Hockey headlines for January 2, 2026

Friday, January 2, 2026

Maple Leafs kick off new year with startling rally from three goals down to edge Jets (Toronto Sun)
Penguins best Red Wings in overtime on Kris Letang’s game-winner (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Kraken's point streak now at six games after easy win over Nashville (Seattle Times)
Islanders start fast, then are outclassed by Mammoth (New York Newsday)
Barkov, Tkachuk skate (to degrees) at Florida Panthers practice (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Penguins forward Yegor Chinakhov ready for ‘a new page, a new year’ (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
How Panthers landed NHL’s southernmost outdoor game — and how they’re pulling it off (Miami Herald)
Sitting down with Bruins GM Don Sweeney, who discusses his Olympic duties, the NHL season, and coach Marco Sturm (Boston Globe)
Ottawa Senators list of Olympians expected to include Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Sun)
Josh Morrissey living out his Olympic dream with Team Canada (Winnipeg Sun)
Rangers' Fox 'disappointed' after not making U.S. Olympic team (New York Newsday)
Scheifele snubbed by the decision makers with Team Canada (Winnipeg Sun)
Connor Bedard's exclusion from Canada's Olympics roster makes little sense to Jeff Blashill (Chicago Sun-Times)
Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer not bothered by Olympics snub — and is ready if Canada needs him (New York Post)
Auston Matthews is closing in on Mats Sundin’s Leafs goals record but it might be a quiet celebration (Toronto Star)
Will Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen get the chance to represent Finland at the Olympics? (Vancouver Province)
Ilya Mikheyev’s 2 goals lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 win — their 2nd over the Dallas Stars in 5 days (Chicago Tribune)
Ottawa Senators ring in 2026 with a victory over the Washington Capitals (Ottawa Sun)
Detroit Red Wings power play gets lots of work in OT loss to Penguins (Detroit Free Press)
Canadiens drub Hurricanes, Team Canada snubs Seth Jarvis to open 2026 (Raleigh News & Observer)
Capitals’ fast start leads to agonizing finish in loss to Senators (Washington Post)
Kings fall to Lightning to open a new year (Los Angeles Daily News)
Nashville Predators fall 4-1 to Seattle Kraken, Matty Beniers scores twice (The Tennessean)
Dennis Hildeby, Auston Matthews make quite the comeback combo in Leafs in over Jets (Toronto Sun)
Canucks lose Garland, Rossi to injuries for at least one week (Vancouver Province)
Noah Laba, Conor Sheary out with injuries in latest Rangers crushers (New York Post)
Canadiens' Sam Montembeault hopes to build on solid play in Florida (Montreal Gazette)
Lowell MacDonald, who played for Red Wings in ’60s, dies at 84 (MLive.com)