On Saturday, the National Hockey League’s pre-season begins.
With that being said, there have been more re-signings in recent times, while a 2024 Stanley Cup champion is hanging up the skates. Moreover, the Calgary Flames aren’t the only Canadian team that will be building a new arena in the near future.
Let’s dig into all of that in the latest Around the NHL!

Extensions were signed

On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings agreed to an extension with their right-shot defenceman, Moritz Seider. The two parties agreed to a seven-year deal worth $59.85 million, or $8.55 million a season.
Seider was drafted sixth overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and posted a career-high 50 points in his rookie season. Last season, he scored a career-high nine goals as well as 42 points, the same total he had the season prior. He was often deployed against elite competition.
On Friday morning, the New Jersey Devils and Dawson Mercer agreed to a three-year deal worth $12 million, or $4 million annually.
Mercer was drafted 18th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft and made his debut in 2021-22, scoring 17 goals and 42 points in 82 games with the Devils. His career-best year came in 2022-23, scoring 27 goals and 56 points, while his play took a dip in 2023-24, scoring just 20 goals and 33 points in 82 games.
Lastly, the Utah Hockey Club and Dylan Guenther agreed to an eight-year deal worth $57.14 million, or $7.143 million annually.
Guenther was selected ninth overall in the 2021 draft, making his NHL debut in 2022-23 where he scored six goals and 15 points in 33 games. Last season was a good one for the 21-year-old, as Guenther scored 18 goals and 35 points in 45 games. He’s a two-time WHL champion as well.

Kyle Okposo retired

From young players who have signed their first extension to a veteran who is hanging up the skates. On Thursday, Kyle Okposo officially retired from hockey after 17 seasons in the National Hockey League.
Okposo was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 draft by the New York Islanders, where he spent nine seasons. Overall, he scored 139 goals and 369 points in 529 games. He signed with the Buffalo Sabres prior to the 2016-17 season, and played eight seasons with them where he scored 103 goals and 245 points in 516 games.
Prior to the 2024 trade deadline, Okposo was traded to the Florida Panthers, the team that went on to win the Stanley Cup. During their run, Okposo picked up two assists in 17 games, the first time he’d played in the playoffs since 2015-16.

The Senators are set to build a new arena

According to the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch, the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission have agreed to a lease for the Senators to build a new stadium closer to the downtown area of Ottawa.
Although I write about the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Blue Jays, I’m from Ottawa, having moved to the nation’s capital when I was four. Let me just tell you, heading to Senators games is awful.
From downtown, which is in the centre of the city, the Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) is about 25 kilometres away. The arena itself is off the highway, meaning traffic is nightmarish as the CTC is located in the fairly sizable suburb of Kanata.
The parking – horrendous. I went to six or seven games last season and only twice did I park in the ginormous parking lot outside the stadium. The first time was right by the exit with paid-for parking, it took about five minutes to get out. I wasn’t so lucky the second time though, as I parked in the normal parking lot, and it took about 40 minutes to get to the main road. Personally, I walk 20 minutes in the freezing cold to avoid all of that.
What’s worse is that aside from a few buses, there’s no direct public transit. Ottawa’s light transit was introduced in 2019 but doesn’t come close to reaching the CTC, which is essentially on the outskirts of the city.
Do you want to drink some beer after a Senators game? Have fun with that. The closest bar to the CTC is a D’Arcy McGee’s, a six minute drive without traffic. It’s a 40 minute walk.
On the other hand, LeBreton Flats is about a 10-minute drive from downtown with an LRT stop right beside it. While it seems like the team will plan for plenty of parking (ew), the arena is located in the heart of the city with plenty of nightlife in the general vicinity.
Without question, this arena needs to be built.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.