1-2-1). with the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) this season.

Bahl showed no signs of an ailment in Calgary's most recent game, playing 20:34 time-on-ice, but could miss his first game of the season on Friday due to an undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old Bahl has three points (1G / 2A) and leads a defensively porous Flames team with a +6 plus/minus through 15 games.

Benson has not played since October 30th due to a lower-body injury, but has returned to practice, and could play on Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth. The 20-year-old Benson was off to a hot start before his injury, scoring eight points (0G / 8A) through eight games.

Sabres' head coach Lindy Ruff announced that Dahlin will be away from the team indefinitely to tend to personal matters in Sweden. The 25-year-old Dahlin has nine points (1G / 8A), 17 blocks, 12 hits, and a -11 plus/minus through 14 games this season. Expect Owen Power to see an uptick in ice time, including likely taking over the role as the quarterback on the team's top powerplay unit.

Chatfield suffered an upper-body injury midway through the first period in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild and did not return to the game. The 29-year-old Chatfield is averaging a career-high 19:50 time-on-ice and has three points (0G / 3A) in 13 games this season.

Beecher has been in-and-out of the lineup this season and was limited to only 4:07 time-on-ice in last night's 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, exiting the game with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old Beecher has one goal in six games this season.

Brindley has missed Colorado's last two games due to a concussion, but was back at practice on Friday. The 21-year-old Brindley is averaging 8:41 time-on-ice and has two points (1G / 1A) through 12 games in a bottom-six role for the Avalanche.

Blackwell did not finish Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, exiting the game late in the third period after block a shot. The 32-year-old Blackwell has one point (0G / 1A) in 14 games this season.

Parekh has played 10 games this season for the Flames, burning the first year of his entry-level contract, ensuring he will spend the season in the NHL, but remains in a position where he is being used sparingly. The 19-year-old Parekh has not had the opportunity to fully showcase his talents in his first NHL season, scoring only one point (0G / 1A) through 10 games in a sheltered role.

Gostisbehere returned to the Hurricanes lineup last Tuesday from a multi-game absence due to a lower-body injury, but only lasted until the second period, exiting the game with 7:19 time-on-ice because of a mid-body injury. The 32-year-old Gostisbehere has been impressive offensively when in the lineup this season, with seven points (1G / 6A) in six games. There has not been a concrete timeline for his potential return to the lineup.

The Calgary Flames remain at the bottom of the NHL standings with only 10 points through 15 games (4-9-2), but have shown improvement lately and are riding a two-game winning streak. The team's uptick in play relates directly to Dustin Wolf, who has been spectacular during their winning streak, saving 59 of 61 combined shots in those two games. The 24-year-old hopes to continue improving his totals after a poor start to the season, posting a 3.19 GAA and .895 SV% in 13 games (4-8-1). The Flames enter Friday's contest as -153 home favorites against a Chicago Blackhawks team that has lost three of its last four (1-3-0).

Hamilton suffered an undisclosed injury in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, exiting the game in the second period after only 10:09 time-on-ice. The 32-year-old Hamilton has alternated time on the top powerplay unit with Luke Hughes and, as a result, has been less productive, scoring seven points (4G / 3A) in 14 games.

Woll had been away from the team for nearly the first four weeks of the season, but has been skating with the group over the last two weeks, and fully returned to practice on Friday. The 27-year-old Woll will join the Marlies (AHL) for a conditioning stint before he makes his return to NHL action. He started in exactly half of Toronto's games last season, posting a 2.73 GAA and .909 SV%, and could be poised for similar deployment once he makes his debut.

Kolosov was recalled two weeks ago to serve as the Flyer's backup while Samuel Ersson was battling an injury, and played well when called upon, posting a 1.62 GAA and .929 SV% in two appearances (0-1-0). With Ersson's impending return to the lineup, Kolosov will return to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

The Rangers suffered their fourth shutout loss through 14 games this season (6-6-2) and hope the veteran presence of Jonathan Quick between the pipes can return them to the win column. The 39-year-old Quick has been used sparingly early in the 2025-26 season, but has been excellent when called upon, posting a stellar 1.35 GAA and a .941 SV% in three games (2-1-0). The Rangers enter Friday's contest as +107 road underdogs against a Red Wings team that is 5-1-0 on home ice this season.

Wilsby has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on October 28th, but was back at practice on Friday. The 25-year-old has two points (0G / 2A) and is averaging 17:49 time-on-ice through 11 games this season. He is not expected to return on Saturday as Nashville will take his return to the lineup slowly.

Jaroslav Chmelar will make his NHL debut on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings, sending Edstrom to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Edstrom had played all 14 games for the Rangers this season, scoring two points (0G / 2A) while averaging 9:59 time-on-ice in a bottom-six role.

Chmelar was a fifth-round pick of the Rangers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and will make his NHL debut on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. The towering 6'5 Czech forward scored 29 points (12G / 17A) in 71 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) last season. Adam Edstrom will exit the lineup to accommodate Chmelar's debut.