The 2025-26 NHL season opens with Carolina and Edmonton as co-favorites at TitanPlay, Florida and Colorado close behind, signaling a high-stakes Cup chase. Florida keeps its core while Carolina added talent, creating a crowded race among the top four. Historic moments—Orr’s Cup-clinching overtime, Ovechkin passing Gretzky, Lemieux’s comeback, and Selanne’s rookie explosion—anchor contemporary fantasy narratives, shaping milestone-driven ceilings for stars and sleepers alike.

Seth Jones, 30, is the lone Olympic-hopeful defender who brings a rare two-threaded path: he attended the 2013 USA orientation camp and earned a spot on the 2022 Olympic team before the NHL withdrew. Now chasing Milan 2026, Jones sits in a shifting USA defense core alongside Fox, Slavin, Werenski, Hughes and McAvoy, eyeing a chance to cap a career arc that includes a Stanley Cup triumph and a father-driven skating and skill lineage.

As USA Hockey reshapes its blue line, Jones’s background and Cup pedigree underscore the blend of veteran poise and youthful opportunity the 2026 squad will demand. Watching the 4 Nations from home highlighted the depth at defense, with Jones positioned as a potentially pivotal piece in Milan.

Ken Dryden died at 78 after a cancer battle. The Hall of Fame goalie anchored Montreal's dynasty, winning six Stanley Cups in eight seasons, plus Calder Trophy, five Vezinas and the 1971 Conn Smythe. A multidimensional figure, he excelled as author, broadcaster and public servant, shaping Canadiens lore and Canadian hockey for generations.

Tributes from Geoff Molson, Gary Bettman and Carey Price highlighted a life of influence beyond the crease: Dryden's leadership, intellect and service left a lasting imprint on the sport and on the country, with Price and others carrying forward the Canadiens’ tradition of excellence.

Ken Dryden died at 78 after a cancer battle. A Canadiens legend, he anchored six Stanley Cup runs in the 1970s and finished with a .922 career save percentage and five Vezina trophies, later earning Hall of Fame enshrinement in 1983. His influence stretched beyond the crease, as a lawyer, politician and NHL executive.

Drafted by Boston in 1964 and traded to Montreal, Dryden joined the NHL in 1971 and helped forge a dynasty from 1973 through 1979, highlighted by a pivotal seventh-game performance against Chicago. Geoff Molson and Canadian leaders lauded him as a pillar of the Canadiens and a national icon.

Canada’s sports fandom tilts heavily toward hockey, with 58% following the NHL and half of women surveyed confirming NHL appeal. The NHL leads the national follow-rate, while the NFL, MLB, CFL and NBA fill the next spots, underscoring a hockey-driven fantasy landscape even as new leagues like PWHL and the Toronto Tempo enter the conversation. Star power dominates, with Connor McDavid topping favorites, Sidney Crosby close behind in many regions, and Auston Matthews rounding out the big five; Cole Caufield leads in Quebec, and Brad Marchand looms as Atlantic pride.

For fantasy, the narrative centers on the five anchors McDavid, Crosby, Matthews, Caufield, and Marchand, whose production streams shape early-season bidding and lineup construction. The report’s regional nuances and the rise of women’s hockey hint at evolving fantasy ecosystems beyond the NHL, suggesting depth in cross-league exposure as the sport expands its footprint across Canada and beyond.