Team Canada announced its official men’s hockey roster for the 2026 Olympics, the first time in over a decade in which NHL players will participate in the Games. The Canadian player pool is absolutely loaded with talent, and as such, some players missed the cut to represent their nation at the Olympics, even if they were deserving of a selection.

The Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes meet Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.

Novak and Mantha scored in the final five minutes of the second period to make it 5-0. Noel Acciari screened Andersen on Novak’s shot from the high slot, and Mantha scored his second goal after a give-and-go with Brazeau.

The Carolina Hurricanes got some devastating injury news on Monday afternoon. The club placed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

For their first game of the 2026 calendar year, the Montreal Canadiens (21-12-6) will have a big challenge in Carolina tonight against the Hurricanes (24-12-3), who are currently the top team in the entire Eastern Conference.

Happy New Year, all. As the #Canes filter onto the ice for morning skate ahead of tonight’s matchup against Montreal, Seth Jarvis (rib injury) is with the group in a yellow, no-contact sweater. Great to see him out there for the first time since Dec. 19. pic.twitter.com/JUL1YhX3Y9

The Carolina Hurricanes are likely going to be without goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov for the season, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the media on Monday that Kochetkov would undergo surgery to repair a lower-body issue that held him out of the start of the season and had been bothering him ever since.

This is a significant blow to the Carolina Hurricanes, whose season is terminated as soon as or probably sooner than Pyotr Kochetkov. The 26-year-old .

With one NHL-ready goalie out for the season and another without a win in nearly two months, the Hurricanes have dwindling options for their next move.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov likely will miss the rest of the season after opting for surgery for a lingering lower-body injury.

Winless streaks and declining stats signal a stark reality for the veteran netminder. It's time for a change in Carolina's crease.