I Dig Sports
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. Christopher Bell will celebrate Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway by honoring his racing mentor, Rick Ferkel, with a pair of throwback schemes designed to replicate The Ohio Travelers most recognizable car designs.
Bell will pilot the No. 19 Sport Clips Toyota GR Supra in Saturdays Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race before sporting a vintage Ferkel sprint car look on his No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE for Sundays NASCAR Cup Series race at the Track Too Tough to Tame.
Bell credits Ferkel with giving him his introduction and break into the sprint car racing world. As Bell continued his climb up the ranks, he continued to rely on Ferkels guidance along the way.
Ferkel was also an original member of the World of Outlaws. Ferkel passed away on January 1, 2024, at the age of 84. Bell honors Ferkel on a regular basis with a special decal on the dash of his No. 20 car every weekend.
Rick really helped put me on the national scene by giving me my first opportunity in a full-blown sprint car, said Bell. He hired me to drive a sprint car when I was a 16-year-old kid. I moved in with him and his family for a while. After I left Rick Ferkel Racing, he became a life mentor, a driver coach, and someone that I would lean on every week for advice, and hed check in to see how I was doing. Rick always preached to me to make sure I drove as hard as I could at all times, and Im honored to get to pay tribute to Rick at Darlington.
Both of Bells Darlington car designs will feature a silver greenhouse area to mimic the look and feel of a sprint car wing. Ricks name will ride above the name rail and each car will emphasize the number 0 in honor of the man who made it legendary in sprint car racing.
Cathy Ferkel, Ricks wife of over 49 years, will be in attendance Darlington race weekend along with several of Ricks children and grandchildren.
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. After starting in Las Vegas and sweeping through California, Arizona is next on the docket for Kubota High Limit Racings campaign.
The Avanti Duel in the Desert brings the series to Central Arizona Raceway for the first time this weekend with a two-day show scheduled Friday and Saturday.
Approximately 30 sprint cars are expected with a wide cast of characters vying to become the fifth and potentially sixth different winner of the season with Kubota High Limit Racing. Corey Day, Kyle Larson, Brad Sweet and Aaron Reutzel have opened the year with four different winners in the opening four races.
For the series and a large majority of the High Rollers, Central Arizona is a new track to tackle.
NO MORE DROUGHT IN THE DESERT
Arizona has a decades-long deep relationship with winged sprint car racing, but its been a long six years since the last national touring series race in The Valley of the Sun. With Kubota High Limit Racing coming to Central Arizona Raceway, that drought thankfully ends this weekend.
Race fans in The Grand Canyon State are no stranger to the stars and cars of winged sprint cars, having seen 54 World of Outlaws races over the years at five different venues. Phoenixs Manzanita Speedway is the most well-known facility on the list but there were also events at Tucsons USA Raceway, Queen Creeks Arizona Speedway, Yumas Cocopah Speedway, and Chandlers Firebird Intl Raceway.
Central Arizona Raceway will bring Kubota High Limit Racing to Arizona for the first time.
PODIUM PERFECTION
The defending Kubota High Limit Racing champions continue to prove theyre still the team to beat. Through the opening four rounds, the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 driven by Brad Sweet, has found the podium in every single race. There was a third at Las Vegas, a second at Tulare, a win at Kern, and another third at Perris.
The early-season success from The Big Cat has built a 45-point advantage over Clauson-Marshall Racing and Tyler Courtney as the series begins to head back east. The Grass Valley, Calif., native will face another new track this weekend as he races at Central Arizona Raceway for the first time in his career. Fear not for the No. 49, for they debuted at Kern last week and promptly won in their first try.
Sweet is already a two-time winged 410 winner in Arizona, having won World of Outlaws races at USA Raceway in 2014 and 2019.
MIND THE GAP
To stay in the title fight with Sweet and KKR, one must stay within reach as the season progresses. In the opening four races, theyve built a 45-point gap over Tyler Courtneys No. 7BC, a 54-point lead over Brent Marks No. 19, a 66-point margin over Rico Abreus No. 24, and a 77-point advantage over Aaron Reutzels No. 87.
As the No. 49 visits a new track, Central Arizona could provide an opportunity to pounce on The Big Cat.
For Sunshine Tyler Courtney, the only area you can pinpoint where the points are disappearing is Sweets unrivaled consistency on the podium. Behind Brad, Courtney is the only other driver to finish top-10 in all four of the opening races with results of fourth, ninth, sixth and seventh.
In Brent Marks case, escaping California with runs of third at Kern and fourth at Perris felt like a win for the Pennsylvania native who has long not seen eye-to-eye with the unique style of Golden State dirt tracks. At only
54-points behind following what was thought to be a daunting swing, Marks can really hone in on being the consistent finisher hes known to be.
The stem of Rico Abreus distance can be traced back to Kern last week when the No. 24 was innocently caught in an opening-lap crash after starting ninth. He ultimately limped it home for 29 laps and finished 18th, a move that the now-veteran points racer understands gained him 12 points in the season-long battle over just giving up and accepting a DNF.
Reutzels gap was there from the start, suffering a mechanical failure in the opening laps of Las Vegas opener while Reutzel was taken to the hospital and Justin Sanders subbed for him, the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 was still competing for owner championship points.
His win at Perris Auto Speedway last weekend proved hes already bounced back and looks to be a threat all season long.
LEARNING LESSONS
Each of the four Rayce Rudeen Foundation Rookie of the Year contenders have shown their own flashes of speed and moments of brilliance in the young Kubota High Limit Racing season, but there have also been trials and tribulations of figuring out points racing with a national touring series for the first time, too.
Chase Randall, the 20-year-old native of Waco, Texas, has jumped out to the early lead for ROTY honors in his family-owned Albaugh No. 9r. A pair of dash appearances in California, highlighted by a season-best effort of sixth at Tulare have been the most notable performances for the kid they call The Quickest Chicken.
Danny Sams III, the 23-year-old native of North Port, Florida, has been easing into the process as he encounters nothing but new tracks to start his first year on tour. The No. 24D with mom and dad working on the car has earned three top-15 results.
Sye Lynch, the 27-year-old native of Apollo, Pa., has fought some early-season demons on his adventure out west and its nowhere indicative of the speed in his No. 42.
He made back-to-back dash appearances at Tulare and Kern, but his night was over by the time they hit the backstretch on the opening lap of the A-Main each time. The luck has to turn around at some point, and it could be this weekend.
Daison Pursley, the 20-year-old native of Locust Grove, Okla., is still understanding the little things about winged sprint car racing being the truest rookie of all four with around 30 career starts with a wing.
The Buch Motorsports No. 13 has rolled out of the box fast, but the smallest of margin errors racing in traffic led to three DNFs through California.
IRVINE, Calif. The lead investors behind RACER, announced Thursday afternoon they have acquired MAVTV and will rename the TV network RACER to create the most followed and diverse motorsports media platform in North America.
We have been partners for many years and over time the parties realized this made complete sense, said RACER Chairman of the Board Chris Dyson. The combination makes RACER the central multi-media motorsports hub for fans and provides brands with the most comprehensive array of marketing solutions to activate their involvement in the sport and its adjacent sectors.
C.J. Olivares, president of MAVTV and former executive of FUEL TV, Street League Skateboarding and World Surf League, will continue overseeing the networks expansion and will lead the brand transition of the network.
The combination will provide the Irvine-based RACER brand with a substantial additional base of operations in another of the United States motorsports and automotive centers, Indianapolis, where MAVTV is located. The company expects no changes to staffing or operations, ensuring continuity in operations and production.
This is an exciting day for motorsports media, said Olivares. We are deeply grateful to the Lucas family and Lucas Oil Products, whose support and vision shaped MAVTV into the success it is today. Now, under the RACER banner, we will redefine the way content for motorsports and its adjacent sectors is delivered and experienced, and establish the largest, most comprehensive motorsports media platform in North America.
The TV network and recently launched APP will combine to broadcast 300+ live races in 2025, along with race highlight shows, racing talk shows and additional racing programming, car collecting auction and build shows, automotive documentaries and lifestyle series, which aligns with RACERs expansion into the motorsports adjacent sectors of performance automotive, car culture, car collecting and off-road.
Since we completed our capital raise last September, our business, our content offering, our marketing solutions and our team have evolved rapidly. Additional signals of our change and our future are literally days away, and we cant wait to share those with the marketplace, as well, added RACER founder and Chief Executive Officer Paul Pfanner. This acquisition fortifies two of the four strategic pillars were pursuing as a brand, pillars we call follow and market, which relate to amassing the largest motorsports following in North America the most important motorsports and automotive market in the world and offering our partners, customers and brands the tools they need to succeed.
The rebrand from MAVTV to RACER will take place progressively over the next few months, allowing for the necessary television logistics and operational steps to be executed seamlessly. However, some branding elements, such as logos and digital assets, will change immediately to reflect the new brand identity.
THOMPSON, Conn. NASCAR and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park have postponed this weekends NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event due to a forecast of continued rain and cold temperatures forecasted for Sunday.
The race has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 5. The start time will be announced at a later date.
The Icebreaker 150 was originally scheduled for this Sunday, March 30.
The Saturday portion of the 51st Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway is still on as scheduled for Saturday, March 29, as is Fridays planned Practice Day. However, the entire Sunday schedule of divisions and events have been moved to Saturday, April 5.
WHEATLAND, Mo. Racelong leader and apparent winner Dustin Sorensens post-race trip to the tech building left Cade Dillard the big winner as the three-night USMTS King of America XIV opened Thursday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Dillard was elevated from runner-up at the checkered flag to the $3,000 Summit USMTS Modified feature winner after Sorensens car was disqualified in post-game inspection for a technical violation.
The duo waged an epic battle in the 30-lap feature, especially on a restart with seven laps remaining. Dillard, trying to chase down and pass Sorensen, threw a big slide job in turn three only to see Sorensen cross back over.
Sorensen was able to gradually pull away from there for an apparent victory by 1.7 seconds. But about a half-hour later, it was Dillard who was crowned the night one winner.
Terry Phillips, who pressured Dillard in the final few laps, officially wound up in second with Keith Foss third, Tanner Mullens fourth and Rodney Sanders fifth. Sanders, the USMTS national points leader, rallied from a 15th-starting position.
Dillard said the battle with Sorensen was fun, even though he came up a bit short on the race track.
Its a blast, Dillard said. Luckily the track was that racy. Dustin had a good car and congrats to him. Well take a second. Theres a lot of stacked cars here. Thats how good our car is. Well just keep tweaking on it and get better.
Eighth-starting Kris Jackson worked his way toward the front and passed racelong leader Aaron Marrant on lap 15 to capture the Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mod main event.
Marrant finished two seconds behind Jackson to settle for second. Jon Sheets was third with Tyler Kidwell fourth and Chad Clancy fifth.
Derek Green took over the lead on lap six and held it the rest of the way, finishing 4.3 seconds in front of Jeffrey Abbey in the OReilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars 20-lap feature.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 97-Cade Dillard[3]; 2. 75-Terry Phillips[1]; 3. 95-Keith Foss[10]; 4. 02-Tanner Mullens[5]; 5. 20-Rodney Sanders[15]; 6. 15W-Alex Williamson[4]; 7. 91-Joe Duvall[11]; 8. 25-Joe Chisholm[13]; 9. 71S-Dustin Strand[8]; 10. 712-Trevor Hughes[16]; 11. 65-Tyler Davis[18]; 12. 12-Jason Hughes[6]; 13. 15-Kale Westover[22]; 14. 2SS-Mark Smith[7]; 15. 24C-Jim Chisholm[19]; 16. 8-Kyle Strickler[25]; 17. 38C-Jason Pursley[20]; 18. 4W-Tyler Wolff[12]; 19. 90W-Ryan Wetzstein[23]; 20. 21-Jacob Bleess[14]; 21. 88-Chad Wheeler[21]; 22. 21K-Kyle Brown[27]; 23. 3B-Nic Bidinger[9]; 24. 5-Reece Solander[17]; 25. 88S-Nathan Smith[28]; 26. 22H-Dustin Hodges[24]; 27. 29-Keith Hammett[29]; 28. 58X-Gary Christian[26]; 29. (DQ) 19-Dustin Sorensen[2]
The NHL has fined Boston Bruins rookie defenseman Michael Callahan $2,018.23 for cross-checking Anaheim forward Jansen Harkins during the Ducks' 6-2 home victory on Wednesday.
The fine, announced Thursday by the NHL's Department of Player Safety, is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
The incident occurred at 13:58 of the second period, with Callahan assessed a double minor penalty for high sticking. Callahan and Harkins were assessed penalties for fighting at the 4:12 mark of the third period.
Callahan, 25, has played 14 games and has zero points, a minus-4 rating, 11 blocks and five hits in averaging 13:32 of ice time. He earned his first penalty minutes of the season Wednesday.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The accomplishment was special. The result disappointing.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sat slumped at his locker stall Thursday night focused more on his team's latest lopsided loss than the personal milestone of breaking an NHL record he shared with Wayne Gretzky for point-per-game consistency.
"It's tough when you play to win. And obviously it's a special milestone," Crosby said following a 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, inching the Penguins closer to missing the playoffs for a third straight season.
"But you know in a game like that, it's not really the same. So, yeah, just a tough night. Yeah, tough night."
With his parents in the Buffalo stands, Crosby provided the Penguins' lone highlight by scoring 8:49 into the first period to cut the Sabres' lead to 2-1. Set up in front by Rickard Rackell, Crosby used his right skate to kick the puck onto his stick and in one motion snapped a shot inside the right post.
It was his 26th goal and 80th point of the season in his 72nd game, after missing two with injury. With eight games left in Pittsburgh's season, Crosby is assured of finishing his 20th NHL season averaging at least a point per outing.
The Penguins captain surpassed the mark first set by Gretzky, who finished all but his 20th and final NHL season in 1998-99 averaging a point a game.
"He's a tremendous, special player and person," teammate Bryan Rust said. "There's a lot of people who can be good for one, two, five years. But to do it for that long, I think is incredibly special."
What stands out beyond the consistency to coach Mike Sullivan is Crosby's competitive drive.
"I've said it on so many occasions, just his passion for the game and his willingness to put the work in to continue to be at his best. It's just remarkable," Sullivan said.
This, after all, is a player who has upped his game since the 4 Nations tournament by combining for nine goals and 22 points in his past 17 outings in a bid to carry the Penguins back into playoff contention.
"I think when you're in circumstances like this, you find out a lot about people," Sullivan said. "And I think it exemplifies his leadership."
Since being selected by Pittsburgh with the No. 1 pick in 2005 draft, Crosby has led the franchise to win three Stanley Cup championships. He's a two-time NHL regular season MVP and twice won the league's regular-season points race.
"I think you have to continue to get better and learn, even after thjs long, you've got to continue to evolve and adjust," Crosby said of the keys to his consistency. "But I've been pretty lucky to play with some great players over that 20 years. And I think that's a big part of it, too."
Crosby's feat comes as Washington's Alex Ovechkin is five goals from breaking Gretzky's NHL career record of 894 career goals.
It shouldn't have been a surprise that Crosby scored against Buffalo. He has made a career of producing against the non-division rivals in leading all active players with 86 points (30 goals, 56 assists) in 61 career games against the Sabres.
Loss aside, the consolation for Crosby was having his parents on hand to share yet another memorable moment in a career that included him scoring the gold-medal clinching goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the U.S. at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
"They've been to a lot of games over the years and they've sacrificed so much and been so, so supportive," Crosby said. "To have them here for a moment like this is really special. And it's the least I could do."
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Alex Ovechkin didn't score for Washington, staying at 889 career goals and six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.
But Ovechkin did initiate a memorable moment on the ice in Minnesota on Thursday night.
The three-time NHL MVP, who has been in the spotlight for months amid his pursuit of Gretzky's career goal mark, hustled over toward the tunnel behind the bench after the horn sounded on Washington's 4-2 loss to make sure all of the Capitals came back on the ice to shake hands with retiring Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Ovechkin was the first to greet Fleury at center ice as they shared a hug and a laugh.
Fleury, who's in his 21st and assuredly final season in the league, was on the home bench all night while Filip Gustavsson manned the net.
Ovechkin mentioned to the team in the morning that it would be the last matchup against Fleury, who faced Ovechkin and the Capitals frequently over the first 13 seasons of his career with Pittsburgh. Ovechkin had 28 goals in 47 games against Fleury, his most against any goalie.
"He's had so many battles with the Caps, with 'O,'" Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. "Pretty classy to be able to send him off and just say how impressive a career he had."
Capitals center Dylan Strome played briefly with Fleury in Chicago.
"Everyone knows he's one of the best people of all time in the game, so the little respect we can show him at the end of the game I think goes a long way," Strome said.
The Wild were impressed by the gesture, even if they weren't surprised.
"Every team we go to, you see the signs. Everyone loves him, and everyone loves playing against him," Gustavsson said. "I think no one really would say anything bad about him."
At some point soon, the Wild probably will find themselves doing their own internal tribute.
"It's awesome to see. It's fun for him, and I am happy for him," defenseman Jonas Brodin said. "He's a great person and one of the best I have ever played with, so it's pretty cool. It's special to have that when you quit hockey someday, that you played with that guy, for sure."
NHL playoff watch: Latest on the Eastern wild-card chaos
Heading into Friday's slate of six games, there are four teams within two points battling for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Three of those teams are in action Friday:
The Montreal Canadiens, who hold the playoff spot at the moment, visit the Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Simultaneously, the Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Vancouver Canucks (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
In the evening's nightcap, the New York Rangers will head to Orange County to take on the Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
The New York Islanders are idle, with their next game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning
Obviously, every point matters when it comes to these teams. But two specific games down the stretch will have an outsized impact: Islanders-Rangers on April 10, and Islanders-Blue Jackets on April 17 (the final day of the regular season).
Stathletes gives the Canadiens an edge right now (43.7% chance to make the playoffs), followed by the Blue Jackets (18.5%), Islanders (18.4%) and Rangers (18.1%); Montreal also has the best chance among the four to reach the second round (11.2%). Stay tuned.
There are less than three weeks left until April 17 and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Florida Panthers vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Friday's games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Utah Hockey Club at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m. (NHLN)
Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
New York Rangers at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.
Thursday's scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres 7, Pittsburgh Penguins 3
Ottawa Senators 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
Tampa Bay Lightning 8, Utah Hockey Club 0
Philadelphia Flyers 6, Montreal Canadiens 4
Minnesota Wild 4, Washington Capitals 2
St. Louis Blues 3, Nashville Predators 2
Dallas Stars 5, Calgary Flames 2
Colorado Avalanche 4, Los Angeles Kings 0
Seattle Kraken 6, Edmonton Oilers 1
San Jose Sharks 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 5 (SO)
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Toronto Maple Leafs
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ LA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Florida Panthers
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: vs. UTA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 10
Points pace: 101.4
Next game: vs. NYI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Ottawa Senators
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 93.6
Next game: vs. CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Montreal Canadiens
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 86.6
Next game: @ CAR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 43.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Detroit Red Wings
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. BOS (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 4.5%
Tragic number: 18
Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 77.5
Next game: @ DET (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 13
Buffalo Sabres
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 76.2
Next game: @ PHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 14
Metro Division
x - Washington Capitals
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 117.3
Next game: vs. BUF (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Carolina Hurricanes
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 11
Points pace: 103.9
Next game: vs. MTL (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
New Jersey Devils
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 93.2
Next game: @ WPG (Friday)
Playoff chances: 98.5%
Tragic number: N/A
New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 85.5
Next game: @ TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 18.4%
Tragic number: 22
New York Rangers
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 84.3
Next game: @ ANA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 18.1%
Tragic number: 20
Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 85.5
Next game: vs. VAN (Friday)
Playoff chances: 18.5%
Tragic number: 23
Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 76.5
Next game: vs. OTT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 11
Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 74.2
Next game: vs. BUF (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 9
Central Division
x - Winnipeg Jets
Points: 102
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 10
Points pace: 116.2
Next game: vs. NJ (Friday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Dallas Stars
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 111.6
Next game: @ SEA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Colorado Avalanche
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 104.5
Next game: vs. STL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Minnesota Wild
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 97.7
Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 90.2%
Tragic number: N/A
St. Louis Blues
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 94.2
Next game: @ COL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 80.3%
Tragic number: N/A
Utah Hockey Club
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: @ FLA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 4%
Tragic number: 11
e - Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 70.6
Next game: vs. VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e - Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 58.1
Next game: vs. VGK (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: @ CHI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Los Angeles Kings
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: vs. TOR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Edmonton Oilers
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 99.1
Next game: vs. CGY (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.2%
Tragic number: N/A
Vancouver Canucks
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 91.1
Next game: @ CBJ (Friday)
Playoff chances: 10.4%
Tragic number: 16
Calgary Flames
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 91.2
Next game: @ EDM (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 16.9%
Tragic number: 17
Anaheim Ducks
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: vs. NYR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 8
Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 76.4
Next game: vs. DAL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 2
e - San Jose Sharks
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 56.6
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
1. San Jose Sharks
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
2. Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
3. Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
4. Buffalo Sabres
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 24
5. Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 18
6. Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
8. Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
9. Anaheim Ducks
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
10. Detroit Red Wings
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25
11. Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 23
12. New York Rangers
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 31
13. New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
14. Utah Hockey Club
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
15. Calgary Flames
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 26
16. Vancouver Canucks
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Six theories on why penalties (and power plays) are dramatically down this NHL season
Power plays in the NHL haven't been this dominant in decades.
The average conversion rate this season was 21.6% entering Tuesday night's games, according to ESPN Research. That's the best rate since the 1985-86 season, back when Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers were scoring at will against helpless penalty kills.
This season's power-play success is part of a multi-year trend. It would be the third straight season with power-play conversion rates higher than 21%, the first time that's happened since the mid-1980s.
But there's actually another trend that undercuts that dominance: Power plays in the NHL have also never been this rare.
The 2.71 power-play chances per team per game in 2024-25 is the lowest average of any season since the stat was first tracked by the NHL in 1977-78. The previous lows were 2.89 in both 2021-22 and 2020-21. Again, it's a multi-year trend: The NHL has averaged under three power-play chances per team per game in five of the last seven seasons.
Teams can't have power plays if there aren't penalty calls. Overall, the average penalty calls per team per game are at their lowest levels for an 82-game season in the last 20 years -- 3.48 penalties on average, with just 8.15 penalty minutes.
In 2014-15, those averages were 4.03 and 9.86, respectively.
Where have all the penalties gone?
"See, I'll say something and then I'll take six penalties tonight," New Jersey Devils center Cody Glass said, with a laugh. "I have no idea, to be honest. With some games you might have none and then some games you might have seven. It's all over the map."
Many players don't even realize power plays are down.
"It was one of those things where I had no idea until I read it about it," Calgary Flames winger Blake Coleman said. "I haven't noticed a lot of difference."
In speaking with NHL players, executives, data analysts and former referees, there are a handful of theories about why penalties and power plays have dipped historically low this season.
Here's a look at six of the most compelling ones:
The perils of parity
Entering Thursday night, 14 of the 16 teams in the Eastern Conference were either in a playoff seed or within six points of one. Thanks to the St. Louis Blues' recent surge, the field has narrowed in the Western Conference, but there are still 11 teams either in a playoff spot or within a reasonable distance from the last wild card.
When that many teams believe they can gain entry to the postseason party, every point matters. Which is why the league's parity is a factor in the decrease in penalties and power plays, according to Stephen Walkom, NHL executive vice president and director of officiating.
"When you have the competitive balance that we have in this league, teams just don't want to take any penalties," Walkom said.
The threat of guilt and shame can be a heck of a motivator, too.
"Nobody wants to be the guy that's in the box," Coleman said. "I can understand the decline in penalties because of parity. So many teams are trying to get into the playoffs. It's the importance of every point."
Dave Jackson, NHL rules analyst for ESPN, has observed a palpable difference in players as the games have grown more important in the standings this season.
"You can say that a lot of teams have been already playing playoff games," said Jackson, who was an NHL referee for over four decades. "Early in the season, you get a lot of penalties that are just pure laziness and retaliation. When you're playing in a playoff game, you don't get lazy penalties. You don't get retaliation penalties anymore. All you get are desperation penalties and accidental penalties from just competing too hard."
Given how tightly the standings have been packed, teams have been in playoff mode for quite a while.
Reinforcement of rules
This is tracking to be the second straight season in which penalty calls have technically declined, although the difference between the last two seasons was negligible (3.85 to 3.84). But there's a larger trend: The number of penalties called per team per game has precipitously dropped since the 2005-06 season.
In 2005-06, the number of minor penalties per team per game was 6.49. Five years later, it was 4.05 minors per game. Five years after that, it was 3.66 per game on average. This season, it's been 3.18 on average.
From 2010-11 through 2014-15, the average number of minor penalties per team per game was 3.84. Over the last five seasons, that average is 3.34.
Why have penalties declined in the last 20 years?
"I give the players credit for it more than anyone else," Walkom said. "You would think over 15 years of being called for hooking, you don't want to hook in the hands anymore. You don't want to slash on the hands anymore. So are players more disciplined? Possibly that's a reason for it. Are they taking more care not to take penalties? Possibly."
Players are informed about standards of enforcement every preseason. Devils forward Tomas Tatar, a 14-year veteran, said points of emphasis and the repetition of those rules standards have an effect on players.
"They were harping on us to not to use your stick around the gloves, hooks. That's probably one of the biggest warnings when you play -- you might get called for it," he said. "So we try to protect the hands of the player. I notice these calls getting called immediately if it's somewhere between or if it's on a line.
"You have to adapt. You either do that or you're going to get called on it."
It's possible this emphasis on certain penalties and reinforcement of officiating standards each season has paid off in the declining numbers.
"I think the most compelling argument is that we've reached a tipping point of players who have always played the game a certain way," one NHL executive said.
One of the hypotheticals that always comes up in rules debates: How many power plays do fans really want to see during games? It's a debate the players have themselves, too. Glass said most players would prefer not to have the game decided on special teams, but at 5-on-5.
"That's where you get the best hockey," Glass said. "You want the game to keep moving and it's good to have, if there's a penalty, call it, but if it's ticky-tacky stuff, obviously let us play. That's part of hockey: how rough it is."
Letting too much go?
Given the decline in penalty calls over the last 20 years, are on-ice officials now letting too much go?
The NHL tracks every game for penalties called as well as calls the referees should have made. "We look at missed calls and that percentage isn't up," Walkom said.
Both Walkom and Jackson pushed back on the idea that on-ice officials have allowed players to get away with more lately.
"Our standard hasn't changed. In fact, all we do is reinforce to the NHL standard. We have it for really every penalty now. And so that remains the same," Walkom said. "We support our guys to call it at any point in the game. And if it's not there, we don't want them to make it up."
Jackson said he's attended numerous NHL preseason officiating camps as a referee and an analyst.
"I've watched Gary Bettman talk in front of that room. His message to the guys is, 'We've just spent thousands of dollars bringing you to training camp. We've been showing you videos. You guys know what the standard is. If it meets the standard, call the penalty and I will support you.' And that's always been his message," he said.
Jackson said that consistency doesn't come from evening-up calls or managing a game -- something critics have accused NHL officials of doing for years -- but rather from adhering to that standard.
"It's about being true to the standard. That way the players know where they stand and it's far easier to justify a penalty," he said.
Peaks and valleys
Jackson has seen a certain cycle play out every decade with penalties. "It's a wave. High, then low, then high, then low," he said.
Jackson was an on-ice official during the 2005-06 season. When the previous season was cancelled due to a lockout, the NHL used that down time to revise its rulebook and reevaluate its rules enforcement, with average scoring having reached its lowest point since 1956.
The legalization of two-line stretch passes was one way to break through the defensive systems that had muzzled offenses, but the most aggressive remedy was when the NHL instructed its referees to take a "zero tolerance" stance on all obstruction penalties, such as interference, holding and hooking.
"When we brought in the obstruction standard in 2005, the penalties were way up," Jackson recalled.
Average power plays per team per game jumped from 4.24 in 2003-04 to 5.85 in 2005-06, the highest average since 1987-88. The reeducation of players would continue through the 2008-09 season, when power plays finally settled back down to 4.16 per team per game.
Jackson said that whenever the NHL emphasizes a rule that needs to be enforced, there's a spike in power plays. He points to the 2017-18 season, when power plays rose slightly during a crackdown on slashing, and in 2021-22, when the NHL's crackdown on cross-checking helped power-play chances plateau year-over-year and then rise in 2022-23.
Peaks and valleys. NHL players learn the hard way that the league won't tolerate one nefarious act, and then eventually move on to another underhanded tactic ... until the NHL declares war on that one, too.
"It's almost like cybercrime," Jackson said. "The criminals come up with a plan, everybody's getting hacked, and then [the authorities] figure out a way to stop it. That slows them down for a while. Then they come up with a new crime and numbers spike, and then that gets figured out and numbers come down again."
One theory Jackson buys about the sharp decline in power plays and penalties: The NHL isn't "cracking down" on anything in particular right now. There's no point of emphasis like there was with obstruction or cross-checking.
"There's no teachable moment right now. The game is where they want it to be," he said. "And the players are playing within the rules."
Fear of a dominant power play
In the past 40 years of NHL power plays, one would expect to see teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings show up among the top 10 in that span.
But take a closer look. Those aren't the Gretzky Oilers: The most effective power play since 1984-95 has been Connor McDavid's 2022-23 Oilers unit that converted at an astonishing 32.4%.
And those aren't Sergei Fedorov's Red Wings: Through 71 games this season, Dylan Larkin and the 2024-25 Red Wings had the fifth-best power-play conversion rate (29.1%) in the last 40 years. In total, eight of the 10 greatest single-season power plays of the past 40 years are from 2018-19 to the current season.
As mentioned earlier, this season's conversion rate of 21.6% is the best since 1985-86 (22.2%) on a per team per game basis. There are nine teams with a power-play conversion rate above 25% this season.
All of this success comes from teams having averaged an absurd 15.1% shooting percentage with the man advantage this season. To put that in context: Since the 2005-06 season, there's been only one campaign with an average shooting power-play shooting percentage above 14% (2022-23).
At the recent general managers meetings, the NHL trumpeted "offensive trends" that included a 10.5% league-wide shooting percentage in all situations, which the league said was the highest in 30 seasons.
Conversely, penalty kill save percentages are also at a 20-year low: .850, even lower than in the chaotic 2005-06 season (.860).
During a presentation to the media at the GM meetings, the NHL emphasized that these historic conversion rates play a "large part" in the average number of power plays being down. "Teams don't want to go down a man because of the overall success teams are having on the power play," noted Gary Meagher, NHL senior vice president.
Are the referees aware of this, too? Do the on-ice officials acknowledge that power plays are so good right now that they don't want to give certain teams the man advantage in situations that could put the game out of reach?
"No," Jackson said, tersely.
Generation Fast
At the GM meetings, the NHL proudly boasted that this is the fourth straight season in which average scoring per game was at six goals or better -- the first time in the last 30 campaigns that the league has had such a stretch.
Several factors combined to create that spike in scoring. In the short term, there have been increased shooting percentages and power-play success, plus two rounds of expansion that impacted rosters. In the long term, the rules changes set forth in 2005-06 created a style of play that emphasized offense and encouraged teams to build rosters with more overall speed. The days of hulking players with limited skating ability on the fourth line and in defense corps were waning.
"The game obviously got a lot faster than what it used to be. Guys are not as big. They're more agile, faster," Tatar said. "That comes with defensemen as well. Everybody can skate."
Players we spoke with theorized that speed is a reason that penalties have dropped over the last decade. Gone are the days when the less-skilled would waterski behind star players with a stick hooked around them, according to Coleman.
"Everyone is such a good skater now. I feel like it's a little easier to defend using your feet and your legs," he said.
There's a perception that the NHL has "gotten younger" during the last 20 years, but the data doesn't necessarily back that up. Cathy Squires of Pension Plan Puppets ran the numbers in September 2024 and found the average age of a player in 2023-24 who played half the season (27.72) was higher than it was in 2013-14 (27.36). James Mirtle of The Athletic noted that the average age on opening night rosters this season (28.3) was higher than it was three years earlier (27.6).
Coleman, 33, said he "wasn't the old school, but wasn't quite the new school" either. While the kids haven't taken over the league, he believes the generations that arrived after him in the NHL have created a cleaner game.
"You don't see as many headshots, for example," he said. "I don't know if guys just have a little more awareness. It's just been drilled into our heads [not to do it]. They've probably heard it too since they were little kids."
What it means for the playoffs
Jackson likes to play myth-buster when it comes to power play opportunities in the playoffs.
"In the first round of the playoffs, there are more penalties per game than there are in the regular season," he said. "I think that's because of the discrepancy in the talent. You've got a 1-vs-8 eight or a 1 vs. the last wild-card team, and they're being outclassed, so they just take desperation penalties."
Recently, a great power play has meant great success in the postseason. Travis Yost of TSN notes that six of the last eight Stanley Cup champions had a regular-season power play that ranked in the top eight. The 2019 St. Louis Blues were ranked 11th overall; the 2023 Vegas Golden Knights were the outlier at 18th in the regular season.
Current playoff teams with a power play ranked in the top eight entering Friday night: the Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Oilers. The Colorado Avalanche were less than a percentage point outside of that group.
All this is to say that power plays do play a critical role during a portion of the playoffs, and success on the power play is a shared trait among most champions. Will the conversion rates this season, and that astounding 15.1% shooting percentage, carry over to the postseason? There's no reason to believe a multi-season trend of power-play success will not.
But will the lack of power plays in this regular season also carry over to the postseason? The answer is that it might not matter. At some point in each series, the power plays dry up anyway.
Cam Charron, now a data analyst for the Pittsburgh Penguins, noted in a 2023 article that "there are at least 0.4 power plays per game more than expected in the first four games of the first round." But he also found that the refs do eventually put away their whistles late in series and in later playoff rounds.
"The data shows that while power-play opportunities do indeed go up in the playoffs, it's not uniform across the tournament," he wrote. "There's a big spike in power plays in the first few games of the first round, and then a sharp decline later on."
In the end, the postseason might end up looking like the regular season: It doesn't matter if there are historic power-play conversion rates if there aren't any power plays to convert.
Additional reporting by Kristen Shilton.
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