NHL

It was cloudy with a 100% chance of glass at the Avalanche vs. Kings playoff game on Tuesday ... when some rowdy fans got so excited over a penalty shot save, they broke a glass panel behind the bench!!!

The chaos went down early in the second period ... right after Colorado goalie stopped L.A. right winger Quinton Byfield's penalty shot in its tracks.

The folks sitting feet away from the Kings celebrated by pounding on the glass barrier ... and seconds later, it completely shattered and crumbled to the ground.

The Dallas Stars have taken action against a fan who was seen doing an apparent Nazi salute during a game at American Airlines Center in December ... the NHL team has banned him "indefinitely" from the arena.

A spokesperson for the Stars told The Dallas Morning News that they identified the individual who "purchased the tickets and will be banning the individual indefinitely from American Airlines Center."

“Any type of discriminatory or hateful behavior will not be tolerated and has no place in our arena. Creating and sustaining environments that are inclusive, safe and respectful is a non-negotiable for the Dallas Stars.”

Days after NHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three kids were tragically killed in a devastating fire at their Minneapolis home ... the Tampa Bay Lightning shared a touching gesture as they welcomed the Minnesota Wild to town -- leaving an open spot in the press box for the longtime beat writer.

The team's social media account posted a photo of the spot in the media room reserved for Pierce, which featured her name on a card and a vase of flowers.

Before the puck was dropped, there was also a moment of silence in the arena for Pierce.

Connor McDavid proved he's got hands on Thursday ... the NHL star shockingly started throwing haymakers aimed squarely at his opponent's face during an on-ice melee -- and it was intense!

The one-on-one went down after a small fight erupted at the end of the second period of the Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars game at the American Airlines Center.

Broadcast footage showed McDavid going right at Stars role player Justin Hryckowian during the fracas, yanking on his black and green jersey while throwing left-handed jabs at his face.

The NHL is catching serious heat after disciplining Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel ... 'cause a lot of hockey fans think the punishment didn’t go nearly far enough.

The league announced Monday it has fined Hagel $5,000 -- the maximum allowed under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement -- after determining he was the aggressor in an altercation with Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin during Sunday's heated matchup.

Notably, Hagel was not suspended … a decision that has sparked plenty of outrage online.

Many fans argued the hit -- which came after Dahlin appeared to disengage from the play -- warranted a suspension instead of what amounts to the league’s standard maximum fine.

Matthew Tkachuk used a trip to Columbus to share a special moment with Johnny Gaudreau's family ... checking in on the late NHL star's loved ones ahead of a game against the Blue Jackets.

Meredith Gaudreau snapped the heartwarming picture Wednesday night -- the day before the Panthers take the ice against the Jackets, the team Johnny played for prior to his tragic passing at the hands of an alleged drunk driver.

"Dinner and a show, Noa x Uncle Chucky," she wrote.

It's no surprise that Tkachuk took some time out of his schedule to make time for the Gaudreau family. The two were teammates on the Calgary Flames for six seasons before they parted ways in 2022.

N.J. Devils star Jack Hughes was back on home ice Wednesday night after lifting the U.S. men's hockey team to Olympic gold ... and the 24-year-old star received a rousing ovation from the hometown faithful!!!

Hughes also briefly addressed the team's controversial phone call with the President of the United States.

Jack received a standing ovation when he took center ice at the Prudential Center in Newark, where he spoke to Devils fans about the experience. He also brought out his Team USA teammate turned opponent for the night, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson.

"I'm so proud and so happy that the men's and women's USA hockey teams brought gold medals back to the United States of America," Hughes said. "I'm so proud to represent the New Jersey Devils organization, and I'm so, so proud to represent the great state of New Jersey."

One of the biggest assists for the U.S. men's hockey team didn't come on the Olympic ice -- it came courtesy of Pat McAfee, who let the gold medal winners rage in Miami on his dime!!

A video started making rounds on social media Tuesday night ... showing McAfee addressing the team and thanking them for representing the country as they celebrated at E11EVEN nightclub.

McAfee's message then revealed that he teamed up with the club to make sure they didn't have to spend a dollar to have a good time. We're told that by the time they walked out the door, the final total was around $150K.

For the first time since the Miracle on Ice, the United States Men's Hockey team has won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics ... and the team is partying accordingly as they celebrate their first Olympic gold in 46 years!

It all started after Jack Hughes found the back of the net in overtime to give the Red, White and Blue the win over their rivals from up north -- Canada.

Once they got back to the locker room, the party really kicked into another gear. Footage from Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy showed them jamming out to Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)" as the drinks were flowing.

Paul Bissonnette is taking a slap shot at the NHL’s grueling schedule ... saying the league might be pushing players too far -- and he’s got a plan to fix it.

Biz tells TMZ Sports he’s not holding his breath waiting for league bosses to agree ... but he’s still throwing the idea out there.

“I don’t think they’re going to listen to me," he told us before the Super Bowl at SI The Party. "We just talk for conversation, but I think it would be cool if they would consider in years where they’re doing best on best to just draw it back a little bit.”

Big win for hockey sensation Gavin McKenna -- the felony assault charge levied against him has been tossed!

The Penn State hockey phenom -- widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft -- was originally staring down a serious legal mess after police charged him with felony aggravated assault ... plus misdemeanor simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct following an alleged altercation earlier this week.

The allegations stemmed from a confrontation near campus last weekend between McKenna and another man that escalated, according to the State College Police Department. Investigators initially claimed McKenna punched the alleged victim twice in the face ... leaving him with fractures to both sides of his jaw and a missing tooth, injuries prosecutors believed justified the felony charge.

But after reviewing video of the incident, the District Attorney’s Office says the evidence doesn’t support the claim McKenna intended to cause severe bodily harm -- a key requirement for aggravated assault.

Gavin McKenna’s meteoric rise toward NHL superstardom has slammed into a massive off-ice collision.

The Penn State hockey phenom -- widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft -- is dealing with serious legal trouble after cops say he was involved in an alleged late-night fight near campus over the weekend.

A Pennsylvania court docket filed on Wednesday charges the 18-year-old forward with aggravated assault for attempting to cause serious bodily or causing injury with extreme indifference ... along with misdemeanor assault and other lesser charges.

Toronto Maple Leafs fans got more than a hockey update today … and the puck had nothing to do with it.

Head coach Craig Berube gave fans a shock by showing up with a black eye for his Friday morning media availability. And as if the shiner wasn’t bad enough, he then revealed the full extent -- removing his hat to show a massive gash on his head.

Ouch!!!

"The other guy looks way worse ... there was three of them," Berube jokingly said with a smile.

A push from "Heated Rivalry" helped a real-life hockey player share his truth about his sexuality ... and now he hopes to be a source of inspiration, too.

After tuning in to the hit show about rivals-turned-lovers, Minnesota native Jesse Kortuem decided to pen his coming-out story earlier this month ... and it’s turning into a mission bigger than the sport.

We caught up with Kortuem in NYC on Wednesday to see how his message is being received.

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie of the hit show "Heated Rivalry" are slated to take their star power to a global stage ... as they have been announced as torchbearers for the Olympics!!

News of their involvement dropped Thursday morning ... but it was not revealed when exactly the two would be strapping up their running shoes for the Olympic tradition in Italy. The torch is currently on its way to Trieste, about 262 miles from Milan.

It's no surprise that the 2026 Winter Games tapped the two for the torch relay ... as their show has taken the world by storm ... which features two hockey players hiding their relationship.