Kayla Douglas

Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Denmark, Latvia, France, and Italy each announced their first six players for the 2026 Olympics on Monday.

Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Denmark, Latvia, France, and Italy each announced their first six players for the 2026 Olympics on Monday.

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk lifted the lid Monday on the injury that sidelined him before the start of the postseason, saying he was "very lucky" to suit up for these playoffs.

The Edmonton Oilers will start netminder Stuart Skinner for their must-win Game 6 against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, according to NHL.Edmonton opted for Calvin Pickard in Game 5, but he was beat four times on 18 shots as the Panthers moved within one win of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.Skinner came up clutch in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final last spring, turning aside 20 of 21 shots as the Oilers forced Game 7 versus Florida.More to come.

The Edmonton Oilers will start netminder Stuart Skinner for Tuesday's must-win Game 6 against the Florida Panthers, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed.

PWHL Vancouver officially signed free-agent forward Tereza Vanisova to a two-year deal Tuesday."Tereza is an elite skater with a unique scoring touch and brings a physical presence to the ice every shift," general manager Cara Gardner Morey said in a statement. "We are excited about the energy and feistiness she will bring to the lineup, day in and day out."Vanisova's 15 goals last season tied with Hilary Knight for the second most in the PWHL, and she paced the Ottawa Charge with 22 points in 30 outings.It was a breakout campaign for Vanisova, who registered just two goals and 10 assists in 23 games - split between Ottawa and Montreal - in the league's inaugural season.Vanisova added one goal and four points in eight playoff contests during the Charge's run to the Walter Cup final this spring.The 29-year-old helped Czechia win bronze at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship.Vancouver also signed free-agent forward Michela Cava from the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday after adding forward Hannah Miller from the Toronto Sceptres on Monday.

Florida Panthers forward and two-time champion Matthew Tkachuk is confident Oilers captain Connor McDavid will lift Lord Stanley's mug in time - whether it's in Edmonton or elsewhere.

The Florida Panthers are in the midst of celebrating their second straight Stanley Cup victory, but general manager Bill Zito must soon turn his attention to a trio of pending unrestricted free agents. Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett, resurgent veteran forward Brad Marchand, and key defenseman Aaron Ekblad can all hit the open market on July 1, but Zito is confident he can keep the band together despite only having $19 million in cap space."I think we can bring them all back," he told TSN's James Duthie as his team celebrated on the ice behind him. When asked if it'd require them to take sizeable hometown discounts, Zito played coy. "Let's just leave it at that," he said with a smile. Luckily for Zito, all three players seem motivated to stay in Sunrise. "It's a huge honor to be a part of this group," Bennett told the media, including Florida Hockey Now. "I am not gonna take it for granted, I love being here, and I love this team. It's a remarkable team to be a part of. ... Truly everyone is world-class here."He added, "My whole life switched when I got traded here (in 2021) and I'm super grateful to be here." Bennett is due for a sizeable raise on his $4.425-million cap hit after leading the league with a whopping 15 goals - 13 of which came on the road - in these playoffs. He also recorded a career-high 51 points in the regular season. As for Marchand, he said before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final that he'd "thought about" extending in Florida, though he was mostly focused on the Cats' playoff run. Marchand erupted with six goals in six games against the Oilers and was narrowly beaten by Bennett for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Florida pried him away from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline.When asked how badly he wanted to keep Marchand, Zito referenced the winger's love of ice cream - specifically Blizzards. "I bought a Dairy Queen," the executive said, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.Ekblad, meanwhile, has spent his entire career with the Panthers after being selected by the team with the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. When asked if he just played his final home game as a Panther, the blue-liner responded, "I sure hope not." "I don't know what's gonna happen," he continued, per Fox. "I'm not in much control of that at the moment. To live in the moment is most important for me. When the time comes, I'm sure those tough conversations will be had."Veteran rearguard Nate Schmidt is also set to become an unrestricted free agent. He appeared in 80 games for the Panthers in the regular season before going off for 12 points, including five against Edmonton, in 23 playoff games.In addition, forward Mackie Samoskevich is in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent.