With the PWHL announcing expansion to Detroit, there is reporting that they aren't actually just adding one team:

Sources: Hamilton next in line for PWHL team — Ice Warriors
IW has learned that the PWHL is planning on expanding to Hamilton, Ontario.
Ice Warriors

The Hamilton team under discussion is said to be playing in the same arena as the new AHL team, affiliate of the New York Islander.

Things going well in Flyers-land:

They were on their way to losing again when I turned off the game, so I assume that held up.

Dahlin, Makar, Werenski named Norris Trophy finalists | NHL.com
Sabres, Avalanche, Blue Jackets defensemen up for award given to top player at position
NHL logoNHLMedia

Another speculative report in advance of any meeting that Craig Berube will return as coach:

Chayka, Berube to meet in coming days to discuss future with Maple Leafs
John Chayka, the newly-hired general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is expected to meet with head coach Craig Berube to discuss the plan moving forward in Toronto, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports.
TSNTSN.ca Staff
“If I had to handicap that part of it, I’d think John Chayka would be comfortable with Craig Berube as his head coach, but that’s just a gut feeling on my part.”

This meeting is said to be happening "in the coming days." Near as I can tell, this speculation is based entirely off of the fact that Berube is under contract for two more years. We'll see how this plays out.

Maybe I'm getting too cynical, but this Insider stuff on Berube is not being fired is starting to feel a little like a PR push.

Six critical steps on John Chayka’s Maple Leafs to-do list
Now the work begins. Luke Fox offers up six big-picture boxes John Chayka and Mats Sundin must check off from this summer’s critical to-do list for the Maple Leafs.
Sportsnet.caLuke Fox
Bukala vouches for Stenberg at No. 1: ‘Harder out at hardest time of year’
Connected
Gavin McKenna’s junior coach believes he can ‘thrive’ in Toronto
Sportsnet.caSportsnet Staff
What Gavin McKenna offers the Toronto Maple Leafs
After landing the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna appears to be Toronto’s top option right now.
Daily FaceoffSteven Ellis

There is less buzz about Ivar Stenberg, ironically since he actually played a hockey game yesterday. I watched about one half of it in between interruptions (don't ask how). This is a National Team tournament and Sweden were playing the Czechs with a men's team lineup full of very young players. And Oliver Ekman-Larsson and a few other former NHLers.

First of all, Sweden were really bad. Like, Leafs bad as a team, so as you know, it's hard to take much from a game where they took stupid penalties, never had a serious offensive game going, defended like idjits and generally looked like they all just met. They did in their defence just join up for this tournament. The SOG were even, but it felt like Czechia had this in the bag from the beginning.

Ivar Stenberg played a lot in the first period, and a lot less as the game wore on. Czechia scored in the first, and Sweden was always behind, so the youth movement didn't get the ice time they might have hoped for. Anton Frondell and Viggo Björck were noticeably worse than Stenberg, so there is that consolation.

All I can say is Stenberg doesn't look out of place on a men's team, but he wasn't a hero carrying the team either. Nor should anyone expect him to be. Sweden plays again on the weekend, so maybe they'll get their act together before Worlds actually start.

One thing I noticed about the coverage of McKenna vs Stenberg already is a massively outsized amount of attention paid to the WJC. It was ever thus, but seriously, one tournament is not the measure of a player. Stop this.

That is it for today. We'll find out in due time how Chayka's meetings with everyone are going. Have a great Friday, everyone.

From The Branches