Ice hockey: the main stories of 23.09.2026

The Islanders have their second goaltender back after almost two years. Semyon Varlamov, 38, played his first game since November 2024, after two operations according to reports. He replaced Ilya Sorokin with the Rangers 3-0 up, stopped all 10 shots he faced and was credited with the win as the Islanders came back to take it 4-3. Ten shots in a pre-season fixture prove little, but they answer the first question: whether his body can come through a game. The rest of camp will decide whether he takes a regular share of the net behind Sorokin.

Dynamo are weighing a trade for Maxim Letunov, according to Sport-Express. The 30-year-old joined from Torpedo in the summer and has 0 points in 8 games. Later in the day Dylan Sikura told one outlet that Dynamo's attack has problems and put himself top of the list of forwards who need to finish better, after Tuesday's 1-4 defeat by Barys. That Barys side, by all accounts, is now a play-off side in the view of Leonid Vaisfeld. CSKA, whom Plyushchev said on Monday had disappointed so far, won 2-0 at Amur, their fourth win in a row, all of them on this road trip. Metallurg beat Salavat Yulaev 4-3 without Vladimir Tkachev, who was ill. One report has them top of the East. Salavat coach Viktor Kozlov refused to blame anyone.

• Neftekhimik beat Lada 7-3. It was Lada's 7th defeat in 8, a day after they lost to Ak Bars in overtime.
• Lokomotiv won 2-1 at Admiral with a Polunin brace. Kvartalnov said his side had harmed themselves.
• Gary Bettman said the league is under no time pressure on expansion. Houston and Austin have been reported as candidates.
• CAS will hear the Russian federation's appeal against the IIHF ban on 22 October, according to Match TV.
• The IIHF has sent out strict rules for the 2 October election congress in Tenerife, one outlet reports.
• The Rangers' Adam Sikora is out for 4-5 months after being injured against New Jersey on Monday, according to one report.
• Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first goal for the Rangers in the Varlamov game.
• Flyers goaltender Daniel Vladar hurt his right hand in a 1-5 defeat by Boston.
• Calgary beat Vancouver 3-1, with two assists for Matvei Gridin. Vancouver sent Safonov and Kudryavtsev to the AHL.
• Detroit scored 7 past Pittsburgh in pre-season.
• Martin Gernat joined Davos.
• Metallurg, Ak Bars and Shanghai asked about Ivan Morozov, according to Sport-Express.
• Sary-Arka were handed a 0-5 default because no ambulance was at the arena.
• CSKA finish their road trip at Lada on 25 September.