Connect with us

Published

on

Florida Panthers prospect Mackie Samoskevich scored less than a minute into overtime, and the Michigan Wolverines earned their 27th trip to the Frozen Four with a 2-1 victory over Penn State on Sunday night in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The Wolverines, a team filled with NHL draft picks and prospects, will join Quinnipiac, Boston University and Minnesota in the men’s hockey national semifinals in Tampa, Florida, next month.

Adam Fantilli, one of the top prospects for this year’s NHL draft, scored in the third period, off an assist from Samoskevich, tying the game at 1-1 and setting up the early overtime heroics that ended the Big Ten rival Nittany Lions’ season.

Michigan defenseman Luke Hughes, a No. 1 pick of the New Jersey Devils who is expected to join the NHL club when the Wolverines’ season ends, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Allentown Regional.

“I thought our offense was outstanding,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “Penn State checks well. Our guys stuck to the plan, and it happened to go our way tonight.”

Earlier in the day, Skyler Brind’Amour, the son of Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, scored the game winner and his 14th goal of the season as Quinnipiac defeated Ohio State 4-1 in the Bridgeport, Connecticut, regional to secure the Bobcats’ third trip to the Frozen Four.

Christophe Fillion, Cristophe Tellier and Jayden Lee also scored for the Bobcats, who will take on the Wolverines in the national semifinals on April 6. The Golden Gophers will face the Terriers in the other Frozen Four game.

“We’re just ecstatic to go back to the Frozen Four,” Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. “Obviously, we’ve been before, but for my fifth-year guys, we got to the Elite Eight twice and didn’t break through, so I’m just thrilled for these guys.”

It was disappointing end for Ohio State, which advanced to the Elite Eight by defeating Harvard 8-1 in the first round on Friday in Bridgeport.

“I thought we played a good game,” Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik said Sunday. “I thought we left everything on the rink. As you guys can understand, to coach at any level, there’s two things that are really important to me: It’s being around great players and great people, and I’m fortunate to have both. I’m really proud of our hockey team and really proud of the people that put so much work into it.”

The national final is on April 8.

All Frozen Four games will be held at Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Continue Reading

Sports

Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

Published

on

By

Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

Continue Reading

Sports

Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Published

on

By

Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

Continue Reading

Sports

Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, $42M extension

Published

on

By

Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, M extension

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year extension through the 2032-33 season that is worth $6 million annually, the team announced Tuesday.

Fehervary, who had one year of team control remaining, will enter the final season of a three-year bridge deal that will see him make $2.675 million before his new contract begins at the start of the 2026-27 season.

He finished the season with five goals and a career-high 25 points while logging 19 minutes. Fehervary also played a crucial role in the Capitals’ penalty kill by finishing with 245 short-handed minutes for a penalty kill that was fifth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.

Securing the 25-year-old Fehervary to a long-term deal means the Capitals now have seven players who have more than three years remaining on their current contracts.

It also means the Capitals front office has one less decision to make ahead of what is expected to be an active offseason in 2026 that will see the club have what PuckPedia projects to be $39.25 million in cap space.

That’s also the same offseason in which captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin‘s contract will come off their books along with that of defenseman John Carlson.

But until then, the Capitals have their entire top-six defensive unit under contract as they seek to improve upon a 2024-25 season that saw them finish atop the Metropolitan Division with 111 points before they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinal to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

Continue Reading

Trending