CHN Daily
Jack’s Daily: Rinzel To Rockford; Canada Replaces Point; Injury News
The Olympic break has officially begun for all 32 NHL teams. It will be a slow-moving next five days until the men’s hockey tournament begins in Milan on Wednesday.
The Blackhawks started their break with an expected roster transaction, as a young defenseman was reassigned to the Rockford IceHogs. Also in Blackhawks news, star forward Connor Bedard was NOT named as Brayden Point’s injury replacement for Team Canada’s Olympic roster.
Around the league, the bad blood between the Lightning and Panthers continued, Avery Hayes had a memorable NHL debut for the Penguins, and Carolina extended their point streak to 10 games with another shutout from Brandon Bussi.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Tidbits
Chicago Hockey Now: Brayden Point has officially been ruled out for the upcoming Olympics, and Hockey Canada named his replacement on Thursday. Once again, Connor Bedard wasn’t selected by GM Doug Armstrong.
More CHN: ICYMI, Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill provided slight updates on Wyatt Kaiser and Colton Dach, who both got hurt in the final game before the Olympic break against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Blashill also shared why rookie Ryan Greene was scratched for the first time this season.
More CHN: And if you enjoy reading about miserable hockey games, here’s the recap from the Blackhawks 4-0 loss to the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The Hawks played like they were already on a break.
On Thursday morning, the Blackhawks assigned defenseman Sam Rinzel to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Hockey insider Frank Seravalli joined the CHSN pregame show ahead of Monday’s matchup with the San Jose Sharks and reported that Rinzel would be the lone Blackhawks’ skater going down to the minors. No surprises here. This will allow Rinzel to remain active during the Olympic break.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: There won’t be a Russian team participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics. But if there was, how would they fare in the tournament? Several NHL players were polled on that very question.
Sportsnet: It seems like every time the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning go head-to-head, full-blown chaos ensues. That was the case again on Thursday, as the two teams combined for 13 penalties. Brandon Hagel and Matthew Tkachuk dropped the gloves for the second time in the last year, with the first coming at the 4 Nations Face-Off. In the end, the Lightning emerged victorious, beating the Panthers 6-1.
Carolina Hockey Now: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi, who grew up a New York Rangers fan, had plenty of friends and family in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Bussi gave them all a treat, stopping all 16 shots faced to record the shutout in a 2-0 win.
More Athletic: Details have emerged of the altercation that led to 2026 projected No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna getting arrested. McKenna faces four charges, including one felony, after allegedly punching a man in the face last Saturday in State College, Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Four of the five goals scored by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres came from rookies. Two were scored by Avery Hayes, who made his NHL debut at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
TSN: Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to a hip injury. Huberdeau’s injury requires surgery, which he will undergo in March. He’s expected to be fully healthy for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Just before the NHL Olympic roster freeze came into effect, the New Jersey Devils made a last-second trade to acquire Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues. James Nichols from NJHN gives a grade on the deal.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X:
