NHL reportedly to hold international event in 2026 in place of all-star weekend

The NHL is planning an international event at UBS Arena next February, the home of the New York Islanders, in lieu of the previously announced all-star weekend, a person with knowledge of the situation said Monday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league has not announced its plans for the weekend before the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Commissioner Gary Bettman has said on multiple occasions recently the league has been rethinking what to do about the event after the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off international tournament earlier this year. The thought was always to use New York as a jumping off point for Milan, with players leaving from there to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

"We know we've set the bar high, which should be a good thing, not a problem," Bettman said last week at a meeting of Associated Press Sports Editors in New York. "We're going to make sure we do something. … We'll have an event at UBS before we go to the Olympics. But then we'll do something that's more focused on a major hockey event for the following year."

At his news conference wrapping up the general managers' annual spring meeting last month, Bettman said: "We're reevaluating how we want to do things because I think we've raised the bar about as high as you can for an all-star game in any sport. And so we want to make sure whatever we do is up to the standards that we've created."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she wrote a letter to Bettman expressing her disappointment about the decision to hold a Winter Olympics kickoff event in place of all-star weekend, adding it was made without consulting with the state and requesting the league "bring a hockey event with equal or greater economic activity and cultural value to the region in 2027."

That could quite easily be an all-star weekend or something of the sort at UBS Arena, since nothing else has been confirmed as of now. The 4 Nations tournament featuring teams representing the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland drawing sellout crowds and stellar ratings has the NHL considering different options for midseason festivities and even made the NBA contemplate doing something involving international play.

Blake not returning after 8 seasons

Rob Blake is out after eight seasons as the Los Angeles Kings' vice-president and general manager.

The Kings announced a mutual parting with Blake on Monday, four days after Los Angeles lost to Edmonton in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

Blake, a native of Simcoe, Ont., built a consistent regular-season winner with the Kings, but the team failed to win a playoff series during his tenure.

Los Angeles tied its franchise records this season with 48 victories and 105 points while finishing second in the Pacific Division, but the Oilers eliminated the Kings yet again, this time in six games.

"Reaching this understanding wasn't easy, and I appreciate Rob's partnership in always working toward what is best for the Kings," team president Luc Robitaille said in a statement. "Rob deserves a great deal of credit and respect for elevating us to where we are today. He has been an important part of the Kings and will always be appreciated for what he has meant to this franchise."

Blake was a Hall of Fame defenceman during a playing career spent mostly with the Kings, although he won his only Stanley Cup title with the Colorado Avalanche. Blake, whose No. 4 is retired in the rafters of the Kings' downtown arena, retired in 2010 and joined the Kings' front office during the 2013-14 season, Los Angeles' second Stanley Cup championship campaign.

He replaced Dean Lombardi, who built the two championship-winning teams, as the Kings' GM in April 2017. Blake led the Kings back to relevance after a three-year playoff absence, and they went 309-238-71 in his eight seasons despite failing to win a division title.

But the Kings lost in the first round of the playoffs five times during his tenure, winning just eight total games in those five series. Los Angeles has been eliminated in each of the past four seasons at the hands of Connor McDavid's club, unable to build a team capable of withstanding the Oilers' offensive onslaught.

'He's a very exceptional human'

Los Angeles won the first two games of its series against Edmonton last month but then lost four in a row to crash out of the playoffs yet again amid growing fan discontent.

"It's a hard day," captain Anze Kopitar said Monday. "I've known Blakey for 20 years now. He was my teammate before he was our GM, but more importantly, he's our friend. I think he did a good job building this team. I think we showed it this year. It [stinks] to see that we didn't deliver and didn't move on, and he paid the price for it, really. He's a very exceptional human, and looking back now, he's done a lot for me as a player, as a GM, as a mentor. At least for a little bit next year, it's going to be weird not having him around."

Blake fired head coach Todd McLellan and promoted assistant Jim Hiller in February 2024 during a difficult stretch. Hiller led the Kings to two standout regular-season finishes, but no post-season advancement.

Moments after Blake's departure was announced, Hiller said he hadn't spoken to Robitaille about his future.

"I'll be talking with Luc at some point, I'm sure, but I do understand whenever there's change like that, significant change, there's usually more," said Hiller, who is 69-37-10 in 1 1/2 seasons in his first NHL head coaching job.

The Kings' next GM will have several significant decisions to make beyond Hiller's fate, but the two veteran pillars of the team's roster from the championship years could remain in place.

Kopitar said Monday he will return in the fall for his 20th season with the club, while 17-year veteran defenceman Drew Doughty has two years left on a high-priced contract after missing much of the current campaign while recovering from a preseason injury.

Blake repeatedly took big swings to acquire top-end talent during his tenure, trying anything in his power to build a championship roster. He had big hits and big misses.

Blake traded three solid players to Winnipeg in June 2023 for centre Pierre-Luc Dubois, who made it only one poor season into a lavish eight-year contract before being offloaded to Washington for veteran goaltender Darcy Kuemper. who made the Dubois debacle look better by becoming a Vezina Trophy finalist this season.

Blake also traded promising young defenseman Brock Faber in a package for Kevin Fiala, although the Swiss forward has largely delivered the goals sought by Los Angeles, including a team-leading 35 this season. Blake also traded away Jonathan Quick, the Kings' Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2012 and the goalie of both championship teams.

Blake's draft history is not impressive, although he landed center Quinton Byfield at No. 2 overall in 2020 and found defensemen Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence.

Brunette a good young coach, Preds GM says

The Nashville Predators plan to proceed with head coach Andrew Brunette behind the bench, general manager Barry Trotz announced.

Trotz's words came on the heels of the Predators following up a busy off-season of signings with a dismal performance in 2024-25.

"Andrew Brunette, to me, is a good young coach. That's why I hired him. He's a good young coach. Had a tough situation this year in terms of our team, maybe our make-up, how we came together or didn't come together," Trotz said Monday.

"Good young people when you believe in them, just like a good young player, you stick with them."

The Predators limped to a 30-44-8 record (68 points) despite signing free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei.

That came one season after Nashville posted a 47-30-5 mark (99 points) in 2023-24 and made the playoffs.

Brunette, 51, owns a 128-92-19 coaching record with the Florida Panthers (2021-22) and Predators. He was a finalist for the 2024 Jack Adams Award.

Brunette recorded 733 points (268 goals and 465 assists) in 1,110 career games with the Washington Capitals (1995-98), Predators (1999), Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2001), Minnesota Wild (2001-04, 2008-11), Colorado Avalanche (2005-08) and Chicago Blackhawks (2011-12).