Latest news with #Ovechkin
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Alex Ovechkin fuels GOAT talk with viral Washingtonian photo after breaking Wayne Gretzky's record
Alex Ovechkin fuels GOAT talk with viral Washingtonian photo after breaking Wayne Gretzky's record (Image via X) A fun and unexpected event has grabbed the attention of sports fans and readers across Washington. A new magazine cover is making people smile and talk. Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is on the front of the July 2025 issue of Washingtonian Magazine, and he's not alone. The NHL legend posed with a baby goat, leaving many wondering what it means. The photo is getting shared everywhere, and there's a special reason behind it. Alex Ovechkin holds baby goat in new magazine cover shoot On June 26, 2025, Washingtonian Magazine said that longtime Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin appears on the cover of its July issue. The cover depicts Ovechkin grinning and clutching a baby goat, which stands for "GOAT," or "Greatest of All Time," not only a lovely picture. — washingtonian (@washingtonian) This cover is part of the magazine's annual Best of Washington edition, which highlights local favorites across food, sports, and culture. Editor Sherri Dalphonse said, 'Our July issue lays out 100 reasons to love D.C. right now, and the number-one reason is that we are home to the NHL's greatest player of all time.' Ovechkin is known for his record-breaking career in hockey. Fans see the goat in the picture as a playful but true reminder of his greatness. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Khám phá các mẫu tủ lạnh giá cả phải chăng với các tính năng hiện đại cho năm 2025 Visionary Echo Tìm Ngay Undo He recently passed Wayne Gretzky for the most combined regular season and playoff goals in hockey history, making the 'GOAT' symbol even more meaningful. Alex Ovechkin celebrates achievements in fun off-ice moment The photoshoot was done during Ovechkin's offseason. While the exact location wasn't shared, it's clear the cover was planned to match his fun and confident personality. Wearing a stylish outfit and holding the tiny goat close, Ovechkin shows he's proud of his career but also enjoys lighter moments. The picture received a warm response from DMV and D. C. fans who thought it was "well earned' a nd "perfect." Founded in 1965, The Washingtonian Magazine is renowned for its reporting of local news, events, and lifestyle stories. This whimsical element has made Ovechkin's summer more interesting. It reminds us that even the most serious athletes can have fun and yet make headlines doing it. Also Read: Alex Ovechkin's Wife Nastasiya Ovechkin Stuns In Dazzling Sequin Gown At Spanish Wedding With Her Father Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
NBC Sports
20-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Hockey rides into offseason with full-on buzz, a threepeat bid and Olympic-size showdowns ahead
The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had nearly been a decade since the NHL's top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament. Instead, the pace and quality of games captivated sellout crowds, with millions tuning in to watch. In the immediate aftermath of his team beating the U.S. in the final in overtime, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong met up with American counterpart Bill Guerin in the hallway, shook hands and had a message that was bigger than one game. 'He said it best: Hockey was the big winner,' Guerin recalled. 'Obviously Canada won that championship, but the sport of hockey, the game, was the big winner.' Hockey is seeing a surge in popularity and buzz, fed by the 4 Nations tournament, Alex Ovechkin's stirring run to the NHL career goals record and the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup champions to set up a threepeat bid next season. Up next are the draft and free agency, with Mitch Marner and playoff MVP Sam Bennett among the top players available, and anticipation is building for the NHL's return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. 'For all of us, I think we're just really proud of being a part of this bigger picture and growing the game and getting it more on the forefront,' Guerin said. 'The game's never been in a better spot.' 4 Nations success The NHL and NHLPA wanted to stage a World Cup but plans were pushed back until this year with a pared-down version involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to it as an appetizer, and no one knew exactly what to expect. 'We all went in hoping it was going to be a great event,' Armstrong said, 'and it ended up being better than anyone could have expected.' Canada's star-studded power play of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart connecting on a tic-tac-toe passing goal less than a minute into the opening game against Sweden served notice that the play would be at the highest level. The U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and geopolitical cross-border tensions with crowds booing anthems and more put the 4 Nations in an unexpected spotlight. Fans were riveted. The final became one of the hottest tickets in Boston sports history, and more than 9 million watched in the U.S. and nearly 11 million in Canada. Not bad for a tournament that never happened before and may never happen again. The GR8 chase Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took center stage as he chased down Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals, a feat that had long seemed unapproachable. Despite missing more than a month earlier in the season because of a broken left leg, he was in striking distance by late March. Still scoring at an absurd pace at 39 years old, Ovechkin went on a tear and tied the mark at home on a Friday night that became a celebration of his career. Two days later, he got No. 895 in New York against the Islanders, with Gretzky, Bettman, his mother, wife, children and more there to congratulate him. '(It is) the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen a very long time,' longtime teammate T.J. Oshie said. 'This record is going to be here for a while.' Ovechkin, now at 897 goals, is set to play his 21st NHL season and add to his total. Panthers repeat Florida had the 11th-most points out of the 16 teams that reached the playoffs and started each round on the road. Didn't matter. The Panthers got through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven and Carolina in six to reach the final for a third consecutive year. They then beat McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers again, this time in six to go back to back. 'Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs,' veteran winger Brad Marchand said after becoming a two-time champion. 'They had everybody beating us in every round. We just had that fire. We knew we had something special.' Matthew Tkachuk, whose arrival in the summer of 2022 along with coach Paul Maurice coincided with Florida becoming an NHL powerhouse, went as far as to use the 'D' word. 'We've got to be dynasty now,' Tkachuk said. 'Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.' Retired goaltender Cory Schneider called the Panthers 'one of the best teams I think I've seen in my lifetime.' 'They're the epitome of depth, skill, structure,' said Schneider, who worked the final as an NHL Network analyst. 'A lot of teams have good players. but it takes the attention to detail and the sacrifice to do it all the time. Teams want to play easy hockey sometimes and get their chances, but Florida does that while also committing to playing a complete brand of team hockey.' BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Oilers as a slight favorite to win next season's championship over the Panthers. The NHL hasn't had a three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. Draft and free agency The league is having its first in-person, de-centralized draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28. The New York Islanders after winning the draft lottery have the first pick, and new general manager Mathieu Darche could pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, an inspirational story off the ice. With the salary cap getting the first of several big jumps thanks to record attendance and revenue (increases to $95.5 million this summer), player movement could be fast and furious. Free agency opens July 1, and teams in markets from New York and Toronto to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Utah have cap space to use. Milan-Cortina Olympics The 12 countries taking part — Russia is banned — have already unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The International Ice Hockey Federation has released the schedule of games, with the men's tournament starting Feb. 11, 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' said Reinhart, who scored four goals in Florida's Cup-clinching game the day after getting named to Canada's roster. 'Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' The NHL went to five consecutive Games from 1998-2014, then skipped 2018 and pulled out in 2022, leaving teams those years without any active league players. Milan-Cortina will be the first Olympics for players like McDavid, MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. 'Getting another opportunity to bring generations that have a Sidney Crosby and a Connor McDavid together to play internationally, it's just great for the fans and great for hockey,' Armstrong said. 'Players are so excited to be part of this. ... It's neck and neck with the Stanley Cup right now of wanting to win that event.' Tkachuk was named to the U.S. team along with brother Brady. With the two becoming household names for new fans after the fight-filled 4 Nations, it feels a little like hockey is in its Tkachuk era. Italy is the next stop on their journey. '4 Nations was good, and hopefully Olympics will be great, as well,' said Matthew after becoming a two-time Cup champion. 'I feel I've been the luckiest guy in hockey.'
Hamilton Spectator
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Hockey rides into offseason with full-on buzz, a threepeat bid and Olympics ahead
The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had been nearly a decade since the NHL's top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament. Instead, the pace and quality of games captivated sellout crowds , with millions tuning in to watch. In the immediate aftermath of his team beating the U.S. i n the final in overtime, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong met up with American counterpart Bill Guerin in the hallway, shook hands and had a message that was bigger than one game. 'He said it best: Hockey was the big winner,' Guerin recalled. 'Obviously Canada won that championship, but the sport of hockey, the game, was the big winner.' Hockey is seeing a surge in popularity and buzz, fed by the 4 Nations tournament, Alex Ovechkin's stirring run to the NHL career goals record and the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup champions to set up a threepeat bid next season. Up next are the draft and free agency, with Mitch Marner and playoff MVP Sam Bennett among the top players available, and anticipation is building for the NHL's return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. 'For all of us, I think we're just really proud of being a part of this bigger picture and growing the game and getting it more on the forefront,' Guerin said. 'The game's never been in a better spot.' 4 NATIONS SUCCESS The NHL and NHLPA wanted to stage a World Cup but plans were pushed back until this year with a pared-down version involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to it as an appetizer, and no one knew exactly what to expect. 'We all went in hoping it was going to be a great event,' Armstrong said, 'and it ended up being better than anyone could have expected.' Canada's star-studded power play of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart connecting on a tic-tac-toe passing goal less than a minute into the opening game against Sweden served notice that the play would be at the highest level. The U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and geopolitical cross-border tensions with crowds booing anthems and more put the 4 Nations in an unexpected spotlight. Fans were riveted. The final became one of the hottest tickets in Boston sports history, and more than 9 million watched in the U.S. and nearly 11 million in Canada. Not bad for a tournament that never happened before and may never happen again. THE GR8 CHASE Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took center stage as he chased down Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals, a feat that had long seemed unapproachable. Despite missing more than a month earlier in the season because of a broken left leg , he was in striking distance by late March. Still scoring at an absurd pace at 39 years old, Ovechkin went on a tear and tied the mark at home on a Friday night that became a celebration of his career. Two days later, he got No. 895 in New York against the Islanders, with Gretzky, Bettman, his mother, wife, children and more there to congratulate him. '(It is) the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen a very long time,' longtime teammate T.J. Oshie said. 'This record is going to be here for a while.' Ovechkin, now at 897 goals , is set to play his 21st NHL season and add to his total. PANTHERS REPEAT Florida had the 11th-most points out of the 16 teams that reached the playoffs and started each round on the road. Didn't matter. The Panthers got through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven and Carolina in six to reach the final for a third consecutive year. They then beat McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers again, this time in six to go back-to-back. 'Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs,' veteran winger Brad Marchand said after becoming a two-time champion . 'They had everybody beating us in every round. We just had that fire. We knew we had something special.' Matthew Tkachuk, whose arrival in the summer of 2022 along with coach Paul Maurice coincided with Florida becoming an NHL powerhouse, went as far as to use the 'D' word. 'We've got to be a dynasty now,' Tkachuk said. 'Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.' Retired goaltender Cory Schneider called the Panthers 'one of the best teams I think I've seen in my lifetime.' 'They're the epitome of depth, skill, structure,' said Schneider, who worked the final as an NHL Network analyst. 'A lot of teams have good players. but it takes the attention to detail and the sacrifice to do it all the time. Teams want to play easy hockey sometimes and get their chances, but Florida does that while also committing to playing a complete brand of team hockey.' BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Oilers as a slight favourite to win next season's championship over the Panthers. The NHL hasn't had a three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. DRAFT AND FREE AGENCY The league is having its first in-person, de-centralized draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28. The New York Islanders, after winning the draft lottery , have the first pick, and new general manager Mathieu Darche could pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, an inspirational story off the ice. With the salary cap getting the first of several big jumps thanks to record attendance and revenue (increases to $95.5 million this summer), player movement could be fast and furious. Free agency opens July 1, and teams in markets from New York and Toronto to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Utah have cap space to use. MILAN-CORTINA OLYMPICS The 12 countries taking part — Russia is banned — have already unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The International Ice Hockey Federation has released the schedule of games, with the men's tournament starting Feb. 11. 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' said Reinhart, who scored four goals in Florida's Cup-clinching game the day after getting named to Canada's roster. 'Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' The NHL went to five consecutive Games from 1998-2014, then skipped 2018 and pulled out in 2022, leaving teams those years without any active league players. Milan-Cortina will be the first Olympics for players like McDavid, MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. 'Getting another opportunity to bring generations that have a Sidney Crosby and a Connor McDavid together to play internationally, it's just great for the fans and great for hockey,' Armstrong said. 'Players are so excited to be part of this. ... It's neck and neck with the Stanley Cup right now of wanting to win that event.' Tkachuk was named to the U.S. team along with brother Brady. With the two becoming household names for new fans after the fight-filled 4 Nations, it feels a little like hockey is in its Tkachuk era. Italy is the next stop on their journey. '4 Nations was good, and hopefully Olympics will be great, as well,' said Matthew after becoming a two-time Cup champion. 'I feel I've been the luckiest guy in hockey.' ___ AP NHL:
Winnipeg Free Press
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hockey rides into offseason with full-on buzz, a threepeat bid and Olympics ahead
The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had been nearly a decade since the NHL's top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament. Instead, the pace and quality of games captivated sellout crowds, with millions tuning in to watch. In the immediate aftermath of his team beating the U.S. i n the final in overtime, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong met up with American counterpart Bill Guerin in the hallway, shook hands and had a message that was bigger than one game. 'He said it best: Hockey was the big winner,' Guerin recalled. 'Obviously Canada won that championship, but the sport of hockey, the game, was the big winner.' Hockey is seeing a surge in popularity and buzz, fed by the 4 Nations tournament, Alex Ovechkin's stirring run to the NHL career goals record and the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup champions to set up a threepeat bid next season. Up next are the draft and free agency, with Mitch Marner and playoff MVP Sam Bennett among the top players available, and anticipation is building for the NHL's return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. 'For all of us, I think we're just really proud of being a part of this bigger picture and growing the game and getting it more on the forefront,' Guerin said. 'The game's never been in a better spot.' 4 NATIONS SUCCESS The NHL and NHLPA wanted to stage a World Cup but plans were pushed back until this year with a pared-down version involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to it as an appetizer, and no one knew exactly what to expect. 'We all went in hoping it was going to be a great event,' Armstrong said, 'and it ended up being better than anyone could have expected.' Canada's star-studded power play of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart connecting on a tic-tac-toe passing goal less than a minute into the opening game against Sweden served notice that the play would be at the highest level. The U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and geopolitical cross-border tensions with crowds booing anthems and more put the 4 Nations in an unexpected spotlight. Fans were riveted. The final became one of the hottest tickets in Boston sports history, and more than 9 million watched in the U.S. and nearly 11 million in Canada. Not bad for a tournament that never happened before and may never happen again. THE GR8 CHASE Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took center stage as he chased down Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals, a feat that had long seemed unapproachable. Despite missing more than a month earlier in the season because of a broken left leg, he was in striking distance by late March. Still scoring at an absurd pace at 39 years old, Ovechkin went on a tear and tied the mark at home on a Friday night that became a celebration of his career. Two days later, he got No. 895 in New York against the Islanders, with Gretzky, Bettman, his mother, wife, children and more there to congratulate him. '(It is) the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen a very long time,' longtime teammate T.J. Oshie said. 'This record is going to be here for a while.' Ovechkin, now at 897 goals, is set to play his 21st NHL season and add to his total. PANTHERS REPEAT Florida had the 11th-most points out of the 16 teams that reached the playoffs and started each round on the road. Didn't matter. The Panthers got through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven and Carolina in six to reach the final for a third consecutive year. They then beat McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers again, this time in six to go back-to-back. 'Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs,' veteran winger Brad Marchand said after becoming a two-time champion. 'They had everybody beating us in every round. We just had that fire. We knew we had something special.' Matthew Tkachuk, whose arrival in the summer of 2022 along with coach Paul Maurice coincided with Florida becoming an NHL powerhouse, went as far as to use the 'D' word. 'We've got to be a dynasty now,' Tkachuk said. 'Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.' Retired goaltender Cory Schneider called the Panthers 'one of the best teams I think I've seen in my lifetime.' 'They're the epitome of depth, skill, structure,' said Schneider, who worked the final as an NHL Network analyst. 'A lot of teams have good players. but it takes the attention to detail and the sacrifice to do it all the time. Teams want to play easy hockey sometimes and get their chances, but Florida does that while also committing to playing a complete brand of team hockey.' BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Oilers as a slight favourite to win next season's championship over the Panthers. The NHL hasn't had a three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. DRAFT AND FREE AGENCY The league is having its first in-person, de-centralized draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28. The New York Islanders, after winning the draft lottery, have the first pick, and new general manager Mathieu Darche could pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, an inspirational story off the ice. With the salary cap getting the first of several big jumps thanks to record attendance and revenue (increases to $95.5 million this summer), player movement could be fast and furious. Free agency opens July 1, and teams in markets from New York and Toronto to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Utah have cap space to use. MILAN-CORTINA OLYMPICS The 12 countries taking part — Russia is banned — have already unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The International Ice Hockey Federation has released the schedule of games, with the men's tournament starting Feb. 11. 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' said Reinhart, who scored four goals in Florida's Cup-clinching game the day after getting named to Canada's roster. 'Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' The NHL went to five consecutive Games from 1998-2014, then skipped 2018 and pulled out in 2022, leaving teams those years without any active league players. Milan-Cortina will be the first Olympics for players like McDavid, MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'Getting another opportunity to bring generations that have a Sidney Crosby and a Connor McDavid together to play internationally, it's just great for the fans and great for hockey,' Armstrong said. 'Players are so excited to be part of this. … It's neck and neck with the Stanley Cup right now of wanting to win that event.' Tkachuk was named to the U.S. team along with brother Brady. With the two becoming household names for new fans after the fight-filled 4 Nations, it feels a little like hockey is in its Tkachuk era. Italy is the next stop on their journey. '4 Nations was good, and hopefully Olympics will be great, as well,' said Matthew after becoming a two-time Cup champion. 'I feel I've been the luckiest guy in hockey.' ___ AP NHL:
San Francisco Chronicle
19-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hockey rides into offseason with full-on buzz, a threepeat bid and Olympic-size showdowns ahead
The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had been nearly a decade since the NHL's top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament. Instead, the pace and quality of games captivated sellout crowds, with millions tuning in to watch. In the immediate aftermath of his team beating the U.S. i n the final in overtime, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong met up with American counterpart Bill Guerin in the hallway, shook hands and had a message that was bigger than one game. 'He said it best: Hockey was the big winner,' Guerin recalled. 'Obviously Canada won that championship, but the sport of hockey, the game, was the big winner.' Hockey is seeing a surge in popularity and buzz, fed by the 4 Nations tournament, Alex Ovechkin's stirring run to the NHL career goals record and the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup champions to set up a threepeat bid next season. Up next are the draft and free agency, with Mitch Marner and playoff MVP Sam Bennett among the top players available, and anticipation is building for the NHL's return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. 'For all of us, I think we're just really proud of being a part of this bigger picture and growing the game and getting it more on the forefront,' Guerin said. 'The game's never been in a better spot.' 4 Nations success The NHL and NHLPA wanted to stage a World Cup but plans were pushed back until this year with a pared-down version involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to it as an appetizer, and no one knew exactly what to expect. 'We all went in hoping it was going to be a great event,' Armstrong said, 'and it ended up being better than anyone could have expected.' Canada's star-studded power play of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart connecting on a tic-tac-toe passing goal less than a minute into the opening game against Sweden served notice that the play would be at the highest level. The U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and geopolitical cross-border tensions with crowds booing anthems and more put the 4 Nations in an unexpected spotlight. Fans were riveted. The final became one of the hottest tickets in Boston sports history, and more than 9 million watched in the U.S. and nearly 11 million in Canada. Not bad for a tournament that never happened before and may never happen again. The GR8 chase Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took center stage as he chased down Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals, a feat that had long seemed unapproachable. Despite missing more than a month earlier in the season because of a broken left leg, he was in striking distance by late March. Still scoring at an absurd pace at 39 years old, Ovechkin went on a tear and tied the mark at home on a Friday night that became a celebration of his career. Two days later, he got No. 895 in New York against the Islanders, with Gretzky, Bettman, his mother, wife, children and more there to congratulate him. '(It is) the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen a very long time,' longtime teammate T.J. Oshie said. 'This record is going to be here for a while.' Ovechkin, now at 897 goals, is set to play his 21st NHL season and add to his total. Panthers repeat Florida had the 11th-most points out of the 16 teams that reached the playoffs and started each round on the road. Didn't matter. The Panthers got through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven and Carolina in six to reach the final for a third consecutive year. They then beat McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers again, this time in six to go back to back. 'Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs,' veteran winger Brad Marchand said after becoming a two-time champion. 'They had everybody beating us in every round. We just had that fire. We knew we had something special.' Matthew Tkachuk, whose arrival in the summer of 2022 along with coach Paul Maurice coincided with Florida becoming an NHL powerhouse, went as far as to use the 'D' word. 'We've got to be dynasty now,' Tkachuk said. "Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.' Retired goaltender Cory Schneider called the Panthers 'one of the best teams I think I've seen in my lifetime.' 'They're the epitome of depth, skill, structure,' said Schneider, who worked the final as an NHL Network analyst. 'A lot of teams have good players. but it takes the attention to detail and the sacrifice to do it all the time. Teams want to play easy hockey sometimes and get their chances, but Florida does that while also committing to playing a complete brand of team hockey.' BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Oilers as a slight favorite to win next season's championship over the Panthers. The NHL hasn't had a three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. Draft and free agency The league is having its first in-person, de-centralized draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28. The New York Islanders after winning the draft lottery have the first pick, and new general manager Mathieu Darche could pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, an inspirational story off the ice. With the salary cap getting the first of several big jumps thanks to record attendance and revenue (increases to $95.5 million this summer), player movement could be fast and furious. Free agency opens July 1, and teams in markets from New York and Toronto to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Utah have cap space to use. Milan-Cortina Olympics The 12 countries taking part — Russia is banned — have already unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The International Ice Hockey Federation has released the schedule of games, with the men's tournament starting Feb. 11, 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' said Reinhart, who scored four goals in Florida's Cup-clinching game the day after getting named to Canada's roster. "Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' The NHL went to five consecutive Games from 1998-2014, then skipped 2018 and pulled out in 2022, leaving teams those years without any active league players. Milan-Cortina will be the first Olympics for players like McDavid, MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. 'Getting another opportunity to bring generations that have a Sidney Crosby and a Connor McDavid together to play internationally, it's just great for the fans and great for hockey,' Armstrong said. 'Players are so excited to be part of this. ... It's neck and neck with the Stanley Cup right now of wanting to win that event.' Tkachuk was named to the U.S. team along with brother Brady. With the two becoming household names for new fans after the fight-filled 4 Nations, it feels a little like hockey is in its Tkachuk era. Italy is the next stop on their journey. '4 Nations was good, and hopefully Olympics will be great, as well,' said Matthew after becoming a two-time Cup champion. 'I feel I've been the luckiest guy in hockey.'
