Last week in the NHL: Elite prospect Demidov joins Canadiens, hockey world mourns Greg Millen, Canucks crash out of playoff race

Every week, we’ll update you on all the important musings in the hockey world over the past seven days — from the NHL and beyond.

There were plenty of viral happenings on and off the ice this past week, including the Canucks’ playoff hopes being put to rest, the Jets claiming their first Presidents’ Trophy, Gabriel Landeskog returning after three lost seasons, a highly-touted prospect joining the upstart Canadiens, the falling of the old guard and more.

Here are the top sights, sounds and news you might have missed in hockey last week.

Less than a year after getting within one win of reaching the Western Conference finals and their most successful campaign in 10 years, the Vancouver Canucks were officially eliminated from playoff contention with 4 games remaining in the NHL’s regular season.

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On Wednesday night, the Minnesota Wild won a wild overtime clash, 8-7, over the San Jose Sharks to finally eliminate Vancouver from the NHL’s post-season race.

Making the development even more heartbreaking for Canucks fans is the fact the team was ousted after an incredible comeback win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, with Vancouver becoming the first team in NHL history to win a game when facing a three-goal deficit in the final minute.

It was a tumultuous campaign in Vancouver, to put it mildly. The team dealt with goalie Thatcher Demko’s injury issues, an inability to win games at home early in the year, star forward Elias Pettersson’s struggles, Brock Boeser’s concussion, the Pettersson-J.T. Miller drama that led to Miller being traded to the Rangers in January, and late season injuries to star blueliner Quinn Hughes and the club’s top two centremen.

The Canucks will face plenty of uncertainty this offseason as 2024 NHL Coach of the Year, Rick Tocchet, remains unsigned. So far, the team hasn’t made any indication of whether he’ll be sticking around or leaving for greener pastures.

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It also seems that Boeser’s time in Vancouver is coming to an end, according to the Canucks forward.

“Honestly, [returning to the Canucks is] unlikely at this point,” Boeser told Sportsnet. “It sucks, it’s unfortunate. I’m just trying to play good hockey, and then I’ll worry about everything after that. We all know it’s been a roller coaster of a year. There’s been a lot of different things.”

Highly-touted Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov made headlines early last week when it was revealed he would be leaving the KHL to join the NHL club just in-time for the team’s surprise playoff run.

Demidov was selected by the Canadiens in the first round, No. 5 overall, of the 2024 NHL Draft, and is considered one of the best prospects in the NHL.

As the youngest player to play a full season with the KHL’s St. Petersburg club, the teenage Russian led SKA in both assists and points. Demidov was named the KHL’s Rookie of the Month three times — September, December and January — while registering 19 goals and 30 assists during his first full professional season.

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Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes made it official on Tuesday, announcing that the team had agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level deal with Demidov.

Demidov’s highly-anticipated debut is likely to come against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night. The Canadiens hold a three-point cushion for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just two games remaining. They will likely face the Capitals in the opening round.

The hockey world lost a pair of legends last week as former NHL goalie and lontime broadcaster Greg Millen, along with former NHL GM Ray Shero both passed away.

Millen played 14 seasons in the NHL from 1978-92, suiting for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings.

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The former goaltender went on to an illustrious broadcasting career immediately following his playing days, becoming a major part of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada coverage and the NHL on Sportsnet. He covered three Olympic Games, two World Cups of Hockey, 12 Stanley Cup finals and 12 NHL all-star games. The NHL Alumni Association announced the 67-year-old’s death Monday but did not provide a cause.

Shero, a longtime NHL executive who most recently was a senior adviser to general manager Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild, died last Wednesday at the age of 62.

Shero spent 13 seasons as an NHL GM — several with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2006-14 before joining the New Jersey Devils in the same capacity for five seasons.

“Ray Shero’s smile and personality lit up every room he walked into and brightened the day of everyone he met,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

“Widely respected throughout hockey for his team-building acumen and eye for talent, he was even more beloved for how he treated everyone fortunate enough to have known him.”

The news out of Winnipeg is much more positive than Vancouver this season. On Sunday, the Jets clinched the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team for the first time in franchise history.

Ironically enough, the Jets are also the first Canadians team to claim the award since the 2011-12 season, when the Canucks secured their second of two-straight Presidents’ Trophies.

The Jets clinched the award when the Washington Capitals fell to the Blue Jackets on Sunday.

The team is in pursuit of much bigger trophies, like the Stanley Cup, but this is still something to be proud of, according to Jets head coach Scott Arniel.

“At the end of the day, it’s not the trophy we’re after,” Arniel said.

“It’s a heck of an accomplishment. Guys should be real proud of it, just what we’ve gone through this year, and to be right in the thick of things all year long as one of the best in the League, it’s a heck of an accomplishment.”

The Jets get their first crack at the elusive trophy when the Stanley Cup playoffs kick off this weekend.

Winnipeg will face either the Minnesota Wild or the surging St. Louis Blues in the opening round.

After three years away from the game because of a freak injury, Colorado Avalanche captain and star forward Gabriel Landeskog made his return to the ice just in time for the playoffs.

Landeskog suited up in a professional hockey game for the first time in 1,020 days, joining the AHL’s Colorado Eagles while on loan as part of a minor league conditioning assignment.

The 32-year-old is set to play three games with the Eagles before his anticipated return to te NHL’s Avalanche.

Landeskog took to the podium after an extremely productive return to the ice:

Several of his Avalanche teammates and good friends were in attendance to catch the big moment:

Landeskog hasn’t played since June 26, 2022, when he lifted the Cup after a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Avalanche captain had an assist in that game to help Colorado win its third championship.

After a productive playoff run where he posted recording 11 goals and 22 points in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Landeskog missed the entire 2022-23 season following surgery on his right knee in October 2022. Landeskog then had cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023, causing him to miss the 2023-24 season and most of this season as well.

He should be a massive addition to the Avalanche roster as the team gears up for its playoff run as one of the favourites to reach the Western Conference final.

As clubs like the Canadiens make an unexpected, early move into the NHL’s playoff picture, several of the old guards are on the outside looking in.

For the first time in post-expansion NHL history, the four American Original Six Teams — Boston, Chicago Detroit and the New York Rangers — have all missed the playoffs in the same year.

The last time Detroit and Boston — two staples of success and stability over the past four decades — both missed the playoffs in the same season was 1967.

With the Rangers being eliminated from playoff contention, this marks only the 4th time a defending Presidents’ Trophy-winning team has missed the playoffs the following campaign.

It’s been so long since the Buffalo Sabres have sniffed the NHL postseason that there remains just one active NHL player who was on the team the last time it made the playoffs in 2010-11: Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers.

Winnipeg Connor Hellebuyck has had a Vezina and possible Hart Trophy-winning campaign between the pipes for the Jets this season, and has joined some pretty exclusive company in the process:

Legendary goalie Marc-Andre Fleury may have made his final home start of his career last week, so his kids joined him for a little pre-game wholesomeness ahead of the big clash.

Coming to an NHL team near you in 2026 — this kid is special.

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