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 weekend as the league returned from its 4 Nations Face-Off break. That includes Toronto traffic claiming another victim, a special birthday gift for Johnny Gaudreau’s son, a massive contract offer to Mikko Rantanen, Alex Ovechkin coming in hot at Wayne Gretzky’s record, injury fallout from the NHL mid-season international event, and some memorable highlights, including an iconic call of Team Canada’s game-winning 4 Nations goal.
Here are the top sights, sounds and news you might have missed in hockey last week
Toronto gridlock forces NHL team to talk to game … again
For the second time this season, an NHL team was forced to walk to Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena because of the city’s ongoing congestion problem. This time, it was the Carolina Hurricanes who had to abandon their bus and take a chilly stroll to the game, just a couple months after the Utah Hockey Club suffered the same fate.
The Hurricanes posted a video on social platform X detailing their pre-game misfortunes ahead of a 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs with the caption: “When a Toronto traffic jam means a pregame walk to the rink.”
Utah players were also forced to walk to their contest against the Maple Leafs in late November after their bus got trapped in Toronto gridlock en route to the game. The team posted a video on social media of players walking to Scotiabank Arena, with defenceman Maveric Lamoureux saying the bus was “not moving at all.”
Coincidentally, I’m sure, the Maple Leafs also took the win over Utah that night, meaning the team is 2-0 when opponents have to abandon their bus and walk to the game this season. Looks like Toronto has found its competitive advantage.
Entire arena sings “Happy Birthday” to Johnny Gaudreau Jr.
The hockey community often comes together like none other, and that sentiment couldn’t be more true in Columbus over the weekend.
In a touching display during a break in the action as the Blue Jackets took on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, the entire, nearly 20,000-person crowd at Nationwide Arena belted out “Happy Birthday” for Johnny Gaudreau Jr. — the son of late NHL forward Johnny Gaudreau — to celebrate his first birthday.
As soon as the Blue Jackets PA announcer started singing “Happy Birthday” to Gaudreau Jr., after asking the crowd to join along, Blue Jackets and Blackhawks fans alike banded together to serenade baby Gaudreau — who got a massive ovation as he was shown on the arena’s video board.
The toddler, wearing a sweatshirt with his father’s signature written across the front, bobbed up and down and clapped along as the crowd sung. A delightful moment amid whats been a miserable few months since Gaudreau, along with his brother Matthew, were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver in August.
This week’s best goal and call are one in the same, as the Spanish-language call of McDavid’s 4 Nations-winning snipe was absolutely electric.
More of this, please.
Matthew Tkachuk’s injury reportedly raising concerns for Panthers
Despite the recent 4 Nations Face-Off being a massive success on and off the ice for the NHL and the game in general, some of the league’s general managers and coaches saw their biggest fears over an in-season event like this come to fruition: major injuries to star players.
The Vegas Golden Knights lost star defenceman Shea Theodore for the foreseeable future after the Canadian defenceman was listed “week-to-week” following a fairly substantial injury he suffered in Canada’s opening game against Sweden.
The Bruins will be without stud blueliner Charlie McAvoy for a while after he suffered a brutal shoulder injury during the tournament and had to miss Team USA’s tournament finale against Canada.
Now the Panthers may also have to get used to life without one of their best players, Matthew Tkachuk, for the rest of the season as they gear up to defend their Stanley Cup title.
Renaud Lavoie is suggesting there’s some concern that Mathew Tkachuk’s season might be over. He did not confirm it, just said “we’re waiting for important medical results, we’re hearing his year might be over, we don’t want it to be, but there’s some concern.” https://t.co/sX0EOAVrV5
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 23, 2025
Tkachuk, who did not play this weekend for the Panthers and saw very limited minutes against Canada in the 4 Nations championship game after sitting out USA’s final round-robin contest against Sweden with an injury, appeared to get hurt when the two rival nations squared off on Feb. 15 in Montreal.
The injury could have a huge implication on the Panthers and the Atlantic as a whole if Tkachuk is out long term, as the Maple Leafs sit just one point behind Florida for the division lead with a game in hand as of this writing.
Tkachuk has 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points in 52 games this season, adding 84 hits and 56 penalty minutes while averaging 18:14 of TOI.
Hurricanes offer Rantanen massive contract after blockbuster trade
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, star Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen is mulling over a massive contract offer from the team that acquired him from Colorado in a shocking blockbuster trade last month.
The offer is reportedly in the “nine digits” range, meaning the offer is likely worth, at minimum, $12.5 million per season on an eight-year term. NHL insider Kevin Weekes reported over the weekend that the offer is worth somewhere between $13-14-million per year.
“I’m told the offer is north of 13 Million, in and around between the 13-14 million dollar number.”@KevinWeekes dropped some extra details on Mikko Rantanen’s contract talks during the first intermission of the Chicago Blackhawks-Toronto Maple Leafs game. 👀#RaiseUp #NHL pic.twitter.com/CAjOf7ZpH4
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) February 24, 2025
The offer is significant as there are currently zero players on $100-plus million contracts in the NHL, until next season when Edmonton Oiler star Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year, $112 million extension kicks in. Fellow Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is up for a new deal in 2026 and will also likely command a nine-figure deal. Some other young stars currently in their late teens and early 20s (Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, etc) may get to that range in the future too as the salary cap rises.
A $13-14 million AAV for Rantanen would put him right up there among — if not at the top — of player salaries league-wide. Draisaitl will be at $14-million per next season, while the rest of the list of the league’s top players currently shakes out like this for the 2024-25 campaign:
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Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs): $13.25 million
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Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche): $12.6 million
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Connor McDavid (Oilers): $12.5 million
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Artemi Panarin (Rangers): $11.64 million
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Elias Pettersson (Canucks): $11.6 million
The Hurricanes, who gave up star Martin Necas in a risky deal to acquire Rantanen without a contract extension in place, will have a big decision to make if they can’t get the pending unrestricted free-agent signed before the trade deadline.
Rantanen is reportedly mulling over the offer and it’s not known, at least as of this writing, which way he is leaning. Could be some fireworks if this, for whatever reason, doesn’t get done.
Wayne Gretzky’s record imminent for Ovechkin?
This old dog just can’t stop scoring. It’s insane.
With Russia not invited to the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off event, Alex Ovechkin had some time to rest his wounds and get ready for the latter half of the NHL season with his Washington Capitals sitting atop the league and Wayne Gretzky’s elusive all-time NHL scoring record in sight.
Well, that rest clearly did Ovi some good as he came back from the break doing what he’s always done: putting the puck in the back of the net at a torrid pace. On Sunday, Ovechkin tallied his 32nd career hat trick — and first ever against Gretzky’s former team, the Oilers — to pull within 13 goals of Gretzky’s record.
The hunt is officially on and what once looked impossible is now likely to be the reality as Ovechkin has a real chance to break the record this season.
With 29 Goals in 41 games so far, Ovechkin, if he keeps up this pace and avoids injury, can score goal No. 895 in 19 more games, while Ovi’s Capitals have 25 games left this season.
Those late-season tickets in Washington are going to be a hot commodity.
Quote of the week: Jon Cooper tells Canada to get selfish
Jon Cooper mic’d up, telling the Canadian shooters to be selfish, is glorious.
Feed of the week: Gavin McKenna dazzles
By most accounts, Canada’s “next one” is Whitehorse product and WHL star Gavin McKenna, who is already slated by most to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL draft.
This absurd pass, making a bunch of major junior players look completely lost, shows exactly why. Just nasty.
Fight of the week: Buchinger’s first pro fight
How this for a first professional fight?
St. Louis Blues prospect Michael Buchinger absolutely laid a beating down on Penguins’ AHLer Rutger McGroarty, who Winnipeg Jets fans surely remember asking for a trade out of the organization last year.
Blooper of the week: Rob Ray lets it fly after taking a puck to the face
Cover your ears if F-bombs offend you, but this has to be one of the funnier broadcasting moments ever produced during an NHL hockey game.
Former NHL heavyweight Rob Ray is still as tough as they come.
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