Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Jack Hughes update from Italy:
“(Jack) showed no signs of injury during a brisk, 30-minute practice at Santagiulia Arena. ‘Feel good. Feel good,’ Jack said. ‘Body feels in a good spot.’” [NHL.com]
Mike Rupp with some thoughts on Jack and his injury situation leading up to the Olympics:
“Sheldon Keefe said his Devils have found ‘the recipe’ after their latest loss — and just in the nick of time, too! The ingredients are rotting in the fridge. The dinner guests have all gone home. The china is collecting dust in the cabinet. The silver is tarnishing in the buffet. But it’s good to know that this team has found the formula for winning games, even if it is, you know, not actually doing that.” [NJ.com]
Hockey Links
“It’s finally time. We’ve patiently waited 12 years for an elite best-on-best international men’s hockey tournament, our appetites whetted by the 2016 World Cup and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics are upon us, with NHL players taking part for the first time since 2014.” [Daily Faceoff]
“We’ll never know how Russia would have fared in Milan because the nation is still banned from Olympic competition, a sanction from the IOC due to its invasion of Ukraine. But as part of The Athletic’s player poll, in which 118 players participated (though didn’t all answer every question), we asked where they think Russia would have finished.” [The Athletic ($)]
Some NHL power rankings heading into the Olympic break: [ESPN]
“Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna will have his felony aggravated assault charge dropped, the Centre County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.” [ESPN]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.