HOME — Pittsburgh Penguins centers might need Duolingo lessons, and we took readers inside the Penguins locker room, including some things behind the curtain and other things you didn’t see on TV but would enjoy. The rest of the Daily is some heavyweight stuff. Charlie McAvoy’s agent, Allan Walsh, F-bombed George Parros and the NHL department of player (un)safety after McAvoy was elbowed in the head to no penalty. Gavin McKenna will not face felonious assault charges as more details came to light. Which Team Canada forward will have an Olympic breakout, and is Team USA the biggest threat for gold?
I will tell some tales out of school. NHL players were watching the Gavin McKenna situation and everyone knew the details pretty quickly.
McKenna gained some respect from players for what he did. I can’t quote players or tell you their exact words, but if he walked into an NHL room today, he’d get a lot pats on the back.
I often wonder if we can ever dial back from the intense scrutiny of 24-hour news and social media, wherein people hear things but everything isn’t in your face, and people’s toughest moments aren’t content fodder? In a larger sense, there is a good middle ground between the days when police would look the other way for athletes’s terrible behavior and 2026 when TMZ is blasting his picture on TV before we knew the story. I wonder if we can get there.
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Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Inside the Penguins room was a fun column to write this week. From Dan Muse lingering in the hallway to Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov needling eaching other, and a picture that I will certainly publish in my year end wrap. Because of our ongoing technical upgrades that are currently a bit tough to navigate, I made the Insider column free for all. Check out the Penguins insider.
WJAC TV: I miss cable and watching the Johnstown news. I believe the folks over at WJAC broke the news, the DA is dropping the felony part of the charges against Gavin McKenna as new information has come to light.
Not in the story but more witnesses are speaking out. McKenna left the party to avoid the situation and the “victim” followed them to the parking garage to confront his mother. Wanna bet there’s a lawsuit coming? I would hope a judge does the legal version of what McKenna did physically.
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Let’s start with this. Charlie McAvoy gets elbowed in the head at speed and there’s no discipline. Yeah… Agent Allan Walsh had some thoughts.
F*** Parros and his gang of Kangaroos. #EndCTE https://t.co/bOtSgPfBPH
— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) February 7, 2026
And Bryan Rust got three games. I wrote at the time that Rust’s suspension was proper but the NHL needed to dish out more. Then the NHL very quickly made fools of themselves by not penalizing Tom Wilson for an elbow to the head and this monstrosity. NHL DoPS is a tough job, but it must be done much better than it is now.
Actually, a media advisory council wouldn’t be the worst thing, either. Perhaps some people who DIDN’T play the game can see the obvious without whatever biases are informing decisions.
Sportsnet: How important is hockey in Canada? If you have Canadian friends, simply ask about the 1972 Summit Series. Just ask and listen. Justin Bourne writes that 2026 is another opportunity to unite the entire country.
No pressure, Sid.
Michael Amato examines which players have the most to prove at the Olympics.
TSN: Interesting debate here. I wonder who many of you would pick for the Penguins, 87 or 66? Who is the face of each NHL franchise?
NHLTradeRumors.me: The LA Kings tried to get Vincent Trocheck as part of the Panarin trade? Elliotte Friedman said that’s what he’s heard.
And why the Canadiens are holding onto Patrik Laine for the moment:
Chris Johnston: Re Patrik Laine: Moving him out, the Canadiens do that in concert with knowing they have something else in place, and at this point in time they don’t have anything else in place – Chris Johnston Show (2/5)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) February 6, 2026
And here is a direct link to Johnston’s podcast on YouTube.
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