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.

The NHL has suspended Florida Panthers vice chairman and alternate governor Doug Cifu from any involvement with the team or the league, doing so in response to inappropriate posts on Cifu’s now-shuttered social media account.

The NHL team in Salt Lake City is now known as the Utah Mammoth.

Winning the second draw at the NHL draft lottery and moving up from having the 14th pick to No. 4 is the latest development setting up a momentous summer for the Utah Hockey Club.

A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the NHL is planning an international event at UBS Arena next February in lieu of the previously announced All-Star Weekend at the home of the New York Islanders.

Wayne Gretzky witnessed Alex Ovechkin scoring his 893rd goal to move one back of tying his NHL record, as the Canadian great made his first in-person appearance during this chase.

The NHL has met with a group led by billionaire Dan Friedkin to discuss its interest in bringing an expansion team to Houston.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league and the Players' Association will sit down to begin negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement the week of April 1.

Video review, particularly coach's challenges for goaltender interference, took center stage on the first day of the NHL general managers' annual spring meeting.

The 4 Nations Face-Off was a one-off, a tournament with no past and no future, a trimmed down version of the World Cup of Hockey staged because the NHL’s best players have waited so long for something of its kind.

Hockey.

A lawyer and investor who managed money for one of the richest families in Texas, helped create one of the giants of the private-equity business and pushed to bring professional hockey to Seattle has died.

Talks on a new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players' Association are set to begin in early 2025.

While a vast majority of the 1,312 NHL games through June will take place in North America, the spotlight this season is on international play.

The outlook for NHL free agency.

The NHL team that moved from Arizona to Salt Lake City will be known as the Utah Hockey Club during its inaugural season.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sat next to the former Arizona Coyotes owner in a downtown Phoenix hotel meeting room, trying to put a positive spin on the funeral for a franchise.

The NHL is the only major North American professional sports league that has not expanded its playoffs in recent years.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Winnipeg a strong market where “hockey matters,” and said he believes the Jets' falling attendance will be resolved.

Italian officials want to hold the hockey games at brand new 16,000-seat arena in Milan (which is co-hosting along with Cortina d’Ampezzo), but in what’s become a theme of other construction efforts for the 2026 Games, the Italians are doing things at the last minute and better hope no delays occur.

The police chief in London, Ontario, has issued a public apology to a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will wait for the judicial process to play out before making any decisions about four players charged in a 2018 sexual assault case in Canada.

NHL players are returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade.

Four current members of the National Hockey League and a former NHL player have been charged with sexual assault.

The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with Corey Perry on a contract for the remainder of the NHL season.

The last centralized NHL Draft for the foreseeable future is going out with the glitz and bright lights of Vegas.

The death of American hockey player Adam Johnson from a skate blade to the neck has led officials in the NHL and other leagues to continue discussions about cut-resistant protection.

The Golden Knights raised their Stanley Cup championship banner in the most Las Vegas way possible.

The NHL sent a memo to teams last week clarifying what players can and cannot do as part of theme celebrations this season, including a ban on the use of rainbow-colored stick tape for Pride nights.

The Coyotes say owner Alex Meruelo has executed a letter of intent to buy a piece of land for a potential arena in Mesa, Arizona.

Rocky Wirtz, who won three Stanley Cup titles as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and presided over the team during one of the NHL’s biggest scandals, has died.

A new women’s pro hockey league will begin competing in North America as early as January.

NHL teams won’t have players wear themed jerseys during pregame warmups next season.

Marty Walsh was less than halfway through his term in the Biden administration as labor secretary when the phone rang with an interesting opportunity.

The modern era for Las Vegas sports began when the NHL awarded the city an expansion franchise in 2016.

Mark Stone was presented the Stanley Cup by Commissioner Gary Bettman as captain of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL is still committed to Arizona after Tempe voters rejected a referendum for a Coyotes arena.

The Arizona Coyotes were confident more than two decades of instability were coming to a close.

U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is expected to leave the Biden administration to run the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the way the league and two teams handled controversial developments involving Pride night celebrations.

The Boston Bruins have hired a law firm led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to review their player vetting process after signing prospect Mitchell Miller and then rescinding his contract offer.

Bruins President Cam Neely says the team “dropped the ball” with its internal vetting of Mitchell Miller, ultimately leading to the decision to rescind its contract offer to the defenseman.

The NHL salary cap could be going up more than expected sooner than expected.

The NHL for the first time has done an internal demographic study of its staff and all 32 teams.

The Montreal Canadiens have selected Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick in the NHL draft.

The Colorado Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup after dethroning the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

The chairman of the Nashville Predators has agreed to sell the majority of his stake in the NHL team to former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is projecting record revenue this season.

Josh Manson scored 8:02 into overtime, Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves in his return to the net from an eye injury, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The start of the NHL playoffs included more penalties called than any other first round in almost a decade.

Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist, and the Florida Panthers topped the Washington Capitals 5-1 on Thursday night to even their Eastern Conference first-round series at a game apiece.

Turner Sports and ESPN are carrying the NHL playoffs after they aired for 16 years on NBC and NBCSN.

Seth Jarvis and Nino Niederreiter scored second-period goals while Antti Raanta was strong in net to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Puck and player tracking in the NHL has taken major leaps since it was first tested in January 2019.

Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, who helped the Montreal Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died at age 70.

The NHL has unveiled a new logo for the Stanley Cup playoffs and Final that replaces the one used for the last 13 years.

The NHL is launching a faceoff probability stat that uses 10 years of data to determine the likelihood of each player in the circle winning the draw.

Emile “The Cat” Francis, the diminutive goalie who became a Hall of Fame coach and general manager with the New York Rangers has died.

The Arizona Coyotes will use Arizona State’s new on-campus hockey arena for at least the next three years while the team looks for a permanent home.

The NHL has announced that players won't be able to participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Some NHL players say they are unsettled by word that a positive COVID-19 test during the Winter Olympics in China could lead to a long quarantine.

The Jack Eichel era in Buffalo is over.

The Chicago Blackhawks have held settlement talks with the attorney for a former player who has sued the team.

Commissioner Gary Bettman is defending the NHL’s handling of disciplinary matters following an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks over sexual assault allegations in 2010.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has talked to Kyle Beach about what the league can do to better protect its players after Beach said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach in 2010 and his allegations were largely ignored by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Andrew Brunette is ready to coach the Florida Panthers for as long as the team needs.

Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz wants the Hockey Hall of Fame to cover the name of an assistant coach on the Stanley Cup after he was accused of sexually assaulting a player during the team’s run to the 2010 title.

The NHL has decided not to discipline a former Chicago Blackhawks assistant general manager for his role in the club's mishandling of sexual assault allegations made by a player in 2010.

Joel Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers on Thursday, two days after the second-winningest coach in NHL history was among those implicated for not swiftly responding to allegations by a Chicago Blackhawks player of being sexually assaulted by another coach during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The former player at the heart of the Chicago Blackhawks assault scandal has come forward publicly.

The Panthers are rolling this season but coach Joel Quenneville being named in a report detailing how the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled sexual assault allegations that an assistant on his staff sexually assaulted a player during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010 could derail Florida's hopes.

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville says he'll meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual abuse scandal.

The day started with Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato on top of the iconic Space Needle raising a deep blue flag with the tentacle shaped ‘S’ flying over the city.

Several months after COVID-19 vaccinations were made widely available in the United States, vaccination status continues to disrupt professional and college sports.

The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

While the fisticuffs never materialized, the Washington Capitals made a season-opening 5-1 victory against the division-rival New York Rangers memorable for Alex Ovechkin’s 731st and 732nd goals and Hendrix Lapierre’s first.

Tristan Jarry had 26 saves, Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle scored early second-period goals, and the short-handed Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 in the regular-season opener.

NHL players are going back to the Olympics.

Jersey advertisements are coming to the NHL.

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has denied allegations his wife made on social media that he bet on NHL games, including against his own team.

University of Michigan dominates start of NHL draft with defenseman Owen Power and forward Matthew Beniers becoming the first teammates selected first and second overall since 1969.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL schedule will include a break for the 2022 Winter Olympics even though there is no commitment the league's players will go to Beijing.

Expect a fast and furious NHL offseason to unfold in the coming days and weeks.

The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation says the death of Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks is a loss to the entire country of Latvia.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says time is running out to reach a deal to send players to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Vegas forward Ryan Reaves was suspended two games by the NHL for his roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct on Colorado’s Ryan Graves during the Golden Knights’ 7-1 loss in Game 1 of their second-round series Sunday.

The New York Rangers have been fined $250,000 by the NHL for criticizing head of player safety George Parros.

The Seattle Kraken are free to make trades and sign players after making their final expansion payment to the NHL.

The NHL is preparing to adjust playoff contingency plans if virus restrictions in Canada prevent travel between provinces or back and forth to the U.S. Commissioner Gary Bettman says it’s going to depend on government regulations in terms of where teams will be able to travel.

Tyrrell Hatton is the fourth player out of the Valspar Championship because of a positive test for the coronavirus.

The National Hockey League is coming to TNT.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb 2, 2017 file photo, Former St. Louis Blues player Bob Plager waves to fans while speaking during a ceremony to retire his number before an NHL hockey game between the Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs in St. Louis. Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in a car crash in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)ST. LOUIS – Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. “It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager,” the team said in a statement. “He was an original 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an original in every sense of the word.

AP Photo/Chris Seward)A year after the pandemic temporarily shut down the NHL, a handful of roadblocks remain to handing out the Stanley Cup again this season — including the U.S.-Canada border. The border remains closed to nonessential travel, an issue the NHL addressed before the 2021 season began in January by realigning its divisions. But the league has a decision looming on what to do when a Canadian team faces a U.S. opponent in the third round of the playoffs. Talks are ongoing with Canadian government officials, though nothing needs to be settled yet since cross-border play won't happen until mid-June. “We’ve got a little bit of time to deal with this,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during a video interview Thursday.

Players stand on the ice during the playing of the national anthem before an NHL hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Detroit. The NHL and ESPN are together again after announcing a seven-year agreement that also includes extensive streaming rights. “This is a win, win, win. ESPN will produce 75 national games per season that will stream exclusively on both ESPN+ and Hulu. Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu and has been offering packages that include Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+.

FILE - National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to members of the media , Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Sunrise, Fla. The National Hockey League will be returning to ESPN beginning next season. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, file)The National Hockey League will return to ESPN beginning next season. ESPN started airing NHL games when it went on the air in 1979 by making deals with individual teams. It had the national NHL rights from 1985-88 and 1992-2004.

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) races for the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period of of Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game at Stateline, Nev., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli))STATELINE, Nev. – Nathan MacKinnon scored a dazzling goal more than nine hours after assisting on another to highlight a most unusual and lengthy outdoor game at Lake Tahoe that the Colorado Avalanche won 3-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Although it’s fair to say that none of those had the picturesque setting of this rink located on the 18th fairway of a golf course on the shores of Lake Tahoe and surrounded by trees with snow-covered mountains towering in the background. Fleury made 36 saves for Vegas and fell to 0-3 in three career outdoor game starts. AdPART 1The Avs controlled the play under the sun, getting an early goal from Girard and outshooting Vegas 17-8 in the first 20 minutes.

Members of the Colorado Avalanche, in white, and the Vegas Golden Knights, red play during the first period of the Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game in Stateline, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli))STATELINE, Nev. – The setting was spectacular but the ice conditions were far from it, leading to a more than eight-hour delay between the first and second period of the outdoor game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche at Lake Tahoe. The NHL decided to halt the game Saturday afternoon because bright sun and temperatures hovering around freezing led to poor ice conditions that had players and officials repeatedly falling because of holes on the ice. AdBut the delay didn't alter Bettman's commitment to outdoor games, even in unconventional settings outside of a stadium venue like Lake Tahoe. Both teams were unable to practice on the specially built outdoor rink before Saturday's Vegas-Colorado game because of the ice conditions.

On the eve of his franchise-record 1000th regular season game, the superstar looks just as dangerous as ever, with no end in sight. Crosby will cross another milestone Saturday night when he becomes the first Penguin to play in 1,000 regular-season games. Ad“He’s not ready to relinquish the best player in the game attribute or that he’s carried here for a decade-plus,” Sullivan said. The idea of Crosby playing with regularity again — let alone getting to 1,000 games — seemed improbable at best. AdStill, despite the constant setbacks, Crosby remained committed to both the short game and the long one.

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)The NHL is taking another step forward in data, analytics, and puck and player tracking. The league has reached an agreement with Amazon Web Services to put all its video and data on the cloud. AdNHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy unveiled the deal on NBC Sports Network late Wednesday. Later this season, fans looking up stats on the NHL's website will get corresponding video clips and vice versa. “It kind of melts your mind with the number of opportunities that are sitting in front of us.”___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports