NEWS: #CBJ have signed forward Adam Fantilli to a six-year contract through the 2031-32 season. The 21-year-old has recorded 67-73-140 in 213 career games since being selected third overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. cbj.co/fantilli
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NHL Notebook: Blue Jackets sign Adam Fantilli to six-year extension
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 25, 2026, 02:53 EDT
Another young player has signed a long-term extension with the team that drafted him.
After sitting out for about the first week of training camp, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Thursday that they’ve signed Adam Fantilli to a six-year extension worth $13.75 million annually.
Fantilli, from Nobleton, Ontario, was selected third overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2023 National Hockey League draft. Before the Jackets selected him, Fantilli was named the 2022-23 Hobey Baker Award winner after scoring 30 goals and 65 points in his first and only collegiate season with the University of Michigan.
Making his NHL debut in 2023-24, Fantilli scored 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games, finishing as a -21. He improved in 2024-25, scoring a career-high 31 goals and 54 points in 82 games. Fantilli’s goal scoring took a step back in 2025-26, mustering just 24 of them last season, though he also set a career-high with 59 points, finishing as a -13.
The Blue Jackets are in a weird spot, sitting in the mushy middle and missing the postseason for the past six seasons.
Ducks name Mikael Granlund as their newest captain
On Tuesday, the Anaheim Ducks named veteran forward Mikael Granlund as their 10th captain in team history.
CAPTAIN GRANNY! Mikael Granlund becomes the 10th captain in Anaheim Ducks history. #FlyTogether
Granlund, 34, was selected ninth overall by the Minnesota Wild all the way back in 2010. The Finnish forward spent parts of seven seasons with the Wild before being traded to the Nashville Predators. After parts of five seasons in Tennessee, Granlund was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
That off-season, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks, where he was once again traded before the trade deadline, this time to the Dallas Stars. Following the 2024-25 season, Granlund singed a contract with the Ducks, where he scored 19 goals and 41 points in 58 games, with another five goals and 10 points in 12 postseason games.
Granlund takes over the captaincy for Radko Gudas, who departed the Ducks for the Florida Panthers this past off-season. Before Gudas was Ryan Getzlaf, who served as the team’s captain from 2010-11 until his retirement after the 2021-22 season.
During their best years in the noughties, Scott Niedermayer served as the team’s captain from 2005-06 until 2009-10. Chris Pronger interrupted his tenure as the team’s captain, taking over the captaincy in 2007-08. Teemu Selänne and Paul Kariya are two other franchise icons who have worn the “C”.
2027 World Junior schedule released
On Tuesday, the International Ice Hockey Federation released the 2027 World Junior Championship schedule.
Taking place between Edmonton and Red Deer Alberta, the tournament is set to run from Dec. 26 until Jan. 5. This year’s tournament will feature 10 teams, Team Canada, team Czechia, Team Switzerland, Team Latvia, and Team Norway in Group B, while Team Sweden, Team Finland, Team USA, Team Slovakia, and Team Germany make up Group A.
Team Canada begins their tournament on Dec. 26 against Team Switzerland. Their next game is on Dec. 28 against Team Latvia, followed by Team Norway on Dec. 29. They’ll wrap up their tournament with a New Year’s Eve showdown against Team Czechia, the team that eliminated them from gold medal contention in the 2026 tournament.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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Breaking News
- NHL Notebook: Blue Jackets sign Adam Fantilli to six-year extension
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Calgary FlamesTeam Cap Summary
Cap Summary
2026-27
2027-28
Projected Cap Hit
$90,091,666
$70,041,666
Projected Cap Space
$13,908,334
$43,458,334
Current Cap Space
$13,908,334
$43,458,334
Active Players
23/23
16/23
Draft Picks
Round
'27
'28
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1