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Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Carter Bear's NHL dream is still alive: skates ahead of schedule despite injury
Image Via YouTube A setback cannot stop the determination of Carter Bear. This power forward, expected to be a top pick in the NHL Draft, is already in the limelight, even after missing the fitness testing portion of the NHL Scouting Combine. Bear underwent surgery and an intensive recovery process after suffering a grave injury to the Achilles just before the WHL playoffs. Now, many months later, the kid is skating with a smile on a face that has exceeded expectations. As the training camps for the NHL near, Bear will soon commence full skating tread to his draft and keep it moving. Carter Bear's commitment to the comeback shows strength beyond stats In March, just weeks before the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs, Carter Bear suffered a partial tear in his right Achilles tendon. Thinking the injury was pretty much going to end his season and perhaps his NHL Draft preparations, expectations formed. But Bear had other ideas. In spite of his injury, Bear's name has continued to appear prominently in scouting reports. Ranked tenth by NHL Central Scouting in their final list of North American skaters for the 2025 NHL Draft, Bear instituted himself as a big-time goalscorer with 40 goals in only 56 games for the Everett Silvertips. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Viva a melhor experiência de estudo no exterior (Inscreva-se agora) Study Abroad Saiba Mais Undo However, it is his discipline since the injury that is garnering newfound respect. Image Via Twitter Soon after the accident, he went under the knife, and within a matter of weeks, the patient was back to light skating. At present, he has done five skates and has begun weight-bearing training. Having one month ahead of the recovery schedule as per the physiotherapist augurs really well for all teams that were looking at him for NHL training camps. Stepping aside for fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine, Carter Bear's return to skating spells out resilience. He remains day-to-day, going by his feeling of recovery, but is confident of being fully fit by the first day of camp in September. The injury was an unfortunate one, occurring in the middle of an offensive-zone play when an opponent fell backward, clipping the back of Bear's leg. Although it had caused a temporary halt in his momentum, it certainly hasn't derailed his spirit. Also Read: Zach Werenski turns injury into inspiration with powerful Columbus comeback The tale of Carter Bear from injury to healing paints more than just a picture of physical restoration—it depicts the mental toughness and will of a young athlete to come back even stronger. With September inching closer, NHL teams will be keeping an eye not just on his stats but also on his spirit. Not just healing, Bear is paving his path to the summit.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Top NHL prospect Matthew Schaefer returns from injury ahead of 2025 draft
Photo byMatthew Schaefer is skating back into the spotlight. The dynamic 17-year-old defenseman, widely considered the front-runner to be selected first overall in the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft, has officially been cleared for contact as of May 1. After missing nearly four months of action with a broken clavicle, Schaefer is once again doing what he loves—hitting the ice, working out, and preparing for the biggest moment of his hockey career. Back in action: Matthew Schaefer's injury recovery shifts draft expectations Matthew Schaefer's season was derailed on December 27 when he suffered a broken clavicle while representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. He underwent surgery just days later and was sidelined for the remainder of the OHL season , including nine playoff games for the Erie Otters . Despite missing 46 games, Schaefer remained determined and focused. "I'm healed, I'm working out, I'm on the ice, so everything's amazing, which is good," he said. 'I've been definitely dying to come back... it was so good to just get back on the ice with the guys. I'm clear [to play] now and everything's feeling good.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo There was some hope he might return if Erie advanced to the third round of the playoffs, but the team's season ended in the second round with a sweep by the London Knights. Still, Schaefer's competitive fire never dimmed. "I was hoping," he admitted. "Obviously, if it was my decision, I would have been in Game 1 of the playoffs, but my shoulder wasn't ready... If the doctors said I was able to, I would have been right in there." In his limited time this season—just 17 games due to an early bout with mononucleosis—Schaefer recorded an impressive 22 points (7 goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating. He is one of 90 elite prospects invited to the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine, set for June 2–7 in Buffalo, where talent evaluators will have the chance to closely assess his skills and physical readiness. The New York Islanders , who won the draft lottery and hold the No. 1 pick, could be eyeing him to bolster their blue line. 'They're a great team. I've heard a lot of great things about them... so we'll see what happens,' Schaefer said. All eyes on Matthew Schaefer ahead of 2025 NHL draft If chosen first overall, Schaefer would be the first Erie player to achieve that feat since Connor McDavid in 2015. A left-shot, puck-moving defenseman , he could be the perfect complement to right-handed Islanders star Noah Dobson. His next trip to New York might not be for a concert, but a new chapter in his hockey journey. 'There's so many great teams in the NHL and just having your name called by any of them would be an honor,' he said. Also Read: How Leon Draisaitl's lockdown defense is driving Edmonton Oilers' playoff success against Vegas Golden Knights Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NHL Draft Lottery takeaways: Who goes No. 1 and 2, trades, the Rangers' pick and more
The conclusion of U18 worlds and the drawing of the NHL Draft Lottery means that draft season is officially upon us. The first-round order is taking shape, the playoff field is shrinking, league finals are underway or around the corner across the CHL and USHL, the men's world championships are starting, the Memorial Cup will follow suit in Rimouski, Quebec, and before we know it we'll be in Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine and Los Angeles for a new-look decentralized 2025 NHL Draft. After another lottery night, here's everything I'm thinking about and hearing. I worried that the NHL's live, four-ball drawing of the 14 numbered balls, with their 1,001 possible combinations, all assigned to the teams according to their percentages, would create for a convoluted, messy broadcast if not done well. And while I don't think they did a great job setting it up and laying it out for viewers off the top of the show, the updating odds, displayed on screens behind Gary Bettman and company, was well executed. Watching teams get eliminated — by being scratched off the graphic — as they ran out of potential winning number combinations, and seeing the odds of long shots like the Islanders (the eventual winner, moving up from No. 10 to No. 1), Flyers and Penguins grow, made for good suspense. Once they added the winning possible numbers before the final draw to the graphic, that last pull made for a really tense moment of live television. I thought they pulled it off for a first try, and it's nice to see the NHL trying new things. Advertisement And how about both draws being won by teams with among the lowest odds, with Utah moving up to No. 4 in the second lottery? Matthew Schaefer feels like a no-brainer for the GM-less Islanders to me. They took scoring winger Cole Eiserman with their first-rounder last year, traded for a 2023 first-round center in Calum Ritchie at the deadline and have arguably the thinnest prospect pool in the league on defense. Schaefer would be a huge boon for them. He would have also been a huge boon for the team that's now set to pick second. The Sharks drafted defenseman Sam Dickinson with the 11th pick in last year's draft, but their pool is stronger up front than on the blue line. If Schaefer goes first, that next group includes a quartet of centers (Michael Misa, James Hagens, Anton Frondell and Caleb Desnoyers) and winger Porter Martone. They've obviously also got natural centers Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. There are camps that believe all of Smith, Misa, Hagens and Frondell may be better suited as wingers than centers (I think everyone expects Desnoyers to stick at center), though, so you can move Smith to the wing with Celebrini (where he already has chemistry) and slot this year's pick in as the team's 2C of the future, or do the reverse. That's a good problem to have with three high-end forwards to build around. Misa's probably still the front-runner to go No. 2 but I wonder about Desnoyers, who feels like a perfect 2C prototype behind Celebrini. Every year, when I do Q&As and mailbags around this time, I get asked just as much about potential trades as I do the actual players. If you've followed my work, you'll know that almost always, my answers are a letdown. It's hard to make trades on draft day, especially in the first round. Top picks almost never get moved. Trade-ups and trade-downs are almost always in small increments. Advertisement But this year does feel like it's more ripe for action for a couple of reasons. For starters, the belief among teams I've talked to is that it's going to be easier to make trades happen in a decentralized format where there aren't prying eyes and listening ears. The guys like doing their business over the phone. But there's also a higher concentration of picks among a group of teams, which always makes managers more inclined to take risks, be spicy with their picks and, yes, package them. Seven teams have multiple first-round picks this year: San Jose (2), Chicago (2), Nashville (3), Philadelphia (3), Columbus (2), Montreal (2) and Calgary (2). The Sharks, Blackhawks, Predators and Flyers also have the first four picks of the second round on top of that. The Flyers have seven picks in the first three rounds. The Blackhawks, Preds, Sharks and Canadiens have two second-rounders as well. Watch out for the Blackhawks, Flyers and Habs in particular. Kyle Davidson has too much quantity in his pool and has already shown a willingness to package picks to move up. The Flyers have the most to play with if they want to move up and will be every team that's open to moving back's first call. And the Habs have taken a step out of full-on rebuild and could put their picks in play to try to get better. The Rangers have a decision to make. The quick refresher is that they traded a protected top-13 2025 first-rounder to the Canucks in the J.T. Miller trade, and as part of the protections of that pick (which now belongs to the Penguins after the Canucks flipped it) the Rangers retained the right to hold onto it and send an unprotected 2026 first-rounder instead. Now that the Rangers know they'll be picking 12th in this year's draft, they have to decide whether they're going to hold onto it or take the risk that comes with giving up an unprotected pick next year. Anecdotally, the consensus online seems to be that they should give up this year's selection, that next year's draft is much stronger, and that it's not worth the risk of giving up a pick that could become Gavin McKenna. Advertisement I'm not sure I agree on multiple fronts. First, I'm not convinced, outside of what McKenna represents at the top of next year's draft, that it's actually much stronger, and I'd caution you against trusting anyone who is declaring definitively that it is more than a year out. Keaton Verhoeff and Ivar Stenberg look like star prospects behind McKenna, there's an impressive group of WHL D and Swedish forwards, there's belief that guys like Czech forward Adam Novotny and Canadian forward Tynan Lawrence could be the real deal as well, but it's also another weaker class for USA Hockey and Finland, and it's a long, long way away. Second, I'm not convinced that the Rangers can't make the playoffs next year and turn that puck into a late teens pick. And I'd sooner bet on them finishing where they did (just outside the playoffs with lottery odds in the single digits) or making the playoffs as a wild-card team that lowers the pick into the late teens than I would on them completely bottoming out and finishing low enough in the league standings to have double digit odds at winning the lottery. Third, there's value in a prospect who is a year closer to you when you've got a veteran roster built around 30-somethings like Miller, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and two late-20s superstars in Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin. If you made the move for Miller, you made it because you want to continue to make the playoffs and push. If you're Chris Drury, I think you have to believe that your guys, under a new coach, are more likely to take a playoff spot away from, say, the Montreal Canadiens or Ottawa Senators than they are to finish last or second-last in the Eastern Conference next year. I'd make the pick, even if it feels a little bold and risky, and trust that I'll be picking later than 12th in 2026. Nobody's stock is hotter coming out of U18 worlds than the hard-hitting, ultra-intense center. 'I think he has a chance of sneaking inside the top five,' texted one OHL coach after the tournament. 'I think (the top 10) was happening prior to this but this definitely locks it in,' texted an OHL general manager. Advertisement I think he's in play starting as early as Utah at No. 4 (he's their type), and certainly the Flyers at No. 6 and the Bruins at No. 7. There's nobody like Martin in this draft class and he's not going to last long on draft night. The Kraken have made four first-round picks in their franchise's history. They've taken a forward — Matty Beniers (No. 2, 2021), Shane Wright (No. 4, 2022), Eduard Sale (No. 20, 2023) and Berkly Catton (No. 8, 2024) — with each of them. They've made 14 picks in the first two rounds of the draft. They've taken a defenseman — Ryker Evans (No. 35, 2021) and Lukas Dragicevic (No. 57, 2022) — with just two of them. They now hold the eighth pick in this year's draft and I'm not sure the best player available won't be another forward, too. There has been a lot of talk about who the second- and third-best D in this class are, but I think Radim Mrtka and Kashawn Aitcheson have separated themselves from Jackson Smith. Mrtka and Aitcheson aren't for everyone, though, and taking them at No. 8 would still be considered a little early relative to some of the players who are likely to be available. The Kraken have backed themselves into a bit of a corner, with a deep pool up front and a clear hole to fill in their pool on the back end. Last year would have been the year to take a D. One went with each of the next four selections after they took Catton (Zayne Parekh ninth, Anton Silayev 10th, Sam Dickinson 11th, Zeev Buium 12th). I love Catton as a player and prospect and had him ranked ahead of two of those four D on my list at the time, but they're in a challenging spot now. I'd be interested in being a fly on the wall during their final scouting meetings, because you can make a convincing case for a forward like Jake O'Brien over Mrtka (who played in their backyard with the Thunderbirds this year and I actually think would be a great fit for them) or Aitcheson.
USA Today
10-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
When do 2025 NHL playoffs begin? Bracket format, dates and more
When do 2025 NHL playoffs begin? Bracket format, dates and more Show Caption Hide Caption Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzsky for most goals in NHL history Alex Ovechkin reached a career milestone, scoring his 895th goal. We recently asked Washington Capitals fans where Ovechkin ranks among the NHL greats. The NHL regular season will end in one week, and plenty of positioning is still to be determined. The Washington Capitals have clinched the Metropolitan Division title and could clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference on Thursday night. However, the Pacific, Central and Atlantic Division titles are still up for grabs on Thursday morning, as is the Presidents' Trophy winner for top regular-season team. The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils will face each other in the first round, but the other seven first-round series have yet to be cemented. Only 12 of the 16 playoff spots have been clinched. Here's what you need to know about when the NHL playoffs begin, the Stanley Cup playoffs bracket format and key dates through the opening of free agency. When does the NHL regular season end? The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 17 with seven games. When do the NHL playoffs begin? The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 19. NHL playoff bracket explained The top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The next best two teams in each conference qualify as wild-card teams. The playoff bracket is as follows (all series are best-of-seven): First round (in each conference) Best team vs. second wild-card team No. 2 team in that division vs. No. 3 team. Other division winner vs. first wild-card team No. 2 team in that division vs. No. 3 team. Second round (in each conference) The winners of the first two series would face each other, as would the winners of the third and fourth series. Home-ice advantage goes to the team with the best record. Conference finals (in each conference) The winners of the second-round series would face each other. Home-ice advantage goes to the team with the best record. Stanley Cup Final Conference finals winners would face each other in the championship round. Home-ice advantage goes to the team with the best record. Current NHL playoff bracket (as of morning of Thursday, April 10) Eastern Conference Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Western Conference Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers When is the NHL draft lottery? That date is to be determined. It's usually in May between the first and second rounds of the playoffs. NHL Central Scouting's final prospects rankings are due to come out the week of April 15. When is the NHL Scouting Combine? The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine will be held June 1-7 at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York. When does the Stanley Cup Final begin? No opening date has been set. It depends on how the playoff series progress. The last possible date for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is June 23. When is the NHL Awards Show? That date is to be determined. When is the NHL draft? The 2025 draft will be held on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 in Los Angeles at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater. It was last held in Los Angeles in 2010. Top prospects, media and fans will be in attendance, but NHL team executives, scouts and coaches will participate virtually this year. When does NHL free agency begin? NHL free agency begins at noon on July 1.
