Evan McLeod
Evan McLeod is an NHL writer covering league news, trades, and playoff storylines. With a focus on pace-of-play trends and player usage, he brings a mix of eye test and analytics to every piece. Before joining Gino Hard, Evan covered junior hockey in the OHL and contributed to independent hockey blogs during the season.
Oilers Attendance: Rogers Place Has 2,171 Empty Seats
The Oilers announced 16,176 fans at Rogers Place on Thursday, their smallest home crowd since October 2022 😬 The Golden Knights and several other teams are seeing empty seats too ⬇️
Oskar Back Injury: Stars Forward Out 4-6 Weeks, Broken Finger
Stars forward Oskar Back broke his finger and will miss 4-6 weeks 🤕 He left Wednesday's game in Colorado after five shifts, and Dallas is already without Matt Duchene ⬇️
Doc Emrick Holtby Save Call: He Couldn’t See It
Doc Emrick says he couldn't actually see Braden Holtby's "The Save" when he made the call 😳 The Hall of Fame broadcaster explained how the crowd blocked his view in Game 2 of the 2018 Cup Final ⬇️
Babcock McDavid Ice Time: Oilers Coach Says ‘It Has to Stop’
Mike Babcock says Connor McDavid's heavy ice time "has to stop" The Oilers coach admits he's playing his stars too much after Edmonton's first regulation loss of the season ⬇️
John Tavares Injury: Leafs Center Hurt vs. Sabres
John Tavares left the Maple Leafs' loss to the Sabres after an awkward collision with Josh Norris 🤕 Toronto had no update on the center's status after the game ⬇️
Patrick Kane Assist Record: Passes Housley on Bedard Goal
Patrick Kane is now the NHL's all-time assist leader among U.S.-born players 🇺🇸 He passed Phil Housley with his 895th on Connor Bedard's first goal of the season ⬇️
Matt Boldy Hat Trick: Wild Hold Off Blues 5-4
Matt Boldy scored a hat trick and added an assist in the Wild's 5-4 win over the Blues 🎩 Quinn Hughes also stretched his season-opening point streak to eight games ⬇️
Brandon Montour Injury: Kraken D-Man Exits vs. Lightning
Brandon Montour left Thursday's game against the Lightning and did not return with a lower-body injury. The Kraken's top defenseman had an awkward fall on his last shift, and the video is here ⬇️
Tanev Injury: Hiller Says Leafs Forwards Must Help D
Chris Tanev is week-to-week and Jim Hiller isn't looking for outside help on defense ⬇️ The Maple Leafs coach says his forwards need to do more to support the blue line:
Miroshnichenko Trade Buzz: Teams Watching Capitals Winger
Multiple NHL teams are watching Capitals winger Ivan Miroshnichenko, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. He scored in his season debut, and Washington can't send him to the AHL without risking waivers ⬇️
