6:01 PM ET Associated Press Corey Crawford was absent Monday when the Chicago Blackhawks practiced for the first time since the NHL season was suspended, casting doubt on the goaltender’s availability for their qualifying series against Edmonton. The 35-year-old Crawford was “unfit to play or to participate,” coach Jeremy Colliton said — sticking closely to

9:15 AM ET It has been 123 days since the NHL hit the pause button on the 2019-20 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. As the sports world continues to reckon with adjusted schedules around the world, there also have been continuous nuggets of new information regarding the resumption of the NHL season, the draft,

7:00 AM ET The NHL is set to return from the monthslong pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. The postseason will be played out with a 24-team format, with 12 teams from the Eastern Conference skating in Toronto and their Western Conference counterparts heading to Edmonton, Alberta. Some have said this format could be the

5:23 PM ET NHL players will hear fans chanting, “We want the Cup!” during their postseason tournament — just not in person. The league’s teams began emailing season-ticket holders over the weekend, asking them to record 30-second clips of cheering for their players. The clips will be used during games played in empty arenas inside

2:39 PM ET ESPN News Services Edmonton’s Mike Green, Boston’s Steven Kampfer, Vancouver’s Sven Baertschi, Dallas’ Roman Polak and Montreal’s Karl Alzner on Saturday joined the list of players who won’t be reporting to training camp for the resumption of the NHL season. In the aftermath of a deal being struck to resume the season

3:07 PM ET The NHL announced on Saturday that it has prohibited teams from releasing coronavirus test results and injury information during its season restart this summer. “We’ve talked to the NHLPA about it and continue to feel that medical privacy is important in this process. Having said that, we have an obligation as a

12:10 PM ET ESPN News Services Captain Steven Stamkos will be limited at the start of Tampa Bay Lightning training camp because of a new lower-body injury, general manager Julien BriseBois announced Saturday. Stamkos, 30, had fully recovered from core muscle surgery in early March but was injured again during voluntary workouts. He is expected

12:19 AM ET Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic became the first NHL player to opt out of this summer’s restart. Calgary GM Brad Treliving announced Hamonic’s decision Friday night, just hours after the NHL and NHLPA officially agreed to move forward with a 24-team tournament, scheduled to begin Aug. 1. “Earlier this evening Travis called me

7:11 PM ET The NHLPA and the NHL Board of Governors have approved a package that not only will allow the league to restart this summer, but also includes a four-year CBA extension, sources told ESPN on Friday. The NHLPA on Wednesday had started a full membership vote on both return to play and the

7:26 PM ET The National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHL’s board of governors have approved a package that will not only allow the league to restart this summer, but also includes a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. You read that correctly, the two sides have reached an extension without a work