NHL Player News

Merzlikins will be in goal for Latvia against Sweden on Tuesday in the qualifying round of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.

Merzlikins is set to get his first start since the opening game of the tournament, as Arturs Silovs was between the pipes for the Latvians' last two games of the preliminary round. Merzlikins allowed five goals on 38 shots against the Americans on Thursday in a 5-1 loss. Sweden went 2-0-0-1 and finished third in Group B during round-robin play, picking up wins against Italy and Slovakia. The Swedes' lone defeat came at the hands of the Finns on Friday.

Gibson signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Capitals on Tuesday.

Gibson's new deal will begin this season. The Capitals also announced that they will place the 26-year-old on waivers Tuesday afternoon for the purpose of loaning him to AHL Hershey. Gibson has posted a 6-4-2 record, .918 save percentage and 2.48 GAA across 12 games with the Bears in 2025-26. He also made 13 appearances for ECHL South Carolina, going 8-5-0 with a 2.32 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

Sogaard (lower body) is serving as Denmark's No. 2 netminder versus Czechia in Tuesday's qualification game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Sogaard left Saturday's loss to the Americans in the final frame but is seemingly well enough to be an option if he is needed Tuesday. The 25-year-old netminder will back up Frederik Andersen against the Czechs.

Faksa (upper body) is not available for Czechia against Denmark in Tuesday's qualification matchup at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Faksa was deemed questionable Monday after sustaining his upper-body injury during Sunday's 4-3 loss to Switzerland. If the Czechs emerge victorious Tuesday, it's a possibility Faksa will battle through his injury and suit up versus the Canadians on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Andersen will be between the pipes for Denmark versus Czechia on Tuesday in the qualifying round of the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Andersen went 1-0-0-1 with a 2.58 GAA and a .918 save percentage across two starts in the preliminary round. Czechia finished with four points (1-0-1-1) and placed third in Group A during round-robin play. Martin Necas, Tomas Hertl and David Pastrnak started on the top line to begin the tournament for the Czechs, but the team has since split that trio up, spreading the talent throughout the lineup. The winner of Tuesday's game will face Canada on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Dostal will the patrol the blue paint for Czechia against Denmark on Tuesday in the qualifying round of the 2026 Winter Olympics, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Dostal has allowed nine goals on 65 shots through two games during the tournament, both of which were losses. Denmark went 1-0-0-2 in the preliminary round in Group C, finishing third. If Dostal and the Czechs earn a win Tuesday, they will have a quick turnaround with an extraordinarily tough matchup against the Canadians on Wednesday.

Grubauer is expected to start for Germany against France in Tuesday's qualification game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Grubauer has a 2.56 GAA and a .917 save percentage across two outings in the 2026 Olympics. He made 37 saves en route to a 3-1 victory over Denmark on Thursday, but fell 4-3 to Latvia on Saturday while stopping just 18 shots. The winner of this match between Germany and France is set to play Slovakia in Wednesday's quarterfinals game.

Cihar scored twice on eight shots in WHL Kelowna's 7-2 win over Tri-City on Monday.

Cihar has scored five goals over his last four games. He's on a five-game point streak, his longest so far in the WHL. The Kings prospect is at a total of 15 points, 43 shots on net and a plus-3 rating for the Rockets since joining the team after the World Junior Championship.

Aitcheson scored twice on OHL Barrie's 8-5 win over Ottawa on Monday.

Aitcheson had gone 11 games without a goal. He still has 15 assists in that span, but it's good to see him find the twine again since his shot is such a strong part of his game. He's up to 24 goals, 55 points and a plus-36 rating through 43 appearances, helping Barrie secure a playoff spot as one of the OHL's top teams.

Hemming scored twice and added two assists in OHL Barrie's 8-5 win over Ottawa on Monday.

Hemming has four goals and five assists over five contests in February. The Stars prospect has been steady throughout the campaign with 21 goals and 50 points across 33 outings this season. With his performance Monday, he surpassed the 48-point campaign he assembled in 60 regular-season outings in 2024-25.