There may not be mystery at the very top of Friday’s NHL Draft, with odds to be the No. 1 pick off the board as Gavin McKenna appears destined for Toronto, but there’s intrigue beyond. 

Carolina is 12-1 so far in the postseason, and bounced back from a 6-2 shellacking in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to win four straight against the youthful Montreal Canadiens. 

Two of the NHL's youngest and most exciting playoff teams will collide in Round 2, as the Montreal Canadiens and slight betting favourite Buffalo Sabres get set for battle. 

For the first time since 2014, when Canada won gold in Sochi, men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics will feature the world’s best, with NHLers back in the fold after a dozen years. 

When the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championships get underway on Boxing Day in Minnesota, Team Canada will set off for their record-extending 21st gold medal.

On the eve of the 2025/26 season, the Oilers slot in second on the odds board, with the second shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup at +800* – just a touch behind the favourite Carolina Hurricanes, at +750. 

A year on from the Oilers’ Game 7 defeat, they have a chance to avenge that loss with a Stanley Cup Final rematch against these same Panthers. After cruising through the Western Conference bracket, confidence in Edmonton’s ability to finally break through – and end Canada’s Cup drought in the process – is high. 

As history has shown, you have to be in it to win it -- and this time around, Canada will have five cracks at Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

The 4 Nations Face-Off kicks off Wednesday in Montreal, where Canada, the USA, Sweden, and Finland will compete in an eight-day tournament, with the championship game on February 20, 2025.

NHL Q&A - Ice Hockey