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Around the NHL: New Jersey Devils working on Dougie Hamilton trade, IOC ‘happy’ with Olympic arena preparation
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Photo credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Jeremy Tingly
Jan 12, 2026, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 11, 2026, 22:20 EST
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Welcome to another edition of around the NHL as we approach the middle of January. With teams in both conferences getting a better sense of their fates this season, buyers and sellers on the trade market are being formed throughout the league.
Trade talks are heating up in a major way and with the Olympics looming in February, general managers could start to pull the trigger to try and get ahead of the market before another roster freeze. Here’s the very latest from around the NHL.

New Jersey Devils scratch Dougie Hamilton, trade talks intensify

A huge development over the weekend as the New Jersey Devils decided to make defenceman Dougie Hamilton a healthy scratch against the Winnipeg Jets, and Hamilton’s agent wasn’t shy to voice his opinion about the whole situation. Hamilton’s been struggling this year with just 10 points in 40 games, and at $9 million AAV, there’s been a lot of noise about what the future looks like for both sides.
Hamilton’s agent J.P Barry connected with TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, and had this to say about Hamilton being scratched. ““Dougie was informed today that he will be not be playing now that Kovacevic is back in the lineup,” said Barry.  “In our view, this decision is all about business rather than his game right now. Singling him out seems very calculated at this stage. Dougie has a 10-team trade list and there have been efforts to trade him going back to the draft last year. We have made it clear to the Devils that we will consider teams outside our list and other creative ways to get to a team that is mutually acceptable.”
There’s been multiple reports that Hamilton used his trade protection to kybosh an offseason trade to the San Jose Sharks, so it’s obvious that this relationship has been on choppy waters for quite some time. Now that the situation has gone public, don’t be surprised to see Hamilton moved sometime before the Olympics. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Detroit Red Wings likely have different levels of interest, meanwhile, with how well the Sharks are doing, perhaps they circle back and Hamilton reconsiders.

Olympic arena almost ready to host NHL players

The International Olympic Committee is impressed with the development of the new hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Games. This comes after several weeks of concern from the NHL and NHLPA over the construction timelines of the facilities, and more importantly ice surface.
As it stands right now, the ice is in and a couple of ‘test’ games were played over the weekend. The ice got soft during the second game and a big hole developed at the one end, so they’re going to rip up the ice and start over. Some of the seating and the interior design of the dressing rooms still need to be finalized, but for the most part, the IOC is happy with the progress.
“What I see personally is an extraordinary seating bowl and this venue … looks fantastic,” IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said Sunday. “The last time I came was before Christmas, and this is radically different. So, so much progress. Anyone involved here, hat off.
“There’s only one way to go, and that is the view of the experts … and what they tell us, first class.”

Quick hits from around the NHL

  • Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy continues to work the phones and while it’s a long shot that forward Nazem Kadri will be traded, it sounds like winger Blake Coleman and pending free-agent defenceman Rasmus Andersson are very likely to be moved before the deadline.
  • The New York Rangers were embarrassed in Boston over the weekend 10-2, and speculation continues GM Chris Drury will approach Artemi Panarin for preferred trade destinations over the course of the next few weeks.
  • With the Devils free-falling down the Eastern Conference standings, could Sheldon Keefe be on the hot seat?
  • St. Louis Blues signed defenceman Philip Broberg to a six-year contract extension worth $48 million.
  • Vancouver Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury he suffered against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night in Toronto.
  • Meanwhile, Canucks management continues to listen on trade offers for pending free-agent forward Kiefer Sherwood, and could move veteran winger Jake DeBrusk, who has been scratched of late.
  • Edmonton Oilers‘ Connor McDavid is currently on an 18-game point streak. McDavid and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon are tied for the league lead with 78 points. Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini sits in third, eight behind.
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