NHL Player News

Kokko was sent down to AHL Coachella Valley on Friday.

Kokko saw action in three NHL games during his stint with the Kraken, posting a 1-2-0 record and 3.03 GAA. The Finnish netminder put up much better numbers with the Firebirds, going 18-10-2 with a .903 save percentage in 34 minor-league outings. With both Joey Daccord (lower body) and Philipp Grubauer (lower body) under contract next year, Kokko figures to be hard-pressed to see significant opportunities in the NHL.

Cooley (illness) plans to represent Team USA at the 2026 World Championship, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports Friday.

Cooley missed Calgary's season finale due to an illness, but he'll get in some more work before he begins his offseason. He had a 10-10-6 record, 2.69 GAA and .909 save percentage in 31 appearances in 2025-26 with the Flames, who didn't make the playoffs. The 28-year-old will be representing the United States for the first time in a World Championship.

Hildeby was reassigned to AHL Toronto on Friday.

Hildeby saw plenty of action at the NHL level this season, as Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz suffered a plethora of injuries in 2025-26. Hildeby was 5-7-4 with one shutout, a 2.85 GAA and a .912 save percentage across 20 regular-season appearances for the Maple Leafs. He could challenge for a role with Toronto next season if either Woll or Stolarz is moved elsewhere.

Villalta was summoned from AHL Tucson on Friday.

Villalta will be the third goaltender for the Mammoth during the playoffs, likely seeing practice time when Karel Vejmelka or Vitek Vanecek play the previous night. Villalta was 16-12-3 with a 3.10 GAA and an .895 save percentage across 33 AHL regular-season games in 2025-26.

Pickard was called up from AHL Bakersfield on an emergency basis Friday.

Pickard had a tough go of things in the NHL this season, posting a 5-6-2 record with a 3.68 GAA and an .871 save percentage across 16 regular-season appearances. He was 4-3-1 with a 3.26 GAA and an .886 save percentage at the AHL level this season. There is no word on whether Connor Ingram or Tristan Jarry is injured at this time.

Sergeev was sent to AHL Calgary on Friday.

Sergeev made his NHL debut Thursday, stopping 27 shots in a 3-1 win over Los Angeles. The netminder was 5-13-8 with a 3.29 GAA with the Wranglers this season.

Kolosov was summoned from AHL Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Kolosov spent most of the 2025-26 season playing at the AHL level, posting a 15-21-2 record with a 2.98 GAA and an .895 save percentage across 38 regular-season games. Kolosov appeared in four NHL games this earlier in the year, going 0-2-0 with a 4.00 GAA. The Flyers returned Carson Bjarnason to AHL Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move.

Bjarnason was loaned to AHL Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Bjarnason was recalled by the Flyers on Thursday, but he'll head back to the minors a day later after Aleksei Kolosov was called up Friday. Bjarnason hasn't yet made his NHL debut, and it's unclear whether he'll rejoin Philadelphia at any point during postseason play.

Vanecek stopped nine of 10 shots in the third period Thursday after replacing Karel Vejmelka, taking the loss as the Mammoth fell 5-3 to the Blues.

Vanecek took over in the crease with the score tied 3-3, so the backhander he allowed to Logan Mailloux late in the final frame wound up being the game-winning goal. Vanecek wraps up the regular season with a 5-13-3 record over 22 outings, along with a 2.94 GAA and .883 save percentage, and he'll be the Mammoth's No. 2 netminder as the team begins its first playoff run since the move to Utah.

Vejmelka gave up three goals on 18 shots before being replaced by Vitek Vanecek to begin the third period of Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Blues.

The switch didn't seem to be prompted by the score or by Vejmelka's play -- the score was tied 3-3 after 40 minutes -- but with the Mammoth locked into a wild-card spot, coach Andre Tourigny elected to give his No. 1 netminder a little bit of extra rest ahead of the playoffs. Vejmelka finishes the regular season with a career-high 38 wins, one short of NHL leader Andrei Vasilevskiy, along with a 2.75 GAA, an .896 save percentage and a league-leading 64 outings and 3,692:45 in ice time.