2025-'26 NHL Season

The Canadiens survive, beating the Sabres in Buffalo in Game 7 in OT despite being outplayed for much of the game. Buffalo has a solid young team and should be a playoff participant for a while now. It was a very entertaining and well-played series. Would be nice to see the Sabres or Bills actually win a championship as Buffalo has suffered like no other city when it comes to annual letdowns.

Carolina-Montreal and Colorado-Vegas in the conference finals. A Carolina vs. Colorado finals almost seems inevitable but one never knows with playoff hockey.

the Habs have already exceeded expectations and can play loose. Don’t be stunned if they advance to the cup finals!

Go Habs Go!

Vegas sweeps Colorado in the Western Conference final. To win the series was unexpected but to do it in four games was shocking. Vegas scored 26 fewer points than the Avalanche during the regular season but were methodical in pulling off the huge upset.

The Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy, one of the most highly thought of coaches in the NHL, toward the end of the season and brought in veteran coach John Tortorella. The move paid off as the team has gone 19-5 under Torts.

There's never been a pro expansion team as successful as Vegas. They were in the Stanley Cup finals in their first year and will be in the finals for the third time in their nine year history. Now we'll see if they play Carolina or Montreal for the right to hoist the greatest trophy in sports.

Don Wassall said:

Vegas sweeps Colorado in the Western Conference final. To win the series was unexpected but to do it in four games was shocking. Vegas scored 26 fewer points than the Avalanche during the regular season but were methodical in pulling off the huge upset.

The Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy, one of the most highly thought of coaches in the NHL, toward the end of the season and brought in veteran coach John Tortorella. The move paid off as the team has gone 19-5 under Torts.

There's never been a pro expansion team as successful as Vegas. They were in the Stanley Cup finals in their first year and will be in the finals for the third time in their nine year history. Now we'll see if they play Carolina or Montreal for the right to hoist the greatest trophy in sports.

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Crazy turn of events. Colorado was stacked this year!

Vegas humiliating Carolina in Game 3. They have four goals already in the second period, including a hat trick by Mitch Marner, plus two that were disallowed, six in all. The Hurricanes are allowing one odd man break after another, it's like watching the Penguins' "defense" in recent years.

Game 3, like the first two, is being nationally televised in prime time by ABC.

And now Carolina responds with 3 goals in 39 seconds! Incredible! All three games have been back and forth like this, still 12 minutes left in the third with Vegas now leading 4-3.

Good series that feels destined for 7 games!

The Hurricanes lead Vegas 3-1 after two periods in Game 5 in Raleigh in what continues to be a great Stanley Cup Finals. Jordan Staal has scored in all five games in the series, six overall, the first player to do so in the Finals in 53 years.

Drafted second overall in the 2006 draft by the Penguins at the age of 17, Jordan is the youngest of the legendary Staal hockey brothers. At the age of 20 he was a key player in the Pens' Stanley Cup win in 2009 and now 17 years later is a grizzled veteran and long-time captain of Carolina. At 6'4" 220 lbs. he's always been a physical presence and remains one of the outstanding two-way players in the NHL.

This goal in Game 4 while on his stomach is emblematic of Staal's skill and tenacity.


Edit: Carolina wins 4-2 to go up three games to two.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella vowed that the Stanley Cup Final would return to Raleigh for Game 7 after the Carolina Hurricanes pushed his team to the brink of elimination.

"We'll be back here. We're just going to do it in a different order," Tortorella said after the Golden Knights' 4-2 loss in Game 5 on Thursday night, putting them down 3-2 in the series to the Hurricanes. "I'm going to leave my clothes here. That's for sure. They'll be in the hotel."

Vegas will have to beat the odds if it is to rally for the Stanley Cup. The winner of Game 5 in a Cup Final tied at 2-2 has gone on win the series nearly 75% of the time. When a home team wins Game 5, as Carolina did Thursday night, that winning percentage increases to 80%. Teams that go up 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final have a 37-8 series record and have won 10 straight series.

Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas.

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Tortorella is easy to like. I've never managed to progress past the most casual hockey fandom, even though the playoff hockey is consistently enjoyable. Some of the biggest personalities (and most recognizable faces) seem to be the coaches.

Trying to win the Cup on the road, Carolina leads Vegas 2-0 going into the third period of Game 6. Vegas didn't have a single shot on goal for the last 16 minutes of the second period so they need to rally big time to take the series to a Game 7.

It's on ABC if anyone's interested. Watching a team win the Stanley Cup is one of the best celebrations in sports, also the handshakes between the teams after it's over.

Don Wassall said:

Trying to win the Cup on the road, Carolina leads Vegas 2-0 going into the third period of Game 6. Vegas didn't have a single shot on goal for the last 16 minutes of the second period so they need to rally big time to take the series to a Game 7.

It's on ABC if anyone's interested. Watching a team win the Stanley Cup is one of the best celebrations in sports, also the handshakes between the teams after it's over.

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Hey Don. I actually watched the entire game. I must say it was quite exciting. My wife was even watching, somewhat. She asked me what icing meant. I don't think I've watched an entire Hockey game since the 1980 Olympics when USA won gold. My sons watch quite a bit and have been to several games. Maybe, I'll get out to Raleigh next year to see a game live. Was really impressed by the Canes goalie Bussi
Congratulations Carolina Hurricanes!

Carolina Speed said:

Hey Don. I actually watched the entire game. I must say it was quite exciting. My wife was even watching, somewhat. She asked me what icing meant. I don't think I've watched an entire Hockey game since the 1980 Olympics when USA won gold. My sons watch quite a bit and have been to several games. Maybe, I'll get out to Raleigh next year to see a game live. Was really impressed by the Canes goalie Bussi
Congratulations Carolina Hurricanes!

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They're an excellent team, very well coached, lots of quality players, and had been "knocking on the door" for several years as one of the top teams in the league. Very glad to see them win, I mentioned Jordan Staal above, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Rod Brind'Amour was a heckuva player for many years, always an unselfish team first player and was the team captain when Carolina won the Cup in '06, and does a great job now as coach. Well earned, well deserved.

I have to say that there is something terribly wrong with the Vancouver Canucks Ownership and management staff. Their choice of Manny Malholtra as Head Coach then choosing his kid and their first pick(3rd overall) ahead of Daxon Rudolph blows my mind.... another 4-5 years of crap hockey for the Vancouver fans and they will just take it...... garbage!

sprintstar said:

I have to say that there is something terribly wrong with the Vancouver Canucks Ownership and management staff. Their choice of Manny Malholtra as Head Coach then choosing his kid and their first pick(3rd overall) ahead of Daxon Rudolph blows my mind.... another 4-5 years of crap hockey for the Vancouver fans and they will just take it...... garbage!

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Sounds like the Canucks want to make hockey more diverse by inserting a mixed head coach and his mixed son.

Not trying to make a conflict here but the k@lergi plan is now cited by normies at an increasing rate. Any chance the word can be used here again?

Leonardfan said:

Sounds like the Canucks want to make hockey more diverse by inserting a mixed head coach and his mixed son.

Not trying to make a conflict here but the k@lergi plan is now cited by normies at an increasing rate. Any chance the word can be used here again?

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The other big story regarding "Caleb" (when did that name become so popular?) is he's the nephew of ex-NBA super liberal, pro-illegal immigration zealot Steve Nash, who (ironically) was immediately fired as Nets head coach for not denouncing rabid "anti-semite" Kyrie Irving

Nash's younger sister is married to Manny.

I remember watching when Manny Malholtra was drafted back in 1998. The Blue Shirts absolutely wasted a coveted top 10 pick on an obvious turd/career forth line forward, for diversity reasons? He looked nothing like his parents. His dad was on older Indian man, who looked like your typical 7/11 clerk named Vivek or Dinesh -- very straight Indian hair, ect. His mom was even older looking and White. Looked like ex-Fed Chair Janet Yellen (not a pretty site).

So one would figure Manny would look like current "Half-caste" Utah (NHL) star Dylan Guenther or ex-NFL player Brandon Chillar. Instead, Malholtra looked much more like Mike Tirico or Dan Bongino, obvious mulattoes who claim Italian heritage

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=25931 (click on his photo for 5 pics)


From what I understand, the city of Vancouver is basically new India. So a total raisin-sack cuck like (GM) Jim Rutherford has been scouring the ends of the earth for an "Indian Star". A few years ago, with quite a bit of local fanfare, the Canucks signed the "Indian Gretzky", who has 2 career goals

Also on the diversity watch:

We discussed J.A. Caglianone in the MLB thread. White looking Royals star, with a non-white mom. Same as Toronto Maple Leafs star Austin Mathews -- ex #1 overall. Well, we've got another: https://www.nhl.com/video/draft-moments-mckenna-goes-no-1-6399506923112

No doubt our "Kosher friends" at NHL headquarters and ESPN pushed his Native family members to dress like Sacagawea and Tanto


P.S: I want to keep this brief, so don't even want to get started on Ottawa's final pick in round one

Truthteller said:

Also on the diversity watch:

We discussed J.A. Caglianone in the MLB thread. White looking Royals star, with a non-white mom. Same as Toronto Maple Leafs star Austin Mathews -- ex #1 overall. Well, we've got another: https://www.nhl.com/video/draft-moments-mckenna-goes-no-1-6399506923112

No doubt our "Kosher friends" at NHL headquarters and ESPN pushed his Native family members to dress like Sacagawea and Tanto

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Lol good grief. Hide the Listerine, stash the old cologne bottles, put away the lighter fluid. It's not even "traditional injun garb," it's a bastardized take on Western fashion that couldn't be worn by anyone else. Imagine your Mexican grandpa wearing a burlap poncho over his suit sitting in your booth on draft night

Phall said:

Lol good grief. Hide the Listerine, stash the old cologne bottles, put away the lighter fluid. It's not even "traditional injun garb," it's a bastardized take on Western fashion that couldn't be worn by anyone else. Imagine your Mexican grandpa wearing a burlap poncho over his suit sitting in your booth on draft night

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Hahahaha.

Gavin McKenna looks much Whiter than me, and I’m 100% European (confirmed with DNA testing). That is super cringe that his family, or likely the enemy media, is trying to play up some probably over exaggerated Feather Indian blood.

Freethinker said:

Gavin McKenna looks much Whiter than me, and I’m 100% European (confirmed with DNA testing). That is super cringe that his family, or likely the enemy media, is trying to play up some probably over exaggerated Feather Indian blood.

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Freethinker and Phall, here is the 3rd world "tally" from NHL.com: https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/nhl-draft/color-of-hockey-diversity-on-display-at-2026-nhl-draft

I agree, McKenna is someone I'd count as "White", despite the (((tribe's))) shenanigans to make him seem non-White. Cole Zurawski is even Whiter than McKenna, but were are told by NHL.com that he is NOT!

The other 10 are varying degrees of non-whites: One black (round 1), who did not have a typical round one "resume', but seems to possess mouth-watering "upside"**** ..... where did we hear that before?

3 bizarro mulattoes, two Eurasians and others. Singh and the Poly (son of ex-NFL sumo) drafted in round 7 will likely never be on NHL rosters, unless Gary Betteman keeps going 100% against fans wishes and continues to recklessly expand/rapidly water down the NHL's talent level. This week he announced either Houston or Austin will be added... Atlanta 3.0 is soon to follow, unfortunately

The "Dominican" goalie drafted by Boston, surprisingly, is not a mulatto. He looks more like a Jose Canseco type.....not even sure how to categorize Malholtra, as I noted above he's said to be 1/4th Indian (hindu), but appears to be the son of a Mulatto.

While Penn State is getting much Whiter in football, looks like the N'Lions are getting darker in hockey -- adding two high profile blacks.

****The Hockey Writers https://thehockeywriters.com › Ottawa Senators

Overall, Cover's upside is very high, and he has all the tools to become an impact player in the NHL at some point

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“Jaxon Cover is a high-upside, rapidly developing forward whose offensive game is driven by strong net-front instincts, ...

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Truthteller said:

Freethinker and Phall, here is the 3rd world "tally" from NHL.com: https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/nhl-draft/color-of-hockey-diversity-on-display-at-2026-nhl-draft

I agree, McKenna is someone I'd count as "White", despite the (((tribe's))) shenanigans to make him seem non-White. Cole Zurawski is even Whiter than McKenna, but were are told by NHL.com that he is NOT!

The other 10 are varying degrees of non-whites: One black (round 1), who did not have a typical round one "resume', but seems to possess mouth-watering "upside"**** ..... where did we hear that before?

3 bizarro mulattoes, two Eurasians and others. Singh and the Poly (son of ex-NFL sumo) drafted in round 7 will likely never be on NHL rosters, unless Gary Betteman keeps going 100% against fans wishes and continues to recklessly expand/rapidly water down the NHL's talent level. This week he announced either Houston or Austin will be added... Atlanta 3.0 is soon to follow, unfortunately

The "Dominican" goalie drafted by Boston, surprisingly, is not a mulatto. He looks more like a Jose Canseco type.....

While Penn State is getting much Whiter in football, looks like the N'Lions are getting darker in hockey -- adding two high profile blacks.

****The Hockey Writers https://thehockeywriters.com › Ottawa Senators

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I notice you didn't post a single time in the NHL forum during the season or playoffs. An overwhelmingly White league and a great sport which had a great season. But now we get your fixation with rooting out and condemning any player who may have an Indian grandfather, or the NHL career of an unknown drafted back in 1998.

Do you really expect the NHL to be 100 percent White, with every player passing your Aryan purity test going back at least two generations? If not, then what's the point?

Your posts are always filled with nasty remarks about Jews, blacks, and everyone else, even Steve Nash's "fat" sister. You're here primarily to attack non-Whites rather than to support White athletes. If you've written posts supporting White athletes without the obligatory attacks on your usual targets I don't seem to remember them.

You're a great example of why the pro-White movement will never get anywhere when it concentrates on showing dislike for others rather than supporting our own. It's difficult for me to believe that lesson hasn't been learned by now.

I've lamented the lack of activity in the hockey forum. I'd like to be able to discuss the season and league with more posters. But not your type of posts. There's nothing positive about you, only the vicious and the negative.

The leafs getting bob as a goalie is interesting though. The guy has ice in his veins in the playoffs and Toronto could surely use that.

Bunch of interesting moves this postseason but to me that’s one of the biggest.

That and the Tkachuk brothers playing together for the Cats.

Look forward to the season starting!

SneakyQuick said:

The leafs getting bob as a goalie is interesting though. The guy has ice in his veins in the playoffs and Toronto could surely use that.

Bunch of interesting moves this postseason but to me that’s one of the biggest.

That and the Tkachuk brothers playing together for the Cats.

Look forward to the season starting!

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A lot of observers believe the Panthers will bounce back very strong. I've heard them mentioned as the strongest team in the Eastern Conference even after Carolina's dominating season. I don't expect much of a letdown from the Hurricanes barring the kinds of injuries that derailed Florida this season. Brind'Amour is a great coach just as he was a great player and captain and he'll keep his men motivated.

True but the panthers with a healthy Barkov and both Tkachuk brothers and the return of Gudas will def be in the conversation again this year.

The canes earned the cup but Last year was a horrific injury plagued season for the cats.

Here’s hoping they take the cup back!

Buffalo and Montreal are also young talented teams on the rise. And that's just in the East, with Tampa still a factor. If the Panthers make it three Cups in four years that'll be the most impressive achievement since peak Gretzky and the Oilers in the '90s.

The east is super competitive for sure. Buffalo and Montreal will have a lot to say this season about who represents the east also as you rightly point out.

Montreals young goalie I think has long run star potential.
Definitely cannot count the Habs out!

D.W., I'm sorry you feel that way. And if you think I should change my tone when I post, I will keep that in consideration going forward. You make fair points, particularly regarding Nash's sister (I'll delete that). It's your site, perhaps I should've posted more about the NHL in general?

Reality is, I have posted things related to hockey, although not often. Last fall I posted regarding McKenna and Penn State hockey before anyone was talking about him. And over the last several years I've posted some in the NHL forum......but very few replies in the thread, so I stopped

Actually, my point with Malholtra, like Dan Bongino and Mike Tirico, he did not appear Indian to me, but black...

If you've written posts supporting White athletes without the obligatory attacks on your usual targets I don't seem to remember them

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Very fair regarding my recent posts in this NHL thread; not as fair regarding my posts in the NFL and College football threads over the last several months (NFL draft; transfer window, ect.)*****. Posts regarding Stephen A. Smith and Caitlin Clark, as well as political posts, are harder not to mention race or other things.


***** Below are a small sample of posts I stayed away from "attacks".
https://castefootball.us/threads/undrafted-free-agent-tracker-2026.40486/ (did tons of research; little or no attacks in this thread)


P.S: In the NHL post above, I did mention my disappointment in the NHL's (Bettman) continued push towards expansion. Overall, I know most NHL fans don't want it -- water's down talent, takes away rivalry games (i.e.N.Y. area teams no longer play each other as much) ..ect...