News News & Stories
Insights, analysis, and news about News from the Elite Prospects editorial team. Stay updated with expert coverage on News, including key stories and in-depth articles.
2022-03-22, 00:24News
The winners, losers, big themes, and takeaways from the 2021-22 NHL trade deadline
With the 2022 trade deadline in the books, Dimitri Filipovic takes a look at the notable winners, losers, themes, and takeaways from this year's edition.
2022-03-21, 17:09NewsTrade Analysis: Minnesota Wild acquire Marc-André Fleury from Chicago Blackhawks
Dimitri Filipovic writes about the Wild trading for Marc-Andre Fleury, how much he's got left in the tank, and whether he can provide the type of upgrade in net that they're looking for right now.
2022-03-20, 00:13NewsTrade Analysis: Boston Bruins acquire Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks
Dimitri Filipovic breaks down the Hampus Lindholm trade, and what it means for both the Bruins and Ducks moving forward.
2022-03-19, 23:15NewsTrade Analysis: Florida Panthers acquire Claude Giroux from the Philadelphia Flyers
Dimitri Filipovic writes about the Florida Panthers winning the Claude Giroux sweepstakes, and how he'll be able to improve an already elite offensive team.
2022-03-14, 23:00NewsColorado Avalanche acquire Josh Manson from Anaheim Ducks for prospect, pick
The Colorado Avalanche have acquired defenceman Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks for a second-round pick and a prospect.
2022-03-09, 17:35NewsTrade Deadline Profile: Ben Chiarot can provide value in a depth role, but he won't come cheap
Montréal Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot is going to have a sizeable market for his services at the NHL trade deadline. Should he, though? JFresh dives into the numbers and the tape for EP Rinkside.
2021-04-23, 14:00NewsConnor Bedard is hockey's next superstar
Connor Bedard's the highest-scoring exceptional status player ever. Here's why he's so dynamic.
2020-11-19, 16:30NewsThe EliteProspects 2020-21 NCAA NHL Free Agent Watch List
Longtime NHL executive Brian Burke said it best when he described signing an undrafted free agent as a lot like finding a discarded wallet on the street. Most of the...
2020-07-01, 23:16NewsWILLIAMS: Dave Andrews leaves the AHL in a very different place; “He didn’t settle for anything less than a premier product”
Call Dave Andrews hockey’s father of modern-day player development. Andrews took one of hockey’s top jobs when he replaced the late Jack Butterfield as president and chief executive officer of...
2020-06-04, 16:52NewsHow to use EliteProspects Connect
Are you, like so many other members of the EliteProspects community, a hockey player, coach, trainer, general manager or staffer? EliteProspects Connect is a great new tool for our Premium...
2020-06-03, 03:12NewsEliteProspects Presents: Connect
Everysport Media Group is proud to announce the launch of EliteProspects Connect, the newest addition to the treasure trove of EliteProspects Premium features that make this space the place to...
2020-05-28, 05:54NewsAround the AHL: What’s Next for the Players?
Now that the NHL plans to resume play, what does that mean for AHL players? The COVID-19 pandemic brought an end to the AHL’s 84th season when the NHL’s top...
2020-05-20, 16:00NewsAround the AHL: The AHL Season Cancellation
COVID-19’s ramifications for the American Hockey League could extend far beyond the cancellation of the 2019-20 season. After suspending play March 12th, the AHL pulled the plug on its 84th...
2020-03-06, 19:00NewsAround the AHL: Breaking Down the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture
First came the NHL Trade Deadline followed a week later by the AHL roster deadline. AHL teams are now set for the playoff stretch drive, although late-season CHL, NCAA, and...
2020-02-28, 20:00NewsAround the AHL: Taking Stock of the AHL After the NHL Trade Deadline
After a hectic NHL Trade Deadline this week, AHL clubs have one more chance to shape their rosters. Next up is the AHL trade/loan deadline, set for this coming Monday...
2020-02-14, 20:00NewsAround the AHL: Eaves Back After A 26-Year Absence
Twenty-six years went by before Mike Eaves returned to AHL bench this season, more time than most of his current players have been alive. Named head coach of the Cleveland...
2020-02-07, 15:35NewsAround the AHL: Las Vegas on Track to be the Newest AHL Market
Up next, Las Vegas. The American Hockey League’s westward march continued Thursday with the Vegas Golden Knights becoming the latest NHL club to purchase an AHL affiliate and move it...
2020-01-31, 16:00NewsAround the AHL: Breaking Down the Best of the West
Last week served up a breakdown of the AHL’s Eastern Conference, starting with the eight clubs that hold playoff spots. The Western Conference is up this week: CHICAGO WOLVES (VEGAS)...
2020-01-17, 19:27NewsAround the AHL: The Hartford Wolf Pack are Back
The New York Rangers could hardly bring star goaltending prospect Igor Shestyorkin over to North America for AHL development only to stick him with the skeleton crew that wrapped up...
2020-01-03, 18:45NewsAround the AHL: AHL prospects take on the WJC
The IIHF World Junior Championship wraps up this weekend with a wide variety of returns for AHL prospects going into the semi-final round. Russia and Sweden will meet in the...
2019-12-06, 22:24NewsAround the AHL: Breaking Down Early Returns Across the AHL
Roughly one-third of the AHL regular-season schedule has been completed, and the early returns are murky at best. Even by the AHL’s typically topsy-turvy ways and its nature as a...
2019-12-03, 20:30NewsMembers of the Hockey Community Share Their EliteProspects Story
EliteProspects has been around for 20 years. It’s hard to believe but nonetheless true. So many people use the website daily for statistics, player tracker, euro league statistics, tournament, and...
2019-12-02, 20:05NewsAn Interview With EliteProspects Founder Johan Nilsson on the Occasion of its 20th Anniversary
Today marks the 20th anniversary of ElitePropsects, hockey’s premier statistical database, one that over one million unique visitors check out weekly. Happy birthday to us! ?? Thank you for all...
2019-11-30, 20:44NewsAround the AHL: It’s too Early for AHL Teams to Count Their Blessings
The statistical rule-of-thumb in hockey is that the playoff picture at American Thanksgiving should hold through the end of the regular season. Well, usually. Last season, of course, the St....
2019-11-22, 17:11NewsAround the AHL: Charlotte Checking for That Championship Standard
On more than a few nights last season, the Charlotte Checkers could find a gear that opponents could not match. That blend of skill, a steadfast commitment to a system...
2019-11-15, 18:18NewsAround the AHL: Falling Stars in Texas
This weekend the Texas Stars return to Toronto for the time since the 2018 Calder Cup Final, but they will do so under very different circumstances. Seventeen months ago, the...
2019-11-09, 20:49NewsAround the AHL: It’s Crunch Time in Syracuse
The Syracuse Crunch annually has been an AHL force, sending a steady stream of talent to the parent Tampa Bay Lightning while also piling up wins. Development-wise, Yanni Gourde, Tyler...
2019-10-11, 19:30NewsAROUND THE AHL: The Providence-to-Boston Bruins Pipeline, and an ode to Michael Leighton
A 1990s-era team marketing slogan, “Something’s Bruin in Providence,” still holds today in the NHL’s top developmental league. The Providence Bruins, who own the AHL’s longest-running affiliation, continue to blend...
2019-10-06, 15:45NewsTHE PIPELINE SHOW: USHL Season Preview, NCHC Season Preview, Quinton Byfield, & in the Dub!
This week on The Pipeline Show we get set for the USHL season with a recap of the Fall Classic plus a primer on the NCHC conference of NCAA hockey....
2019-10-05, 15:00NewsHOCKEY PROSPECT RADIO: Week 1 – USHL Fall Classic & Week 2 – NCAA Prospects to Watch
It’s a two for the price of one debut of Hockey Prospect Radio, Season 15 on EliteProspects Rinkside! Our new intrepid set of hosts, Michell Sturino and Brad Allen, set...
2019-10-04, 18:30NewsWILLIAMS: AHL Preview – A Team-by-Team, Prospect-by-Prospect Look at the League
The American Hockey League continues to deliver in its role as the NHL’s top developmental league. This week’s season-opening NHL rosters feature 622 NHL players (82 per cent) with AHL...
2019-10-02, 03:31NewsWILLIAMS: AHL Preview — 10 Season Opening Storylines to Follow
Another eight-month journey begins this Friday for the American Hockey League, the NHL’s top developmental league. A parade of first-round picks are on their way to the AHL to begin...
2019-08-29, 14:30NewsWILLIAMS: Part 3 of a Sit-Down with Bryan Helmer
Earlier this summer, Hershey Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer sat down for an extensive one-on-one interview with EP Rinkside to discuss all sides of the hockey business....
2019-08-22, 17:00NewsWILLIAMS: Part 2 of a Sit-Down With Bryan Helmer
Earlier this summer, Hershey Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer sat down for an extensive 1-on-1 interview with EP Rinkside to discuss all sides of the hockey business....
2019-08-15, 15:30NewsWILLIAMS: Part 1 of a Sit-Down with Bryan Helmer
Bryan Helmer knows the hockey business. Undrafted as a defenceman out of the Metro Junior A Hockey League (the predecessor of today’s Ontario Junior Hockey League), Helmer converted a 1993...
2019-08-08, 19:22NewsWILLIAMS: Let’s Play AHL Match Maker Part 3
So far, EP Rinkside has analyzed options in net and on the blue line for NHL clubs looking to strengthen their organizational depth charts, land a first-recall option, and provide...
2019-07-31, 16:00NewsWILLIAMS: Let’s Play AHL Match Maker Part 2
Last week, EP Rinkside analyzed goaltending options for NHL clubs looking to strengthen their organizational depth charts, land the first-recall option, and provide a cushion for their young AHL prospects....
2019-07-25, 16:00NewsWILLIAMS: Let’s Play AHL Match Maker
Timing is crucial when it comes to the summertime matchmaking game for NHL organizations and free-agents. Let’s play matchmaker for NHL clubs who could use some depth at the position....
2019-07-18, 15:30NewsWILLIAMS: A Busy Summer is Underway in the AHL — Going West
Summer means rebuilding the organizational depth chart for NHL front offices, especially at the AHL level. Last week featured a look at the work that NHL Eastern Conference clubs have...
2019-07-02, 15:30NewsWILLIAMS: Charlotte Checkers Got it Done Off of the Ice Too
Money makes the hockey world go round, to put a slight wrinkle on that expression. The Charlotte Checkers’ on-ice performance was rivalled only by their off-ice success in the 2018-19...
2019-07-01, 15:00NewsWILLIAMS: On the Open Market; An AHL Free Agency Primer
The start of NHL free agency often is busiest at the AHL level. That is where NHL organizations attempt to shore up their depth charts, construct a strong veteran core...
2019-06-25, 20:00NewsWILLIAMS: One-on-One With AHL President & CEO Dave Andrews – Part 2
Dave Andrews had already seen the hockey business from all sorts of angles as a player, head coach, and general manager before he took over as AHL president and chief...
2019-06-18, 04:30NewsWILLIAMS: One-on-One With AHL President & CEO Dave Andrews
AHL president and chief executive officer Dave Andrews inherited a league at a dangerous crossroads 25 years ago. Andrews took charge of the AHL in the summer of 1994 –...
2019-06-13, 16:00NewsWILLIAMS: AHL Power Rankings – Charlotte Checkers Finish as Kings
For the final time this season, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings. Keeping in mind both a team’s regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff performance, here is a...
2019-06-08, 16:00NewsCALDER CUP: Chicago Wolves Standing Between Charlotte Checkers & Calder Cup
One win – and a road date with the Chicago Wolves – separate the Charlotte Checkers from the Calder Cup. With a 3-1 series lead and Game 5 set for...
2019-06-06, 17:00NHL ProspectsLISTEN: Russ Cohen Joins the Stick 2 Hockey Podcast
Earlier this week, EP Rinkside’s own, Russ Cohen, joined the Stick 2 Hockey Podcast to talk all things hockey. As one might imagine, there was no shortage of topics —...
2019-05-15, 15:05World Juniors 2019A worthy winner – CBJ prospect collects this year’s EliteProspects Award
Yesterday, he signed his entry-level deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Today, Emil Bemström received the 2019 EliteProspects Award, awarded to the best junior player of the SHL. The prize...
2019-05-11, 14:41NewsAHL WEEKEND: Checkers, Marlies on hold, four others play on
The second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs has two clubs through to the third round and four more clubs battling for two other available spots. In the Eastern Conference,...
2019-05-08, 15:19NewsAHL PLAYOFF RUN: AHL taking care of business off the ice
A long-time AHL market will amid a period of stability and growth for the NHL’s top developmental circuit. Now that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins look to be officially official to remain...
2019-04-25, 17:28NewsAHL ON THE ROAD: Amerks learn the hard way
Each Thursday, EP Rinkside brings thoughts, observations, issues, and a few opinions for the NHL’s top developmental league. Plenty of AHL teams experience disappointing regular seasons. Now postseason disappointment is...
2019-04-24, 16:12NewsWILLIAMS: Who is out there behind the AHL benches?
“Who is out there?” That is a question that plenty of NHL fans and media ask when trying to line up head-coaching candidates to replace the poor soul that your...
2019-04-21, 12:03The Pipeline ShowThe Pipeline Show: April 19, 2019
This week on The Pipeline Show we put a cap on the NCAA season, look closely at the conference finals in both the Ontario and the Western Hockey Leagues plus...
2019-04-18, 14:51EP NewsSparks flying in U18 WJCs – Hughes, USA open against Sweden featuring Holtz, Raymond
ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK, SWEDEN — A stroll through beautiful, sunny Örnsköldsvik quickly reveals something is afoot in the city. The city that fostered NHL stars Peter Forsberg, Markus Näslund, Victor Hedman and...
2019-04-15, 13:00NHL ProspectsCOHEN: Center Stage Post Draft Lottery Talk
We now know that Jack Hughes (Devils) and Kaapo Kakko (Rangers) will likely go in that order at the 2019 NHL Draft. With most of that drama out of the...
2019-04-06, 13:36NHL RookiesAHL WEEKEND: Enough is enough for Keefe
Weekends mean a busy AHL schedule. EP Rinkside has this look around the NHL’s top developmental league to set you up for this weekend’s slate. CRUNCH (AMERKS?) TIME IS BEARING...
2019-03-31, 16:00NHL ProspectsTomasino learning from slow start – building a strong draft case
Philip Tomasino is pushing to have his season end better than it began. Tomasino, one of the top prospects for the 2019 NHL Draft from the Ontario Hockey League, didn’t...
2019-03-31, 10:16NewsAHL WEEKEND: Desperation time has arrived for several teams
Weekends mean a busy AHL schedule. EP Rinkside has this look around the NHL’s top developmental league to set you up for this weekend’s slate. THE CLOCK IS TICKING The...
2019-03-27, 13:57EP NewsThe Need for Speed – Swedish late-bloomer fits the bill
At 26, Joakim Nygård is probably too old to be considered a prospect. But being the late-bloomer he is, that doesn’t seem to hold him back from reaching his dream...
2019-03-19, 22:44NHL RookiesPatient Philp makes jump to pro ranks with Flames
The opportunity wasn’t there for Luke Philp out of junior. It is now, as a junior with the University of Alberta. Philp, who spent parts five seasons with the Kootenay...
2019-02-21, 21:32NHL Entry Draft 2019Robertson looking past the draft rankings, looking to embrace opportunity
Nicholas Robertson isn’t flat out avoiding them. He’s not actively seeking them out, either. But should the latest NHL Draft rankings come his way, the Peterborough Petes forward isn’t going...
2019-02-21, 18:14NHL ProspectsWODON: The debate surrounding college transfers
College hockey recruiting is more cutthroat than ever. But poaching other teams’ players is something frowned upon by most coaches. And, depending upon how you do it, it could be...
2019-02-20, 15:40VideoVIDEO: EP Rinkside Top 10 Goals of the Week
In the midst of another week of hockey, it’s time for a quick look in the rear-view mirror and check out some of the best goals from last week. Our...
2019-02-14, 20:09NHL ProspectsAnother Raymond everybody will love?
In the fall of 2016, a 16-year-old, immensely talented defender took the breath out of the Swedish hockey sphere. We all know what that kid is doing today. Two years...
2019-02-08, 14:39NHL ProspectsOilers prospect benefitting from another year in Sweden
Everything just went by so fast. One year Joel Persson was combining hockey on a semi-professional level with a job as a teacher’s assistant, the next he was anchoring the...
2019-02-06, 16:02NHL ProspectsAHL POWER RANKINGS: Stumbling – but Charlotte keeps the “A” in check
Each Tuesday, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings, a look at the top Calder Cup contenders across the 31-team circuit and their player development picture. 1. CHARLOTTE...
2019-01-30, 16:26EP NewsA sniper’s entrance – highly touted Swedish 2020 prospect reaching his goals
— STOCKHOLM — It was only three shifts and one minute and 31 seconds of ice time. But judging by the number of reporters that huddled around the 17-year-old after...
2019-01-25, 21:08NewsHOCKEY PROSPECT RADIO: Joe Meloni, Adam Wodon and Patrick Williams
It’s frrrrriiiiday and another smoking-hot episode of Hockey Prospect Radio is out! And you can listen to it right here at EP Rinkside. Week 17 – American Hockey League and...
2019-01-23, 20:00NHL Entry Draft 2019Goalie prospect Saville logging heavy miles on his way to the NHL draft
Four thousand, six hundred and sixty-five miles. Quite the journey for Isaiah Saville. And a lengthy trek to the 2019 NHL Draft for the hopeful. “A lot of traveling, for...
2019-01-23, 13:32NHL ProspectsCollege dropout never an option for competitive Nico Sturm
Despite NHL scouts being on top of him at every game, despite already passing his 23rd birthday, there was never a question last year that Nico Sturm would return for...
2019-01-16, 12:15NHL RookiesFILIPOVIC: True Detective Season 3 – Solving The Josh Ho-Sang Mystery
We’re in Year 3 of the seemingly never-ending Josh Ho-Sang conversation, and if it’s not already there then it’s rapidly moving up the list of topics we need some sort...
2019-01-15, 14:21NHL ProspectsAHL PROSPECTS WATCH: Zadina finding his game after WJC letdown
Monday is when American Hockey League teams catch up after another hectic weekend on the ice and on the highways. With two and sometimes three games – plus travel –...
2019-01-12, 20:00World Juniors 2019“I see it as 50-50″ – scouts weigh in on the Hughes vs. Kakko debate
Jack Hughes is still No. 1. Kaapo Kakko is certainly nipping at his heels, though. And it’s starting to get to the point of splitting hairs between the top two...
2019-01-10, 16:43World Juniors 2019BODIN: Hughes vs. Kakko – the debate is heating up
VANCOUVER, B.C. We are a few days removed from the dramatic ending of the 2019 World Juniors. The one that saw Kaapo Kakko score the Finnish tournament-winning goal with only...
2019-01-04, 18:56World Juniors 2019World Juniors Stats: Checking in on Team USA
Editors note: This article was written ahead of the WJC quarterfinals. Team USA has moved on from the preliminary round of the 2019 World Junior Championship with a 3-0-1-0 record...
2019-01-04, 14:00World Juniors 2019Hopp Suisse – another WJC upset in the making?
VANCOUVER, B.C. The World Juniors never feels quite the same without an eyebrow-raising upset. Whether it’s been the 2015 Slovaks, that beat the Finns, Czechs and Swedes on their way...
2019-01-04, 11:10World Juniors 2019Taking Andersen’s advice – Sogaard looking to be next great Dane
VANCOUVER, B.C. – – Mads Sogaard needed just one soccer practice to know the game wasn’t for him. As a child growing up in Aalborg, Denmark Sogaard became a hockey...
2019-01-03, 06:51World Juniors 2019Rasmus Sandin – The Swedish Chameleon: “He always adapts”
VICTORIA, B.C. Only 18 years old, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin has seen his fair share of different teams. Before leaving Sweden to play in the OHL with Sault...
2018-12-31, 00:42World Juniors 2019Knight time – Adam Boqvist is thriving in London’s NHL factory
VICTORIA, B.C. Brendan Shanahan. Rick Nash. Corey Perry. Patrick Kane. John Tavares. Max Domi. Matthew Tkachuk. Mitchell Marner. The list of NHL stars that have passed through London Knights’ organization...
2018-12-30, 19:28NHL RookiesThe Dream Season – Elias Pettersson is assaulting the record books
Elias Pettersson has been dropping jaws everywhere. Except Vancouver. The rookie, comfortably at the head of his class, has everyone in his adopted city quite used to his once eyebrow-raising,...
2018-12-29, 03:11World Juniors 2019The WJC update – Robenhymer and Bodin check in from Victoria
The World Juniors are getting hot over in Vancouver and Victoria. EP Rinkside correspondents Julie Robenhymer and Uffe Bodin walk you through the first two days of action. A look...
2018-12-28, 14:07World Juniors 2019The captain has spoken – Brännström leading the way for Sweden
VICTORIA. B.C. Leadership can take many different forms on and off the ice. You have the rare Mark Messier “rah rah” type of player that can mold a dressing room...
2018-12-25, 12:28NHL ProspectsAHL POWER RANKINGS: Checkers, Barracuda reign supreme
Each Tuesday, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings, a look at some of the top contenders across the 31-team circuit and their NHL-AHL player development picture. 1....
2018-12-24, 22:00NHL ProspectsAHL WITH PATRICK WILLIAMS: Yamamoto among prospects to watch
Monday is when American Hockey League teams catch up after another hectic weekend on the ice and on the highways. With two and sometimes three games – plus travel –...
2018-12-22, 11:30NHL ProspectsWILLIAMS: The AHL primer – Juolevi shut down, players shipping out for WJC’s
With the World Junior Championships looming and another weekend slate of games coming up, here is EP Rinkside’s primer on what is currently going on in the American Hockey League....
2018-12-21, 11:00NewsWILLIAMS: Developing a European audience – the AHL has eyes on Spengler Cup
Could we see the AHL playing games in Europe soon? AHL president and chief executive officer Dave Andrews held talks earlier this year with Spengler Cup organizers about the possibility...
2018-12-19, 17:30NHL ProspectsBloodlines – Bertuzzi acknowledges the pressures of his last name
The photo remains on display, proudly, in the Bertuzzi household. Todd Bertuzzi, at the time a grizzled National Hockey League veteran in his 18th — and final — season, in...
2018-12-19, 16:00World Juniors 2019Only one WJC returnee – but Canada has golden opportunity to repeat
Winning the World Juniors isn’t an automatic for Canada like it used to be. Canada dominated the Juniors in the 1990s, winning gold in seven of 10 tournaments. In the...
2018-12-19, 12:44NHL ProspectsShipping up to Södertälje – the city that churns out NHL stars
Södertälje. It is a mid-sized Swedish city like any other. Not terribly small but not terribly big either. Some would use the word lagom to describe it. Lagom is an...
2018-12-19, 06:01NewsAHL POWER RANKINGS: Checkers stay dominant
Each Tuesday, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings, a look at some of the top contenders across the 31-team circuit and their NHL-AHL player development picture. 1....
2018-12-18, 15:30World Juniors 2019The outdoor type – Höglander shaped his skills on the concrete
Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube. Fortnite, FIFA, Netflix. The variety of modern activities seems to be making the spontaneous play outdoors less fun and less common. But in the streets of Ängelholm...