The Montreal Canadiens have already punched a ticket. The Edmonton Oilers are nearly there, too.

The Ottawa Senators also look be on course for a return to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, have some work to do — and need a lot of help.

Four of Canada’s seven NHL teams remain in the mix for the NHL’s annual spring dance, with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs all set to miss out.

The Canadiens clinched a second straight post-season berth last weekend, but are jockeying for position in the Atlantic Division with the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning. Buffalo tops the ledger with 106 points, followed by Montreal (104) and Tampa Bay (102).

The Sabres, who hold the first tiebreaker with 41 regulation victories, have two games remaining on the schedule, while the Canadiens and Lightning each play three more times in the regular season.

Montreal, which fell to the Washington Capitals in last year’s first round, could face either of those clubs to open the playoffs, while other possibilities include Ottawa and the Boston Bruins.

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The Oilers are on the cusp of making the post-season a seventh year running, a stretch that includes back-to-back Cup final appearances against the Florida Panthers in 2024 and 2025.

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Edmonton leads the Pacific Division — a race captain Connor McDavid called a “pillow fight” last month because of its slow crawl to the finish line — with 90 points, one better than both the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks. Each team has three games remaining, with the Oilers holding the tiebreaker thanks to 31 regulation victories.

The website MoneyPuck.com pegged Edmonton’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs at 99.98 per cent heading into Saturday after the league took Friday night off. Claiming the division crown would likely mean a first-round matchup with the Utah Mammoth.

The Senators have captured four of their last five games in regulation to push the club’s post-season chances to 92.1 per cent.

Ottawa occupies the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card berth with 94 points and three games remaining.

The Senators are two back of the Bruins for the first wild card, while the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders are three points adrift of Ottawa. The Columbus Blue Jackets have 90 points, followed by Washington with 89.

Boston, Ottawa, Detroit, New York, Columbus and Washington all have three games left.

The Senators, who made the playoffs a year ago for the first time since the franchise’s run to the 2017 conference final before bowing out to the Maple Leafs, could face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round, while the Sabres, Canadiens and Lightning are also possible.

Winnipeg sat last in the overall standings on Jan. 8 with a 15-22-5 record. The Jets steadied themselves and have made 20-9-7 surge in the second half to stay in the playoff conversation in the top-heavy West.

Last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winner with a league-topping 116 points, however, will need a lot to go right to get in.

Winnipeg currently sits on 82 points, three back of the Los Angeles Kings for the conference’s second wild-card slot. The Nashville Predators have 84 points, while the San Jose Sharks are at 81.

The Kings, Jets and Sharks have four games left, one more than the Predators.

Winnipeg still has a shot, but MoneyPuck.com had its chances at 12.6 per cent heading into the weekend. Snagging an improbable post-season appearance would also likely mean a first-round date with the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.

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MONTREAL – Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the Montreal Canadiens dressing room after the team’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in a thrilling game Thursday night.

Carney was in Montreal for a Liberal party convention running through Saturday, attending the game following a day of media appearances and speeches across the city.

He met with Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, forwards Alex Newhook and Jake Evans, and defenceman Mike Matheson after an eventful game that featured fights, a dramatic finish and Cole Caufield scoring his 50th goal of the season.

“I’m going to be honest, I haven’t had that much fun in over a year,” Carney said, drawing laughs from the players. “Fantastic game.”

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Carney arrived at the start of the second period with the score 0-0 and sat three rows behind the Canadiens’ bench, shaking hands and chatting with nearby fans.

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When Caufield scored his milestone goal six minutes into the period, Carney jumped up and hugged those same spectators.

He joined the energetic crowd in doing the wave, took photos on his phone and high-fived fans once Juraj Slafkovsky’s late goal sealed the win for Montreal, the only Canadian team to clinch a Stanley Cup playoff spot so far.

Carney placed a hand on his chest and applauded as he entered the locker room, telling players they needed no introduction.

“It’s a real, real honour,” he said while shaking Suzuki’s hand. “It was a key moment in the game, the way you stood up, it was unbelievable.”

Suzuki answered that it was a real pleasure to meet him.

“Is that all you got?” Carney joked.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, meanwhile, said he discussed “leadership” with Carney when they briefly met after the game.

Carney wore two different Canadiens hats despite being a lifelong Edmonton Oilers fan. He grew up in Edmonton during the Wayne Gretzky era and was a third-string goaltender at Harvard University.

Last March, he joined Connor McDavid and the Oilers at practice and previously posted a photo of himself wearing a “McJesus” T-shirt.

The Liberal convention in Montreal — and Carney’s visit to the game — comes ahead of three byelections on Monday, and a day after a fifth opposition MP crossed the floor to join the Liberal caucus.

— With files from Erika Morris and Daniel Rainbird.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.

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EDMONTON – Connor Ingram went from being told not to report to Utah Mammoth training camp to starting in goal for the playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers.

His performance with the Oilers, where he seized the No. 1 goaltending job after three others failed to hold it, earned him the team’s nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Wednesday.

The trophy is awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” It is named after Minnesota North Stars forward Bill Masterton, who died following an on-ice injury in 1968.

The Oilers are one of eight teams that have never won the award. Ingram won it in 2023-24 with Arizona after overcoming mental health struggles and tying for the league lead with six shutouts.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” the 29-year-old Saskatoon native said of this season’s journey. “I never heard of someone not being invited to camp before. They put it in writing for me that they had asked that I not attend camp.

“At that point, it was just, whatever came next was what you were gonna deal with. And luckily it was here in Edmonton and (general manager) Stan (Bowman) gave me a chance, and I’ll be forever grateful.”

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Ingram was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016, but never played for them and was traded to Nashville in June 2019. He recorded his first NHL win Oct 24, 2021, nine months after entering the league’s player assistance program to deal with obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and alcoholism.

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In October 2022, he was claimed off waivers by Arizona and spent two seasons there before the franchise moved to Utah.

Ingram was traded to Edmonton last September and called up from Bakersfield on Dec. 19 when Tristan Jarry, newly acquired from Pittsburgh, was injured.

“There’s a lot of things that happen in hockey that, as a human being, I understand,” he said of the Utah situation. “It’s when you get into how you treat people that bothers me. I’m an athlete, but I’m still a human being, and that’s what brothered me more than anything.”

The son of parents who were both teachers and first responders, Ingram struggled in Bakersfield, but credited the coaching staff there for giving him the chance to resettle his life and career.

“They never gave up on me. They kept letting me play,” he said of Bakersfield head coach Colin Chaulk and goaltending coach Kelly Guard. “A quote I always go back to is, ‘sometimes rock bottom’s a great place to build a foundation.’ That’s what it was. Nobody told me to quit, so I just kept playing, and here we are.

Ingram still deals with some mental health issues, but gets through those days with the help of his wife, Sarah, and simple walks.

“She sees it coming before I do most days,” Ingram said. “She takes care of me more than a wife probably should. I’ll be forever grateful for everything she does for me.

“I go for walks some days just to get some sunlight, but I mean, there’s nothing that I can do that’ll snap me out of it immediately. There’s no one fix for all of this.”

Regaining his position as a starting NHL goaltender helped restore his belief in himself.

“You have to believe in yourself,” he said. “There’s a lot of outside noise. You know, can you, can you not? If you believe you can, you’re gonna be just fine.”

The Masterton winner, which is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, will be announced at the league’s annual awards celebration.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2026.

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An NHL fan at Rogers Place to watch the Edmonton Oilers take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday gave birth in the arena during the game, according to a broadcaster.

Oilers play-by-play man Jack Michaels made the revelation as Sportsnet came back on air for the start of the third period.

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Vegas Golden Knights’ Noah Hanifin and Oilers’ Jack Roslovic battle for the puck in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 4, 2026. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

“Breaking news, we have word that someone has gone into labor here tonight,” Michaels said. “There’s a baby being born on the seventh floor at Rogers Place as we speak. So, someone is going to have a great story to tell. It would be nice to have them join us on ‘After Hours’ to describe what’s happened but that could be asking a bit much.”

There was no more information given about the baby, including the child’s name. Perhaps Edmond or Edmund could be a fitting name if the child is a boy.

OILERS LOSE LEON DRAISAITL FOR REST OF REGULAR SEASON AS PLAYOFFS APPROACH

Oilers goalie Connor Ingram makes a save against the Vegas Golden Knights in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 4, 2026. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

Meanwhile, the Oilers fell to the Golden Knights, 5-1. Brett Howden and Jeremy Lauzon each had a goal and an assist. Colton Sissons, Mark Stone and Rasmus Andersson had a goal each as well.

Vegas goaltender Carter Hart made 31 saves in the victory as the team remained perfect since John Tortorella was named head coach.

Both teams are in the midst of a division title race. Edmonton maintained a slim lead over the Anaheim Ducks with five games left in the season. Each team has 87 points on the year.

With the win, Vegas moved a point back behind both teams.

Vegas Golden Knights’ Ivan Barbashev, Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin celebrate a goal against the Oilers in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 4, 2026. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

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EDMONTON – Betting on John Tortorella as a late-season replacement for head coach continues to pay off for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Jack Eichel had three assists as the Golden Knights came away with a huge 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Brett Howden and Jeremy Lauzon each had a goal and an assist and Colton Sissons, Mark Stone and Rasmus Andersson also scored for the Golden Knights (35-26-16) who have won all three games since Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy on the bench and are 3-0-2 in their last five contests.

“I think we’re buying into the mindset of just playing fast hockey, checking, moving our feet and playing teams really tight and aggressively and getting up in people’s faces,” Sissons said. “We’re kind of building our confidence back and our swag in that department, so it’s been good.”

Vegas moved one point back of both Edmonton and Anaheim, who share first place in the Pacific Division standings.

“I think we’re consistently trying to play fast, certainly playing north. We had a lot of good minutes tonight,” said Tortorella, who joined Cassidy and Gerard Gallant as the third coach in Golden Knights history to record wins in their first three games as Vegas bench boss.

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“I thought (goalie Carter Hart) was really good. We had some hiccups here and there, but I thought we stayed within ourselves and kept playing.”

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Hart recorded 31 saves to earn the win for Vegas.

“He just looks solid,” Tortorella said. “I know nothing about goaltending, but you can tell when a goaltender feels big. He looked big to me, he just feels solid and made some key saves at key times. He made a couple of saves on the power play, so it was good.”

Lauzon hadn’t scored in 112 games, stretching back to Feb. 22, 2024.

“It was a great moment. I was waiting for it for a long time,” Lauzon said. “I thought our team played unbelievable tonight and it’s a huge win for our club.”

Ivan Barbashev had two assists to give him 200 in his career.

Eichel assisted on the opening goal to help him reach his second-straight 80-point season. No other player has reached the mark for the Vegas franchise. Eichel also recorded his 95th multi-point game, tying Jonathan Marchessault for the second most in franchise history behind Mark Stone with 102, and his 25th three-point game with Vegas, tying Marchessault for second with the franchise, again behind Stone (31).

The Golden Knights were in need of a win against the Oilers, having lost all three of their previous games to them this season and nine of their last 10 overall, including falling in five games to Edmonton in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

“Everybody has bought in,” Sissons said. “We knew the level of urgency that we needed to come out and play a tough game on the road. It’s a tough place to play, against a rival and I think everybody showed up and I’m proud of the effort.”

The Vegas win also represented Edmonton’s first loss in regulation time to a divisional rival at home this season, falling to 9-1-2.

Evan Bouchard scored the lone goal for the Oilers (39-29-9) who saw a season-high five-game win streak come to an end.

“They could have been, what, five points (back)? Now it’s one, right? So, yeah, pretty big,” said Oilers forward Trent Frederic, who retained his sense of humour when asked how the players reacted in the locker room after the loss.

“It’s just bickering back and forth, everyone telling everyone they make too much money. Which is all true. Sounds like a lot of people are jealous.”

Edmonton played without star forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2026.

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EDMONTON – Jack Eichel had three assists as the Vegas Golden Knights continued their strong play under new head coach John Tortorella, coming away with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Brett Howden and Jeremy Lauzon each had a goal and an assist, while Colton Sissons, Mark Stone and Rasmus Andersson also scored for the Golden Knights (35-26-16) who have won all three games since Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy on the bench and are 3-0-2 in their last five contests.

Vegas moved one point back of both Edmonton and Anaheim atop the Pacific Division standings.

Evan Bouchard replied for the Oilers (39-29-9) who had their season-high five-game win streak halted. Edmonton played without star forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.

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Carter Hart recorded 31 saves to earn the win in the Vegas net, while Connor Ingram made 28 stops for Edmonton.

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TAKEAWAYS

Golden Knights: Eichel assisted on the opening goal to help him reach his second-straight 80-point season. No other player has reached the mark for the Vegas franchise. Eichel also recorded his 95th multi-point game, tying Jonathan Marchessault for the second most in franchise history behind Mark Stone with 102.

Oilers: Bouchard, who has a 10-point lead over all NHL defencemen with 88 points on the season, has 10 points in his last seven games. Only 12 defencemen have ever reached the 90-point mark in a season.

KEY MOMENT

Vegas took a 3-0 lead 8:05 into the second period as Eichel dropped it back to Lauzon and he snapped his first goal of the season high to the blocker side past Ingram. Lauzon hadn’t scored in 112 games, stretching back to Feb. 22, 2024.

KEY STAT

The Golden Knights were in need of a win against the Oilers, having lost all three of their games to them this season and nine of their last 10 overall, including falling in five games to Edmonton in the second round of last year’s playoffs. The Vegas win also represented Edmonton’s first loss in regulation time to a divisional rival at home this season, falling to 9-1-2.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: Visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

Oilers: Visit the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2026.

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EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers didn’t make any flashy moves at the NHL trading deadline, but general manager Stan Bowman did obtain some impactful defensive-minded players who have contributed significantly to the team’s five-game winning streak.

Bowman and coach Kris Knoblauch knew the team has plenty of offensive firepower, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, so their focus was trying to shore up a leaky defensive system that had the team struggling to find a consistent winning formula.

“We felt going into the deadline we had enough offence,” Knoblauch said. “What we wanted was to get better defensively and we have gotten better. A lot of it was emphasis on what we can do with our systems, just details, but also we added two very defensive detailed players.”

Bowman acquired forward Jason Dickinson and defenceman Connor Murphy from Chicago and the two have played a lot of minutes against opponents’ top lines.

“With Dickinson and Murphy playing a lot of minutes against key matchups … those two have really solidified our identify and how we want to play,” said Knoblauch.

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Murphy settled in alongside Darryl Nurse and that duo has become a solid second pairing on the blue line behind Mattis Ekholm and Evan Bouchard.

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“I think we get excited because that’s our strength, wanting to defend hard and be thinking that way together,” Murphy said. “I see the competitiveness in (Nurse). He’s a fiery competitor and he wants to be physical and tough and be hard to play against. I feed off that energy that he brings.”

Murphy said knowing exactly what their role is has made it an easy transition.

“Every player wants to know what’s expected of you and you want that to align with what your strengths are,” he said. “So for us to be able to have a role that’s designated to our strengths really feeds good energy to our game.”

Bouchard said Murphy has been a great addition to the Oilers, who shifted their focus to an improved defence when Draisaitl was injured March 8. The star forward isn’t expected to return before the playoffs.

“He’s as solid as it comes,” Bouchard said of Murphy. “Hard guy to play against, great fit in our group, great addition, great guy to have in the room and it’s showing on the ice as well.”

Bouchard’s improved play since the Olympic break has also played a key role in the team’s defensive strides. Despite his occasional and often costly turnovers, Bouchard has a plus-22 rating, second on the team to Ekholm.

“Definitely a slow start for me,” the seven-year veteran admitted. “But things have picked up (at) a good time with the playoffs around the corner.”

For Dickson and Murphy, their motivation is to get to the playoffs for the first time after years of being on the outside in Chicago.

“For games to be meaningful and matter it’s huge,” Dickson said. “The last few years it’s been basically counting down the days and waiting for summer, back to the gym, getting reps in to prepare for the next season. Now it’s preparing for the next chapter of the season.”

The Oilers have six games remaining and they’re all against divisional opponents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2026.

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EDMONTON – With trips to the last two Stanley Cup finals to their credit, the Edmonton Oilers seem to know when to ramp up their game.

Matthew Savoie scored the winner as the Oilers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 for their season-high fifth victory in a row Thursday.

Edmonton tied Anaheim for top spot in the Pacific Division with 87 points, looking to win its first divisional title since 1987 — the longest drought in NHL history.

“Everybody just kind of ramped it up with it being close to playoff time and we’re still jostling for a spot and positioning. These games matter and we’re dug in,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

“Just putting the ‘X’ beside our name is the main thing, just getting in, that’s our main focus. Where we’re seeded, I’m not too concerned about it. We can start a series on the road, we can start a series at home, we’re pretty comfortable either way. We just have to get in.”

McDavid saw his goal-scoring streak end at five games, but picked up an assist to extend his point streak to six games, totalling 11 during that stretch. He’s two points ahead of Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov for the NHL scoring lead with 126 on the season.

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Adam Henrique and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers (39-28-9), who have won seven of their last nine.

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“The past few weeks we’re really buying in,” said rookie forward Savoie, who has four goals in his last five games and 14 points in his last 18. “We know how important this time of year is and the push we have to make to make the playoffs and give ourselves a really good spot in the seedings.

“Guys know how big a time a year it is and guys are digging in.”

Edmonton is now 29-5-5 when scoring first.

The Oilers are on a strong run even without star forward Leon Draisaitl, out for the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury.

“It’s just a team game, top to bottom. Missing Leon, nobody’s going to fill that in, we’ve got to do that as a group,” said Henrique. “It’s been a complete effort top to bottom, every line, special teams and in net getting big saves at key times when we need it. It really has been a team effort on this streak and it’s something we need here to the end and obviously through playoffs.”

Henrique’s goal was his third of the season and first goal in 50 games, dating all the way back to Oct. 23.

“As a forward, I’m sure he has the most blocked shots per minute,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch of Henrique’s value to the team. “He had two or three tonight. He’s been snake-bitten, not being able to score goals. Nice to see him score. Everybody was excited.”

Knoblauch said he is pleased with the way the team is playing of late, but doesn’t think trying to end the 40-year drought without a divisional title is top of mind.

“That was long before any of these guys were born. It would make it a little extra special, but right now, as boring as it is, we’re looking at the here and now,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s absolutely necessary. Be nice to finish first and put a banner up next fall, but this team, whether at home or road, it responds well. If we get into a Game 7, maybe it would be (important), but we’re just trying to play as well as possible.”

Tristan Jarry recorded 17 saves to earn the win for Edmonton.

The Blackhawks (27-35-14) were eliminated from playoff contention for the sixth straight season with a fifth consecutive loss.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2026.

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