The NHL’s annual “Frozen Frenzy” is finally here.
Throughout the evening, all 32 teams will take to the ice in a jam-packed day for hockey. But some games have more intrigue than others, whether it’s a rivalry duel, a dramatic return or a massive milestone in reach.
Here are three games in particular that the casual fan will enjoy during the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy.
New York Rangers At Vancouver Canucks
During a dramatic 2024-25 campaign when he was dealt to the Rangers, star center J.T. Miller makes his first return to Vancouver on Tuesday.
Miller currently sits third on the Blueshirts in points, with six in 10 games. But the Rangers have the NHL’s second-worst offense at 2.20 goals-for per game, so they’ll need Miller to ramp up his efforts
Meanwhile, the Canucks have the league’s ninth-worst offense at 2.80 goals-for per game. Center Elias Pettersson, whose reported rift with Miller became too much of a distraction, has eight points in 10 games, and even he’ll want to return to averaging at least a point per game.
Tuesday could also mark the NHL debut of Swedish defenseman Tom Willander.
The 20-year-old Swedish defenseman – drafted 11th overall by Vancouver in 2023 – had a solid NCAA career at Boston University, and he represented his homeland well at the 2025 World Junior Championship, posting two goals and five points in seven games.
Willander isn’t going to come in and be Vancouver’s best D-man, but he now has the opportunity to demonstrate he deserves to play in hockey’s top league. And Canucks fans will be keenly following him as he adapts to the NHL game.
BetMGM moneyline odds for the game: Rangers (1.85, -118), Canucks (1.98, -102)
“It Was Like Home Away From Home”: Former Canucks Forward J.T. Miller Speaks Ahead Of Return To Rogers Arena
Former Canucks forward J.T. Miller spoke to the media ahead of his return to Rogers Arena.
Washington Capitals At Dallas Stars
Alexander Ovechkin is just one goal away from 900 in his regular-season career. He has a chance to become the first player in NHL history to get to that mark, and he can do it against a squad he hasn’t scored much against.
In 27 career games against the Dallas Stars, the Washington Capitals captain has 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points. While his career shooting percentage is 13.1 percent, it’s only 9.6 percent against Dallas, which is the lowest he’s had against any team besides the inactive Arizona Coyotes.
If Ovechkin, who has two goals in nine games this season, is going to get this milestone out of the way, doing it against the Stars will be quite valuable.
The Capitals have gotten out to a 6-3-0 record this season, but their offense has plummeted from second in the league last year – at 3.49 goals-for per game – to 16th overall at 3.00.
Dallas has also had a hard time generating offense, averaging 3.00 goals per game. But this game could turn out to be a preview of the Stanley Cup final, and it should be a treat for fans inside and outside Dallas and D.C.
BetMGM moneyline odds for the game: Capitals (2.10, +110), Stars (1.77, -130)
Pittsburgh Penguins At Philadelphia Flyers
The Battle of Pennsylvania gets another chapter with this Frozen Frenzy showdown.
Given that expectations for the Flyers and Penguins were low coming into the season, this is actually turning out to be a game between two very competitive teams.
The Flyers currently sit one point out of a playoff position, while the Penguins sit second in the Metropolitan Division with a 7-2-1 record. So this game is going to be worth watching.
Pittsburgh has been thriving this season because their veteran stars, such as Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, are thriving on offense. Malkin is tied for the league lead in scoring, with 16 points in 10 games.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, has won four games because of the offensive contributions of youngsters Trevor Zegras (eight points), Tyson Foerster (six), Noah Cates (five), Bobby Brink (five) and Owen Tippett (five).
Ultimately, these are two teams in transition, but their natural rivalry never fails to be entertaining, and Tuesday’s tilt should be well worth hockey fans’ time.
BetMGM moneyline odds for the game: Penguins (2.45, +145), Flyers (1.57, -175)
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
