Author of the article:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Associated Press<\/p>\n
Stephen Whyno<\/p>\n
Published Sep 17, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Connor McDavid doesn\u2019t have a contract beyond this season, the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers start their Stanley Cup threepeat bid without Matthew Tkachuk and nearly a third of NHL teams have a new head coach.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Training camps open around the league this week with questions from Edmonton to South Florida, many of which will not be resolved by the time another banner is raised and the puck is dropped on opening night Oct. 7. It\u2019s the final season at 82 games before expanding to 84, shortening camps and reducing exhibition play.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Also gone next year? Mandatory fitness testing.<\/p>\n \u201cNext year,\u201d Carolina\u2019s Seth Jarvis said. \u201cI still got one more year.\u201d<\/p>\n Long overdue, Seattle captain Jordan Eberle quipped: \u201cI wish that we did (away with) the fitness testing about 10 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s all part of the next collective bargaining agreement, which maintains hockey\u2019s fruitful era of labor peace until at least 2030. Without that looming over the sport, all 32 teams hit the ice for practice Thursday with dreams \u2014 however realistic \u2014 of playing all the way until June.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Tkachuk out until December after surgery<\/p>\n Tkachuk\u2019s injury from the immensely popular 4 Nations Face-Off in February cost him the final couple of months of last season. He returned to help the Panthers win the Cup again, then had surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe anticipate him being out until December-ish, but don\u2019t hold me to that,\u201d general manager Bill Zito said. \u201cThat\u2019s my internet medical degree.\u201d<\/p>\n That is plenty of time for Tkachuk to be ready to play for the U.S. at the Olympics in Milan.<\/p>\n McDavid unsigned months after being eligible for extension<\/p>\n The Oilers have lost consecutive finals to Florida, keeping McDavid from hoisting the Cup for the first time. Hockey\u2019s best player has said he wants to remain with the Oilers as long as he believed they could be a perennial contender and give him a chance to win it all.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n They cannot prove that to McDavid until this spring, and it\u2019s more than likely he puts pen to paper on a new deal before that time. Until that happens, there is reason to wonder what his future might hold.<\/p>\n McDavid isn\u2019t the only star without a contract. Minnesota\u2019s Kirill Kaprizov and Vegas\u2019 Jack Eichel are among players who could be unrestricted free agents July 1 if their situations don\u2019t change.<\/p>\n Ovechkin approaches 900 goals at age 40<\/p>\n Five or so months removed from breaking Wayne Gretzky\u2019s career goals record, Alex Ovechkin reported to Washington Capitals camp Wednesday on his 40th birthday. He has 897 going into his final season under contract and what could be his last in the NHL.<\/p>\n Going into season 21, teammates see the same gap-toothed big kid playing the game he cherishes.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cIf I didn\u2019t know anything about hockey, I would have said \u2018This guy, he just got here,\u201d\u2018 Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. \u201cHe shows up every day with a smile on his face, hungry, loves to talk hockey, do video \u2014 all those things.\u201d<\/p>\n Maple Leafs start life without Mitch Marner<\/p>\n Craig Berube opened training camp Wednesday by telling reporters in Toronto he was excited not to hear about the \u201cCore Four\u201d anymore. Auston Matthews<\/a>, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander combined to win two playoff series in nine years together.<\/p>\n Marner, who ranked fifth in the league in scoring last season with 102 points, left Canada\u2019s biggest market in a sign-and-trade to go to the Vegas Golden Knights.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be a little weird, I think, just not seeing him in the locker room,\u201d said forward Matthew Knies, who is taking Marner\u2019s place as a core piece of the franchise. \u201cObviously, he was pretty loud-voiced and he ran the music and he did a lot for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Sullivan takes over as Rangers coach<\/p>\n There were nine coaching changes during the offseason, including three-time Stanley Cup-winner Joel Quenneville returning from his NHL-imposed exile to join Anaheim. On the East Coast, Mike Sullivan replaces Peter Laviolette behind the bench for the New York Rangers.<\/p>\n Camp Sullivan is the start of the Rangers\u2019 hope to get back into the playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cYou only have like two weeks of training camp before your first game,\u201d forward Will Cuylle said. \u201cJust making you\u2019re really dialed in and making sure we understand all the systems and stuff, so by game one we\u2019re not dipping our foot in. We\u2019re more ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014\u00a0AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Oilers pitch to McDavid: We’ll still be good in five years, honest<\/p>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/68cafddc33b729194582de16jpeg-e1758150797919.jpg\")
FILE – Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, who is chasing 900 career goals this season, watches the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Semi-final round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., May 10, 2025. Photo by Karl B DeBlaker \/APArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.5.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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