Bill Riley Passes Away At 75
In an unfortunate announcement from the team, the Washington Capitals shared that former player Bill Riley passed away at the age of 75.
In their press release, Washington said,
Bill was a true trailblazer in our game, becoming one of the first Black players to play in the NHL, following pioneers such as Willie O’Ree and playing alongside fellow Capital Mike Marson. His courage, perseverance, and passion for the sport helped pave the way for future generations. During his time with Washington, Bill exemplified leadership, professionalism, and dedication both on and off the ice. He carried himself with integrity and pride, leaving a lasting impact on his teammates, the organization, and the broader hockey community. We honor Bill’s legacy and the important role he played in growing the game. He will always be remembered as a valued member of the Capitals family.
The word perseverance couldn’t ring truer. Riley came from humble beginnings in Amherst, Nova Scotia, with his parents notably making great financial sacrifices to fund his hockey endeavors. Tearing up the Nova Scotia youth leagues, Riley was spotted by Tom McVie, who was scouting talent for his new team at the time, the IHL’s Dayton Gems, and offered Riley a tryout.
During the 1975-76 season with the Gems, Riley scored 35 goals and 66 points in 69 games and was offered a spot on the Capitals for the next season, following a one-game tryout with them the previous season. He stayed in Washington for the next three years, scoring 28 goals and 56 points in 125 games with 313 PIMs.
Taken by the original iteration of the Winnipeg Jets in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft, Riley finished his NHL career during the 1979-80 season, scoring three goals and five points in 14 games before being sent to the minor leagues. That would unfortunately be his last NHL appearance.
Riley continued his professional career in the AHL for several years, playing for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, New Brunswick Hawks, and Moncton Alpines before retiring at the end of the 1983-84 season. Riley won the Calder Cup with New Brunswick in 1982, scoring eight goals and 16 points in 15 postseason contests.
PHR joins the Capitals organization, the Jets organization, and others around the game in sending condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, and former teammates.
Niederreiter And Namestnikov Around A Week Away From Returning
- While the Jets needed to bring two players up under emergency conditions today, that situation may not exist for too long. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press mentions that forwards Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov are on Winnipeg’s road trip and could be options to return within the next week. Both veterans are in the middle of down years, with Niederreiter notching just 19 points in 55 games and Namestnikov currently with only 13 points in 57 contests. However, both would still be viewed as welcome returns next week as the team looks to hang around in the battle for a Wild Card spot.
Jets Recall Parker Ford, Danil Zhilkin
The Winnipeg Jets have recalled forwards Parker Ford and Danil Zhilkin under emergency conditions. The duo will help Winnipeg fill in for injuries to Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, and Morgan Barron.
Zhilkin, 22, played through the first four games of his NHL career on a brief call-up in January. He managed no scoring, no penalties, and a plus-two in those appearances, while only playing more than 10 minutes in one game. He has planted his feet as a top center for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in the months since, even despite scoring only 22 points in 54 games this season. He had a brief hot streak – five points in five games – in late December, leading up to his first NHL recall, but has otherwise struggled to post consecutive games with points for much of the year.
Ford has played through a fairly similar season. The 25-year-old winger began the season as an extra forward on Winnipeg’s roster. He appeared in 11 NHL games between October and November but only posted one point, four penalty minutes, and a minus-two. Ford was assigned to the AHL in November and has since recorded 21 points in 45 games with Manitoba. He has offered a responsible game around a young Moose lineup, helping to create space for Jets prospects Brayden Yager, Brad Lambert, and Zhilkin. Ford also appeared in three NHL games, and scored one point, last season.
The pair of call-ups will help Winnipeg stock the lineup as they prepare for a four-game road trip. Winnipeg now carries Zhilkin, Lambert, Isak Rosen, Ville Heinola, and Elias Salomonsson on the NHL roster. With the postseason well out of sight, they’ll embrace a chance to test out prospects with 10 games left on the schedule.
Jets Sign Lucas Wahlin To Two-Way Deal
The Jets announced they’ve signed college free agent forward Lucas Wahlin to a two-way contract for next season with a cap hit of $850K. He’ll report to AHL Manitoba on a tryout for the remainder of 2025-26.
Wahlin, 25 in May, is too old to be eligible for an entry-level deal, so his first NHL contract is a standard one. His signing today is a bookend to one of the more unlikely development stories of the past few seasons. He turns pro after spending all four NCAA years at the University of St. Thomas, where he’s served as team captain since his sophomore year and has helped guide the program to top-20 status nationally, still early in its Division I years.
A remarkably consistent two-way producer, Wahlin was named the CCHA’s best defensive forward this season and finishes his collegiate career with a 56-75–131 scoring line in 137 games for the Tommies. His worst points-per-game rate was still a strong 0.81 figure as a freshman, topping out with a pair of 1.08 points-per-game seasons as a junior and senior.
The fact that Wahlin, a three-position forward who checks in at 6’0″ and 170 lbs, even became an effective NCAA producer is shocking considering his development path. Initially draft-eligible way back in 2019 out of the Minnesota high school circuit, he spent his post-draft season way down in tier III juniors with the North Iowa Bulls of the NA3HL. Even when jumping to a more competitive tier II junior environment with Alaska’s Kenai River Brown Bears as a 19-year-old, his output was still limited to a middling 27 points in 44 games.
Wahlin only played one season of high-level junior hockey – as an overage 20-year-old, at that – before landing at St. Thomas. It was the 2021-22 campaign, spent with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, that seemed to finally unlock his two-way game at a high level. He exploded for 31 goals and 61 points with a +26 rating in 59 games there.
Now, after captaining the Tommies to back-to-back CCHA championship game appearances, he’ll land not too far from home in Winnipeg to begin his pro career. The Jets will welcome any sort of forward depth, especially on the farm. Manitoba has only scored 2.54 goals per game this season, and the NHL side isn’t much better at 2.83.
Wahlin’s relatively advanced age for a player signing his first NHL deal makes his pro impact harder to project. Nonetheless, given his run of collegiate success, he’ll at least be given a long look for a fourth-line role in training camp next fall.
Samuel Fagemo Expected To Sign In SHL
The 2025-26 campaign is expected to be the last for forward Samuel Fagemo in North America, for at least one year. According to a report from Sweden, the former second-round pick is expected to join the SHL’s Frölunda HC next year.
Frölunda has tried to poach Fagemo from the North American circuit for some time. The 26-year-old originally came up through Frölunda’s program in his youth, and last played for them during the 2019-20 season, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 42 games with a -2 rating.
Since then, he’s played for the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets organizations. Originally drafted by Los Angeles in the 2019 NHL Draft, that’s where Fagemo has spent much of his professional career in North America.
Unfortunately, despite being a particularly reliable scorer at the AHL level, he hasn’t earned many opportunities in the NHL. Despite playing in North America for the last six years, Fagemo’s NHL career scoring line stands at three goals and four points in 21 games, averaging 9:29 of ice time per game.
Still, as mentioned, he’s been an effective offensive player in the AHL, which is generally regarded as a better league on the international stage than the SHL. Across six years, playing for the Ontario Reign, Milwaukee Admirals, and Manitoba Moose, Fagemo has scored 148 goals and 232 points in 326 games with a -24 rating. He topped out with a 43-goal performance in 50 games during the 2023-24 season with the Reign, earning Second All-Star Team honors.
Currently in the postseason, there’s no question Frölunda could use additional offense. Despite finishing the regular season as the league’s second-best team, Frölunda didn’t have a single player in the top 10 in scoring. The team’s highest scorer was winger Jere Innala, who managed 22 goals and 40 points in 48 games.
Jets Activate Neal Pionk From Injured Reserve
Only five points out of the final Wild Card spot in the West, the Jets still have an outside shot at a playoff spot but they will have to be much sharper down the stretch to have a chance. Getting one of their top defensemen back will help as the team announced (Twitter link) prior to today’s game against Pittsburgh that Neal Pionk has been activated off injured reserve.
The 30-year-old has missed more than two months with a lower-body injury and Winnipeg’s back end has certainly taken a hit for it. Even in a down year offensively by his standards (just eight points in 40 games after putting up 39 points last season), Pionk has been an all-situations player this season. His 22:47 ATOI ranks second on the team behind only Josh Morrissey while he leads all Jets players in shorthanded playing time per game.
Winnipeg’s back end has undergone some changes in the second half of the season. Veteran Colin Miller remains out with a long-term injury of his own while Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn were shipped to Buffalo at the trade deadline. That deal yielded Jacob Bryson as part of the return while youngster Elias Salomonsson is now playing more of a regular role.
Now, Pionk’s return means that Winnipeg’s top four is now fully intact, with him joining Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, and Dylan Samberg. Whether that’s enough to kickstart a long enough winning streak to get back to the postseason remains to be seen but he’ll still be a big addition to their back end for the stretch run.
Jets Assign Alfons Freij To AHL
The Jets announced that they’ve recalled defense prospect Alfons Freij from his loan to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League and have sent him to AHL Manitoba to finish the season. Timrå’s campaign ended with the conclusion of the SHL’s regular season last weekend, finishing 12th out of 14 teams – not enough for a postseason play-in opportunity but not low enough to face relegation.
Freij, 20, was an early second-rounder in 2024, going 37th overall. He spent the entire season in Swedish juniors with the Växjö Lakers’ under-20 club. For his post-draft season, Växjö chose not to keep him on their main roster and instead loaned him to second-tier pro club IF Björkloven. He thus didn’t make his top-level pro debut until he signed a two-year contract with Timrå last summer.
He signed his entry-level deal with Winnipeg a couple of months into the offseason after inking with Timrå, but since he wasn’t a first-round pick, the NHL’s transfer agreement with the SHL required that he be offered back to his Swedish team before being sent to the AHL. All parties involved were happy to offer Freij another year of development in Europe to get accustomed to top-level play as a pro.
The 6’1″, 198-lb lefty was viewed as one of the best skaters among defenders in the 2024 class. He finished this year with six goals, 11 points, and a -6 rating in 42 games with Timrå. That may not jump off the page, but point totals rarely do among young defenders in that league. He was excellent for the Swedes in their march to gold at this year’s World Juniors, posting seven assists and a +6 rating in seven games.
Freij checked in as the #7 prospect in Winnipeg’s system last summer, according to Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis. When the yearly reports come out this year, there will likely be some upward movement, since several names ahead of him have taken steps backward in the AHL this season. The fact that Manitoba hasn’t proven to be an effective development environment recently could be a concern for Freij’s path, but considering he’s already established himself as a professional overseas, he arrives as more of a finished product than other higher-drafted Jets prospects who turned pro straight out of junior hockey.
Jets Activate Josh Morrissey; Recall Brad Lambert, Isak Rosen
The Winnipeg Jets are getting multiple pieces back to the NHL roster as they look to finish a disappointing campaign on a strong note. About an hour after the trade deadline, the Jets announced they have activated defenseman Josh Morrissey from the injured reserve, and recalled forwards Brad Lambert and Isak Rosen from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Morrissey has been out for nearly a month after suffering an upper-body injury at the Olympics. There was little information released regarding his injury, and he was unable to participate further with Team Canada.
Even after he returned from Milan, it remained unknown how much time he would ultimately miss. TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated at the time that Morrissey was expected to miss a decent chunk of the remaining schedule, whereas head coach Scott Arniel expected him back as early as March 1st.
Fortunately, Morrissey and the Jets limited his missed games to five. He’s again remained a class above for Winnipeg this season, scoring 10 goals and 42 points in 56 games, averaging 24:37 of ice time. Even with the lost season, Morrissey remains a key figure on the team.
Meanwhile, the Jets will give an advanced opportunity to a pair of upper-level prospects for the rest of the season, one of whom was recently acquired.
Despite openly expressing his desire for a change of scenery earlier this year, Lambert has remained with the Jets organization through the trade deadline. Once viewed as a high-level talent for the 2022 NHL Draft class, Lambert fell to Winnipeg at 30th overall.
His first professional season shocked many, as he scored 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games for the Moose, showing why he was a projected top-10 talent a few years before the draft. Unfortunately, he has failed to reach those totals since, scoring 13 goals and 48 points in his next 95 games.
Rosen, 22, was acquired by the Jets yesterday evening in the trade that sent Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to the Buffalo Sabres. Given the team’s success this season, Rosen became an expendable trade candidate as the Sabres loaded up for their first playoff run in over a decade.
If he gets a longer leash, Rosen could become a sneaky-good pickup for the Jets. He has been brilliant for the AHL’s Rochester Americans for the last four years, scoring 87 goals and 185 points in 231 games, with another 11 goals and 16 points in 27 Calder Cup playoff contests.
Still, he was never afforded a lengthy opportunity in Buffalo, even as the team experienced a few additional rebuilding years. Since the 2023-24 campaign, Rosen has tallied three goals and eight points in 31 career appearances. Fortunately, as the Jets evaluate which players fit next year’s roster, Rosen should have more opportunities to demonstrate his skills.
AHL Assignments: 3/6/25
Today’s trade deadline also has minor-league implications. Players must be on an AHL roster at 2:00 p.m. Central in order to be eligible to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs. As such, teams will be ferrying a large number of waiver-exempt players to the minors this morning and afternoon before recalling them before the end of the league day for cap counting at 4:00 p.m. That allows them to bypass the new rule that players must play at least one game in the minors after being reassigned before they’re eligible for a recall again.
Here’s the rundown of today’s reassignments that will be announced during the blizzard of other moves today:
- The Flames will ferry winger Matvei Gridin to the Calgary Wranglers, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reports. The 2024 #28 overall pick is in his first professional season and is already beginning to look like a natural fit in the Flames’ top nine, posting seven points through his first 18 NHL games while averaging 14:18 of ice time per night. Gridin’s 4.17 shot attempts per game are fourth on the team after Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar were traded away. He’s also got 10 goals and 29 points in 36 games for the Wranglers, but with the Flames’ roster thinning out as they sell pieces off, he’ll be up in the NHL for the stretch run before returning to the playoff-bound Wranglers after the regular season ends.
- The Jets announced they’ve sent winger Walker Duehr and defender Isaak Phillips to AHL Manitoba. Both may find their way back down to Manitoba on a full-time basis before the end of the season as Winnipeg gets some of its IR-bound players back in the lineup, but for now, they’ll serve as depth pieces for the Jets as they potentially subtract more talents from their roster today.
- The Mammoth sent defenseman Dmitriy Simashev to Tucson, per PuckPedia. The 2023 sixth overall pick got into the Utah lineup for the first time since December last night. The rookie has been exceptional in the minors but has just one assist with a -9 rating through his first 25 career NHL outings.
- The Blackhawks assigned defender Ethan Del Mastro to Rockford, per PuckPedia. He’ll be back up after being recalled earlier in the week to replace Connor Murphy on the roster after he was dealt to the Oilers.
- The Penguins have sent down winger Avery Hayes to make him post-season eligible, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The 23-year-old rookie has two goals through his first six NHL contests over the past several weeks, both of which came in his debut.
- The Avalanche have demoted winger Gavin Brindley to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Brindley is in his first full NHL season after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last year, scoring six goals and 12 points in 47 games, averaging 9:51 of ice time per game.
- The Rangers are making sure that AHL Hartford has reinforcements for the playoffs. New York has reassigned forwards Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Pärssinen. The former scored the first goal of his NHL career in a lopsided victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have reassigned netminder Nikita Tolopilo and defenseman Cole Clayton to AHL Abbotsford. Tolopilo has been a mainstay between the pipes for Vancouver over the last little while, managing a 3-5-2 record in nine starts this season with a .901 SV% and 3.27 GAA.
- Unlikely to make the playoffs this season, the Panthers are making sure the cupboards are stocked for the Charlotte Checkers’ playoff run. The Panthers have reassigned Tobias Björnfot and Sandis Vilmanis, allowing them to remain eligible for the postseason.
- The Kraken have reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ryan Winterton to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. The pair have combined for four goals and 19 points in 82 games for Seattle this season.
- According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, the Buffalo Sabres have assigned Zach Metsa to the AHL’s Rochester Americans in a paper transaction. Metsa, 27, is in his first full NHL season, scoring two goals and four points in 31 games, averaging 9:45 of ice time per game.
- The best team in the AHL may be even better during the playoffs. To maintain their eligibility for the postseason, the Grand Rapids Griffins announced that captain Dominik Shine and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka have been reassigned in a paper transaction.
- According to Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports, the Flyers have reassigned Denver Barkey and Adam Ginning to AHL Lehigh Valley. Barkey has been an encouraging story of late, scoring two goals and 10 points in his first 26 games of NHL action.
- Murat Ates of The Athletic confirmed that the Winnipeg Jets reassigned defenseman Elias Salomonsson to retain his postseason eligibility. Salomonsson has been relatively disappointing for AHL Manitoba this season, registering one goal and nine points in 29 contests.
- Pushing back on the earlier report today indicating that the Canucks had recalled Ty Mueller, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet shared that he won’t be joining the Canucks. Vancouver will run with a bare-bones roster tonight against the Blackhawks.
- Missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Maple Leafs are making sure AHL Toronto has additional firepower for their postseason run. According to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, the Maple Leafs have reassigned Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan in a paper transaction. Despite being a higher-regarded prospect, Cowan only has two games of AHL experience.
- As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have reassigned forward Josh Samanski to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to ensure his postseason eligibility. Samanski has been exceptional for AHL Bakersfield this year, registering eight goals and 31 points in 43 games with a +6 rating.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Sabres Acquire Tanner Pearson
The Buffalo Sabres have made one more move to shore up their depth before the Trade Deadline hit. They dealt a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for winger Tanner Pearson per TSN’s Darren Dreger.
Buffalo has confirmed the deal.
Pearson heads back to the Eastern Conference for the first time in three years, after spending last season with the Vegas Golden Knights and this season in Winnipeg. He has grown into a journeyman, extra forward in the latter part of his career, now headed for his fourth club in the last three seasons after a five-year stay with the Vancouver Canucks. Pearson will be playing with the seventh club of his 13-year NHL career when he joins the Sabres.
The 33-year-old winger has scored seven goals and 13 points in 52 games with Winnipeg this season. He has buoyed the quiet scoring with a plus-seven – highest on the Jets offense – and 68 hits – fourth-most among Winnipeg forwards. Two-way responsibility has underlined Pearson’s game in recent years, marked by 53 points, a minus-one, and 214 hits over his last 184 games.
Pearson was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the 30th-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He debuted with the club one season later, netting seven points in 25 games of his rookie year. Pearson grew those numbers to back-to-back, 40-point seasons in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaign. He reached that feat once more in 2019-20, his first year in Vancouver, but has otherwise failed to crack into his team’s top-nine. He will be a responsible, depth forward to help Buffalo keep afloat as they approach their first postseason in over a decade.