Winning the title is difficult enough, but defending it successfully is apparently even more so: the Pittsburgh Penguins achieved this feat in 2017 and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. This year too, the list of promising challengers to the Golden Knights, who prevailed against the Florida Panthers in the final, is long.
The Dallas Stars, who lost to Vegas in the conference finals, are highly rated in the West. Many experts consider the Carolina Hurricanes to be the hottest contenders for the title in the Eastern Conference. The Edmonton Oilers, led by star strikers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are most likely to end the Canadian clubs’ 30-year title drought. No team from the motherland of hockey has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
For now, an Austrian is there
For Rossi, the first thing to do is to fight for a regular place with the Minnesota Wild and get back into the play-offs with the team from St. Paul. The 22-year-old center made the NHL squad last season, but was sent to the farm team after 16 games. The Vorarlberger, who has 21 NHL games, can also be seen in Europe in the fall. Minnesota will play four games in Stockholm from November 16th to 19th as part of the Global Series with the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Reuters/USA Today Sports/Jerome Miron Marco Rossi will play with the Minnesota Wild in Stockholm in November
The 19-year-old Carinthian Marco Kasper, who made his debut for the Detroit Red Wings on April 2nd, is starting his first full season in North America with the Grand Rapids Griffins farm team in the American Hockey League (AHL). David Reinbacher, the second Austrian selected by the Canadiens in fifth place in the draft, was initially loaned back to his old club EHC Kloten.
Ovechkin is chasing Gretzky’s goal record
Alexander Ovetschkin is entering his 19th season and is getting closer and closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goalscoring record. The Russian superstar of the Washington Capitals overtook Gordie Howe last season and is number two on the all-time best list with 822 goals in the regular season. He is 72 shy of Gretzky’s record.
IMAGO/Aaron Doster 38 and no end in sight: Ovetschkin continues to hunt for goals
Although he is already 38, Ovechkin is believed to be capable of this. The record is out of reach for this season, but next season or at the end of his three-year contract he could surpass the Canadian legend. Because the Russian is still in very good physical shape and is accurate. In 2022/23 he was the ninth best goalscorer in the league with 42 goals, and with his 13th 40-goal season he has already surpassed Gretzky.
The left winger also wants to get the team back into the play-offs after the Capitals missed promotion in the spring for the first time in nine years. Washington is relying on new, 41-year-old coach Spencer Carbery, previously an assistant coach in Toronto.
National Hockey League
Dienstag, 10. Oktober: Tampa Bay Nashville -:- Pittsburgh Chicago -:- Vegas Seattle -:- Mittwoch, 11. Oktober: Carolina Ottawa -:- Toronto Montreal -:- Boston Chicago -:- Calgary Winnipeg -:- Los Angeles Colorado -:- Vancouver Edmonton -:- Donnerstag, 12. Oktober: Buffalo NY Rangers -:- Columbus Philadelphia -:- New Jersey Detroit -:- Dallas St. Louis -:- Minnesota Florida -:- Nashville Seattle -:- San Jose Vegas -:-
