Newcomer Paul Cotter proved his value, scoring again in Prague as the New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 for a sweep of their regular-season-opening series in the Czech capital.

Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves and Paul Cotter had an empty-netter and assist in their debuts with New Jersey as the Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 in the NHL regular-season opener that was played in the Czech Republic capital.

The New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres will open the NHL regular season with matches on Friday and Saturday in Prague.

The attorney general for the District of Columbia contends that the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals are obligated to play their games in the downtown arena through 2047.

Devils captain Nico Hischier had two goals and an assist, including the second-fastest goal to start an outdoor game, and New Jersey never looked back in beating the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 before 70,328 fans at MetLife Stadium.

Hockey is coming back to the New Jersey Meadowlands this weekend with MetLife Stadium serving as the venue for the NHL’s Stadium Series.

Injured New Jersey Devils All-Star Jack Hughes is close to returning to their lineup.

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.

Court documents show five players from Canada's 2018 world junior team have been charged with sexual assault.

New Jersey Devils coach Lindy Ruff was struck in the face by a puck and wasn’t behind the bench for the third period of his team’s 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard departed after he was leveled in the first period of a 4-2 loss to Simon Nemec and the New Jersey Devils.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard has departed their game against New Jersey after he was leveled by Devils defenseman Brendan Smith in the first period.

The Detroit Red Wings say Patrick Kane is ready to make his season debut.

Former Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is reportedly joining the Detroit Red Wings.

The NHL has suspended Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton for two games without pay for what it determined was an illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier on Friday night.

Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz scored in the shootout, and the Arizona Coyotes recovered after giving up a two-goal lead and rallied to beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3.

Dougie Hamilton snapped a third-period tie, Vitek Vanecek made 32 saves and the New Jersey Devils beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in the season opener for each team.

Short contracts with some including performance bonuses were popular early in NHL free agency.

Jordan Martinook had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes scored five times in the second period to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice in a roughly 2 1/2-minute span during Carolina’s four-goal second period that helped the Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Friday night.

Dougie Hamilton scored 11:36 into overtime and the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Rangers 2-1 to cut their series deficit to 2-1.

Igor Shesterkin stopped 27 shots, Chris Kreider scored two power-play goals and the New York Rangers stunned the New Jersey Devils 5-1 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

It took until the final day of the NHL regular season to set all eight matchups for the first round of the playoffs.

The Boston Bruins tied an NHL record with their 62nd win of the season.

The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman Luke Hughes — the younger brother of star center Jack Hughes — to a three-year, entry-level contract starting this season.

The Detroit Red Wings are trading one of their leading scorers to the Boston Bruins.

New Jersey Devils associate coach and former Florida Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette has been arrested in South Florida and charged with driving under the influence.

Brock Nelson scored twice, Cal Clutterbuck had a goal and an assist and the New York Islanders beat New Jersey 6-4, handing the first-place Devils just their second regulation loss in 21 games.

Nico Hischier had three assists and the no-name New Jersey Devils beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 to tie a franchise record with their 13th consecutive win.

Jesper Boqvist scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and the New Jersey Devils beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 Saturday night for their ninth straight win.

Jack Hughes scored on a power play early in the third period and Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves for his first shutout with New Jersey in the Devils’ 1-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Jesper Bratt had two goals and an assist as the New Jersey Devils beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-2.

Detroit Red Wings left winger Tyler Bertuzzi will miss the next 4-6 weeks after sustaining an upper body injury while blocking a shot on Saturday night vs. the Devils.

Alex Nedeljkovic had 37 saves and Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

The Florida Panthers could have maintained the status quo this summer after posting the NHL’s best record.

The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms with left winger Ondrej Palat on a $30 million, five-year contract.

Former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is joining the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant.

The Detroit Red Wings have fired coach Jeff Blashill after seven seasons behind the bench.

The Detroit Red Wings announced Saturday that the team will not renew contracts for its head coach or two other coaches.

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes has been placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list after participating in the league’s All-Star festivities in Las Vegas.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has been selected to the 2022 NHL All-Star Atlantic Division roster.

New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Devils’ game against the Edmonton Oilers and was isolated from the team.

The Detroit Red Wings are prepared to host the Washington Capitals on New Year's Eve at Little Caesars Arena.

The NHL and its players association has temporarily clamped down on teams crossing the Canadian border and shut down operations of two more teams.

The NHL and its players association has temporarily clamped down on teams crossing the Canadian border and shut down operations of two more teams.

The NHL and its players association has temporarily clamped down on teams crossing the Canadian border and shut down operations of a sixth team.

Dylan Larkin got his first career hat trick and added an assist as the Detroit Red Wings handed the New Jersey Devils their fifth consecutive loss, 5-2.

The Detroit Red Wings announced Saturday three players and two coaches have been placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

The Minnesota Wild didn’t let a traffic jam slow them down against the New Jersey Devils.

Penguins star Sidney Crosby is expected to play in Pittsburgh’s game at Washington after he and three teammates were activated from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star center Sidney Crosby and defenseman Brian Dumoulin in the COVID-19 protocol after both tested positive.

Jack Hughes scored his second goal of the game less than a minute into overtime and the New Jersey Devils beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 after blowing a late two-goal lead.

The Detroit Red Wings signed another forward this week in what is clearly a depth pickup before training camp starts.

The Detroit Red Wings have acquired center Mitchell Stephens from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 6th-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft.

The first full-service sportsbook at a major sports arena or stadium in the United States has opened in Washington.

Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each scored their 20th goal of the season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2.

Pavel Buchnevich celebrated his birthday with his first career hat trick and the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3 on Saturday for their third win over their Hudson River rivals in five days.

The Detroit Red Wings have traded forward Anthony Mantha to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a first-round pick and forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik.

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his goal with the bench during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin scored twice, Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves and the Washington Capitals rode their best players to a 4-0 victory Friday night and two-game sweep of the New Jersey Devils. Ovechkin has scored 10 times in his past 10 games and has a team-best 17 goals this season. Nicklas Backstrom scored his 13th goal of the season, while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson each had two assists. With Ovechkin rolling, the Capitals have won nine of their past 10 games and are back atop the East Division.

Washington Capitals right wing Garnet Hathaway (21) scores a goal past New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (29) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)NEWARK, N.J. – Garnet Hathaway and Daniel Sprong scored in the opening 5:06, the streaking Washington Capitals built a big lead and held off the slumping New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Saturday. Nico Hischier and Pavel Zacha each scored for the second consecutive game for New Jersey, which has lost four of five. The Capitals, who rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat New Jersey last Sunday, learned from that game and started fast. Vanecek, playing in his 16th game, made at least three good saves early in the third period to keep Washington ahead. NOTES: The Devils presented C Travis Zajac a silver stick before the game for playing his 1,000th game last weekend.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 30: Dante Fabbro #57 of the Nashville Predators skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 30, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The first game-winning goal of Dante Fabbro’s career came in dramatic fashion. Fabbro scored with 59.2 seconds remaining to give the Nashville Predators a 3-2 victory over the struggling Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. POWER PLAY STRUGGLINGAfter coming up empty in four opportunities with the man advantage Thursday night, the Red Wings have not scored a power-play goal in their last seven games. “We still go over the boards trying to score,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said.

The Big 12 announced late Thursday that Saturday’s home game against TCU and next Wednesday’s game at Oklahoma have been postponed in accordance with the league’s interruption guidelines. With the latest changes, Baylor’s next scheduled game is at home Feb. 13 against No. AdThe NHL is releasing the names of players who are “unavailable” to the club for practice, travel or games due to virus protocols. ___West Virginia is boosting home attendance to 2,800, or 20% of capacity, for the men’s basketball game Feb. 13 between the 17th-ranked Mountaineers and No. ___Thursday’s women’s basketball game between No.

Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton (40) makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Buffalo Sabres are the latest NHL team to be shut down because of players in COVID protocol. The league has announced the Sabres are shut down through at least Feb. 8 after two players were added to the COVID-19 protocol list. Buffalo played New Jersey twice over the weekend, and the Devils are off through at least Feb. 6 with 10 players on the list. They are immediately isolated, not permitted to access club facilities, or to have direct contact with players or personnel. ___The NHL has postponed Tuesday's game between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders because of travel and weather-related concerns linked to coronavirus protocols.

Four games were postponed because of players testing positive or quarantining under the COVID-19 protocol. DePaul’s previously postponed game at St. John’s on Jan. 2 has been rescheduled for Feb. 20. Major League Baseball last week proposed a one-month delay in starting spring training due to the coronavirus pandemic. ___The Cleveland Indians will not be allowing fans to watch their spring training workouts in Arizona due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AdThere has not yet been a decision on whether fans will be able to attend spring training games.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel (9) carries the puck past New Jersey Devils forward Yegor Sharangovich (17) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)BUFFALO, N.Y. – Jack Eichel scored in a shootout, Linus Ullmark made 31 saves and the Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Saturday. Victor Olofsson, Tobias Rieder and Eric Staal also scored to help the Sabres improve to 3-0-2 in their past five games. AdJanne Kuokkanen, Ty Smith and Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey in former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s first trip to Buffalo since taking over the Devils this offseason. Buffalo’s top free-agent acquisition assisted on two goals, tying Eichel for the team lead with nine points in eight games. RUFF’S RETURNRuff served as a Rangers assistant and Stars head coach since being fired by the Sabres in 2013.

In this image provided by the Washington Capitals, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson wears a helmet bearing a Capital One logo during NHL hockey practice, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (Zach Guerette/Washington Capitals via AP)There will be advertisements on NHL players' helmets this season as teams try to recoup revenue lost to the pandemic. The New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators became the first teams to unveil helmet ads Tuesday. “Of course, the teams are in a big hole,” Nashville chief revenue officer Chris Junghans said after the team announced its deal with Bridgestone. “So, they're looking for valuable, real valuable, tangible assets that will help us, guys like me, make partners whole. Each of the first three teams got a deal done with the company that sponsors the naming rights for its arena.

Here are the first round selections from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft held virtually on Oct. 6, 2020. NY Rangers -- LW Alexis Lafrenière Los Angeles -- C Quinton Byfield Ottawa (from SJS) -- C/LW Tim Stutzle Detroit -- F Lucas Raymond Ottawa -- D Jake Sanderson Anaheim -- D Jamie Drysdale New Jersey -- RW Alexander Holtz Buffalo -- RW Jack Quinn Minnesota -- C Marco Rossi Winnipeg -- C/LW Cole Perfetti Nashville -- G Yaroslav Askarov Florida -- C Anton Lundell Carolina (from TOR) -- C Seth Jarvis Edmonton -- C/LW Dylan Holloway Toronto (from PIT) -- LW Rodion Amirov Montreal -- D Kaiden Guhle Chicago -- LW Lukas Reichel New Jersey (from ARI) -- C/RW Dawson Mercer NY Rangers (from CGY) -- D Braden Schneider New Jersey (from VAN via TBL) -- D Shakir Mukhamadullin Columbus -- RW Yegor Chinakhov Washington (from Calgary via NYR via CAR) -- C Hendrix Lapierre Philadelphia -- RW Tyson Foerster Calgary (from Washington) -- C Connor Zary Colorado -- D Justin Barron26. St. Louis -- LW Jake Neighbours Anaheim (from BOS) -- RW Jacob Perrault Ottawa (from NYI) -- C Ridly Greig Vegas -- C Brendan Brisson Dallas -- C Mavrik Bourque San Jose (from TBL) -- RW Ozzy Wiesblatt

The 2019 NHL Entry Draft order is set after Tuesday night's Draft Lottery drawing. The draft will be Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22 in Vancouver. New Jersey DevilsNew York RangersChicago BlackhawksColorado Avalanche (from the Ottawa Senators)Los Angeles KingsBuffalo SabresEdmonton OilersAnaheim DucksVancouver CanucksPhiladelphia FlyersMinnesota WildFlorida PanthersArizona CoyotesMontreal CanadiensPicks 16-31 will be determined after the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.