NHL

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.

The NHL's top suit, Gary Bettman, confessed he binge-watched all six episodes of "Heated Rivalry" in one night ... and while he admits it can get a bit steamy, he says it's had a positive impact on the league!!

Bettman -- the league's 73-year-old commissioner -- says the NHL has been well aware of the hit HBO Max series that's taken the world by storm, and you can add him to the list of fans.

"It was very well done," Bettman told reporters in a scrum before Thursday’s game between the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals. "The content, particularly for young people, might be a little spicy. And so you have to balance that out in terms of how you embrace it."

An ex-employee is suing the Anaheim Ducks, claiming she dealt with sexual harassment and other misconduct in a “frat house boys club environment" -- and was then allegedly silenced for exposing it.

Rose Harris, who worked in the Ducks’ IT department, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the team, the NHL, and the team’s parent company, OC Sports & Entertainment, in the Southern District of New York ... accusing them of colluding to blacklist, defame, and retaliate against her.

The Philadelphia Flyers have suspended radio play-by-play broadcaster Thomas Saunders for making an inappropriate comment while on the airwaves ... when a hot mic picked up a joke about oral sex.

It all went down during the third period of the Flyers' 5-3 loss Thursday night. After an icing call, Saunders threw the broadcast to a commercial break ... the only problem was it didn't happen.

Seemingly, as someone in the booth went down to the floor, Saunders was heard saying, "While you're down there, would ya mind blowing me?"

Carter Hart -- who was acquitted of sexual assault in a Canadian court this summer -- made his return to the NHL ice with the Golden Knights on Tuesday, describing the moment as "amazing" after nearly two years away from the league.

Hart, a goalie, shined in Las Vegas' 4-3 win over the Blackhawks Tuesday night in Sin City, making 27 saves on 30 shots, including six in overtime. After the final horn sounded, the team mobbed Hart just beyond the net.

Speaking with the media postgame, it was clear Hart was dealing with a bunch of emotions following his first game back.

Washington Capitals star Dylan Strome had an emotional day on the ice Thursday ... 'cause after crushing the Montreal Canadiens 8-4 on the road, he revealed his wife went into labor during the game -- and he missed the birth of his third child.

Strome shared the news with reporters in front of his locker ... saying while he is proud of his wife, Taylor, he wished he could have been by her side in that moment.

"Definitely playing with a lot of emotions," Strome said. "I found out after the first period tonight. I heard before the game and kind of talked about what I should do. I mean there was nothing I could do to get back."