On Tap For Today — Florida at Detroit; 7:00 pm EDT; ESPN+, HULU | Columbus at NY Rangers; 7:00 pm EDT; MSG, BSOH | Arizona at Washington; 7:00 pm EDT; TVAS, NBCSWA, BSAZ | Chicago at Carolina; 7:00 pm CDT; BSSO, NBCSCH | Anaheim at Vegas; 5:00 pm PDT; ATTSN-RM, BSW | Ottawa at Dallas; 7:30 pm CDT; BSSW+, TSN5, RDS2
Last Night’s News 📰
ON (WHITE)CLOUD 9: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud signed a six-year, $16.5 million extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $2.75 million. The signing means that Vegas now has more than $26 million in cap space committed for, get this, the 2026-27 season! Nonetheless, it’s a pretty remarkable success story for Whitecloud, an undrafted and lightly recruited prospect who could barely stick in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
REPRESENTATION IN THE LEAGUE: Speaking of Indigenous players, the Edmonton Oilers announced that Monday, Nov. 1 is Indigenous Celebration Night when they host the Seattle Kraken. To honor the Indigenous communities of Northern Alberta, the Oilers will host numerous events to raise awareness and money for the Native Counselling Services of Alberta.
TIME TO JOEL: Joel Quenneville has resigned as head coach of the Florida Panthers in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that no further action will be taken against Quenneville at this time, and Coach Q would need special permission to return to the league in any capacity.
FLAMING THE EAST: Calgary became the third team in NHL history to sweep a road trip of five or more games while never trailing, joining the Chicago Blackhawks (Jan. 31-Feb. 8, 1996) and St. Louis Blues (Feb. 6-15, 2017). After starting the season with back-to-back losses, the Flames outscored opponents 21-7 during the five-game road trip.
SEATTLE SALMON TOSS: In a very Seattle twist to a post-game tradition, the Kraken’s 3 Stars of the Game winners toss signed plush fish into the crowd instead of t-shirts, pucks, or souvenir sticks. Don’t worry, each salmon is exactly 22 inches long—the legal catch length in Washington state.
Friday Favorites – Halloween Edition
In honor of Halloween weekend, we are going to take a look at our favorite costumes from around the league this week.
The Office
A few players from the Anaheim Ducks decided to dress up as their favorite characters from “The Office,” and the results are iconic. Hampus Lindholm gave the people exactly what they wanted by becoming “Date Mike.” I can confirm it was, in fact, nice to meet him. While teammate Rickard Rakell and his wife dressed up as Dwight and Angela, complete with a Dundee Award in hand. If we learned anything from “The Office,” it is that identity theft is 100 percent, not a joke.
Plastic Surgeon and Patient
When it comes to Jonathan and Martine Bernier, fans expect a phenomenal costume, and unlike the Arizona Coyotes, these two never let fans down. This year, the Devils’ goaltender was a plastic surgeon dressed in blue scrubs, while Martine dressed as his patient, complete with a scrub cap and sharpie markings on the parts of her body that need “enhancing.” Honestly, you need to see it to appreciate it.
Harry Potter
Jesper Bratt and Janne Kuokkanen opted for a classic and dressed as characters from Harry Potter. Bratt and his girlfriend were sorted into Slytherin, and his blonde hair makes him the perfect copy for Draco Malfoy. Kuokkanen grabbed a pair of glasses and did his best impersonation of the boy wizard. If only the pair could conjure some more points!
A Goaltender’s Snipemare
To continue on our Halloween theme, let’s take a look at the best scorers to haunt goaltenders on this spooky holiday. Without further ado, here are three significant moments that occurred on Halloween.
Wayne Gretzky – 1981
Whenever looking for the best in a specific category, it is almost sure that Gretzky’s name will be in the conversation somehow. While he was a member of the Edmonton Oilers, he became the first player in NHL history to record seven hat tricks before his 21st birthday when he scored four goals and added an assist against the Quebec Nordiques in an 11-4 win. This was only the beginning of a luminescent career for the “Great One.”
Matthew Tkachuk – 2019
Jumping forward in time, the Calgary Flames forward put on a show during a game against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 31, 2019. Not only did Tkachuk score the game-tying goal with 39 seconds remaining in the third period, but he also scored the overtime winner with a between-the-legs shot. This goal was featured in highlight reels for the rest of the season and was considered one of the best goals in 2019-20. It is fitting that a pest like Tkachuk came through on a spooky day to terrorize the Predators.
Maurice Richard – 1942
It was truly a holiday for the Montreal Canadiens as Maurice Richard made his NHL debut for the Habs against the Boston Bruins on Halloween in 1942. Richard earned the start to open his rookie campaign and the “Rocket” recorded his first NHL point, an assist, just 36 seconds into the first period. The Canadiens went on to win 3-2 in what would be the start of a terrific run for an organization that won 20 Stanley Cups over the next 51 years.
Hockey’s Halloween-esque Handles
If we’re being honest, nicknames over the course of NHL history haven’t typically been recognized as a beacon of creativity. Sure, there have been plenty of fun ones, but those are scattered amidst an endless stream of “Smittys,” “Jonesys,” and any other surname with a “y” tacked on. I mean, seriously, does every Campbell need to be nicknamed “Soupy??” We get it!
Still, even a nickname trend that sometimes veers away from originality hasn’t prevented a nice assortment of spooky aliases over the course of hockey history. A Halloween-themed collection of eerie hockey nicknames? Let’s do it!
“The Grim Reaper” – Stu Grimson
Here, we start with the obvious. A perfectly crafted nickname that plays off of both the player’s last name and a fearsome, intimidating reputation. Though he scored just 17 goals in 729 career games, Grimson made his mark in the NHL with over 2,000 career penalty minutes, including more than 200 fights.
“CuJo” – Curtis Joseph
No, the All-Star netminder was nothing like the rabid, demonic dog from the Stephen King book and movie, but the play on the beginning of Joseph’s first and last names was simply too good to pass up. The King Clancy Award winner didn’t seem to mind the designation, sporting a goalie mask that featured a likeness of the titular dog through much of his career.
“The Embalmer” – Alf Pike
A Stanley Cup champion with the New York Rangers in the 1940s, the late Alf Pike had the size and toughness suited for a nickname like “The Embalmer,” but that’s not why the moniker was coined. The Winnipeg native actually worked as a licensed mortician in the offseason, so the nickname was rather literal.
“The Boogeyman” – Derek Boogaard
Sporting a daunting 6-foot-7 frame and an eager willingness to drop the gloves, the “Boogeyman” fit the late Boogaard nicely even without the name similarity. He didn’t strike fear into the hearts of opposing goalies (three goals in 277 career games), but the enforcer surely made an appearance or two in the nightmares of rival tough guys.
