Ice hockey: the main stories of 16.09.2026

Winnipeg have gone public with a standoff with their best player. The club suspended Connor Hellebuyck after the goaltender did not report to training camp, ESPN reported, and a second outlet has since confirmed it. A trade would be the obvious way out, but there is not one on the table yet. TSN's Darren Dreger said on Tuesday that interest in the three-time Vezina Trophy winner is "minimal". According to Dreger, Buffalo and Carolina asked about him in the summer, but Winnipeg have had no offer they would accept. Until that changes, the Jets start camp without their No. 1 goaltender, and he goes without pay.

Tampa Bay are also working on a contract, though without the same tension. General manager Julien BriseBois called Nikita Kucherov "one of the best players of all time" and said the club would prefer to have a long-term deal done already but cannot yet. The 33-year-old enters the last season of his eight-year contract. In remarks carried by one outlet, Kucherov said he is focused on helping Tampa this season. Any new deal will fall under the new collective agreement. One report says it took effect overnight and cuts the maximum contract length from 8 years to 7. In the KHL, Alexander Tserkovny has been named chief executive of Shanghai Dragons. He left basketball's Zenit this summer.

• KHL: Spartak won 3-2 at Metallurg for a fourth straight win; Metallurg captain Yegor Yakovlev played his first game of the season, took the penalty Spartak scored from, then scored the equaliser himself.
• KHL: Neftekhimik won 3-0 at Sibir; Evgeny Kuznetsov denied reports of trouble in the dressing room, and the agency representing Mikhail Orlov said Sibir are ready to trade the defenceman.
• KHL: CSKA beat Sochi 4-0; Ak Bars came from behind to beat Salavat Yulaev 4-3 in overtime.
• Los Angeles have reportedly made Drew Doughty, 36, captain in place of Anze Kopitar, with Artemi Panarin one of the alternates.
• Ryan Reaves retired at 39 after 962 games, one outlet reports.
• Jessica Campbell, the NHL's first woman coach, will join New Jersey as player development manager, according to a single report.
• Boston signed Matthew Poitras to a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000; Chicago gave Ethan Del Mastro two years at $950,000 a season. Both deals rest on one report so far.
• Ottawa gave goaltender Vadim Zherenko a tryout contract, as did Florida with Nathan Bastian; Oliver Wahlstrom has joined Djurgarden on a one-year deal.
• Nikita Gusev's agent said talks with several clubs are ongoing; Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere confirmed some talks with Matvei Michkov but said there is "not much to say".
• The Kremlin declined to comment on criticism of Alexander Ovechkin over his United Russia video; Washington addressed the video on Monday.