In a poll of 118 anonymous NHL players conducted by The Athletic, the participating players were asked where the next NHL expansion team should land. Houston led the way with 48 votes, followed by Quebec City with 25, Arizona with 15, Atlanta with nine and Austin with four.

The NHL suspended injured Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones for 20 games on Wednesday for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. Jones, 28, is in his first season with the Penguins.

The 14-year-old from Tampa, Florida, is a freshman at Tampa Preparatory School and a big Lightning fan. He had the opportunity to be on the scene for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series, when Tampa Bay defeated the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. He wrote a story for NHL.com about his experience.

While finishing touches are going down to the wire, the hockey arenas for the Milan Cortina Olympics will be ready for the women's tournament, which starts Thursday.

In the final NHL power rankings before the Olympic break, the Colorado Avalanche face a serious challenger for the No. 1 spot.

There won't be any NHL games for multiple weeks in February as dozens of stars compete in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Here's one Olympian to watch from each team in Italy