Sunday mornings are for coffee, checking the standings, and catching up on everything we might have missed while focusing on the Sabres’ push for the playoffs. Around the NHL is our new weekly tradition here at SabresHub, where we step outside the 716 to bring you the best hockey writing and breaking news from around the league. From trade rumors out West to highlight-reel goals in the Metropolitan, we’ve curated the top stories of the week so you can get caught up in one quick stop.
End of an Era in St. Louis
TSN.ca:Blues’ Armstrong to step down as Team Canada’s Olympic hockey general manager – After a storied tenure with Hockey Canada, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong is officially stepping down from his role as the general manager for the Canadian men’s Olympic team. Citing a belief that “the rhythms needed to change,” the 61-year-old executive is also preparing to transition into a President of Hockey Operations role with the Blues at the end of the NHL season, handing the GM reins to Alex Steen. Armstrong leaves behind a massive legacy in international play, including two Olympic gold medals and five World Championship medals, cementing his status as one of the most successful architects in modern hockey history.
The Player Safety Firestorm
TSN.ca: NHL’s Parros defends Gudas suspension after hit ends Matthews’s season – NHL Head of Player Safety George Parros is doubling down on the league’s five-game suspension of Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas following a controversial knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews. Despite Matthews suffering a season-ending Grade 3 MCL tear and Gudas possessing a lengthy disciplinary history—totaling 21 games across four previous suspensions—Parros maintained at the GM meetings in Florida that the department’s process was sound. The decision has sparked a firestorm of criticism from high-profile figures, including Matthews’ agent and Oilers captain Connor McDavid, both of whom labeled the punishment as insufficient given the severity of the injury and the offender’s track record.
Major Blow to the Oilers
TSN.ca: Draisaitl (LBI) to miss rest of regular season– Leon Draisaitl’s regular season has come to an abrupt end after the Edmonton Oilers announced he will miss the remainder of the year due to a lower-body injury suffered in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Nashville.
Leon Draisaitl is out for the remainder of the season #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/jda5kimfDa
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) March 17, 2026
First to the Finish Line
TSN.ca: Avalanche become first team to clinch playoff; beat Blackhawks – The Colorado Avalanche became the first NHL team to clinch a playoff berth this season following a dominant 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Silence at the GM Meetings
Sportsnet.ca: 32 Thoughts: Player safety a hot topic at GMs meetings – During the recent NHL General Managers’ meetings, Carolina Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky was the lone voice to support stricter enforcement of Rule 48 (Illegal Check to the Head), reflecting the long-standing stance of Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon. While Commissioner Gary Bettman looked for consensus on the current standards, the rest of the league’s GMs remained silent, highlighting a divide in how player safety and head contact are prioritized.
The “Golden Goal” Dispute
Sportsnet.ca: Hockey Hall of Fame says it will not give Jack Hughes golden-goal puck – The Hockey Hall of Fame has officially declined Jack Hughes’ request to claim the puck from his gold-medal-winning goal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Philip Pritchard, the Hall’s curator, clarified that the artifact was donated through an official paper trail and “was never Jack’s to own.” The puck, alongside Megan Keller’s golden-goal puck, is currently part of a 70-item showcase in Toronto celebrating the Milan Games.
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