NHL Metropolitan

Mercyhurst University announced Monday that Carson Briere was removed from the men's ice hockey team after video showed him pushing a wheelchair down the stairs at a bar in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Briere is the son of former NHL player and current Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Daniel Briere.

Briere and men's lacrosse player Patrick Carrozzi were charged with criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, per The Athletic. Briere was suspended from the hockey team.

In a video that was posted on social media, Briere and two other men are seen at the top of the stairs at Sullivan's Pub and Eatery on March 11. Briere sat in the wheelchair before pushing it down the stairs.

The owner of the wheelchair had been helped down the stairs by bar security to use the bathroom, and while she was doing so, Briere pushed her wheelchair down the steps. Briere and a friend were removed from the bar.

"There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for this serious lack of judgment," Briere said in a statement in March.

The Athletic reported that a criminal complaint noted pushing the wheelchair down the stairs "caused the left brake handle to not function properly, the plastic molding on the right arm rest to break, the rear handle is slightly bent and the wheels are experiencing drag moving forward."

The woman said the wheelchair cost about $2,000.

Briere and Carrozzi are scheduled to be in court May 22.

"I was shocked to see Carson's actions in the video that was shared on social media yesterday," Daniel Briere said in a statement. "They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family's values of treating people with respect. Carson is very sorry and accepts full responsibility for his behavior."

The New York Rangers and forward Filip Chytil have agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season, the team announced Wednesday.

Chytil's deal is worth $4.4 million per season for a total of $17.75 million, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple.

Chytil was set to become a restricted free agent following the 2022-23 season after agreeing to a two-year, $4.6 million deal with the Rangers in July 2021.

The 23-year-old has spent his entire six-year career with the Rangers, who selected him in the first round of the 2017 draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2017-18 season and appeared in nine games, notching one goal and two assists for three points.

Chytil went on to notch at least 22 points in four straight seasons from 2018 to 2022 and he is now in the midst of a breakout year while centering Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. In 66 games, he's tallied a career-high 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points.

With Chytil's production on the rise, it's no surprise the Rangers wanted to get him locked up as soon as possible. The franchise also needs to extend the contracts of Lafreniere and defenseman K'Andre Miller this summer or both will become restricted free agents.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola, Patrick Kane and Tyler Motte, who were all acquired at this season's trade deadline, will also need new contracts after the 2022-23 season. However, it's unlikely the Rangers will be able to retain all of those players, who will be unrestricted free agents.

The Rangers recently locked up a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 44-20-10 record and 98 points. They sit just two points behind the New Jersey Devils for the No. 2 seed in the Metro.

The Stanley Cup playoff picture continued to crystallize Monday after the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs punched their ticket to the postseason.

The latter became the second team from the Atlantic Division to clinch its spot. The other is the Boston Bruins, who have been the best team in the league by far this season and have already clinched the division title.

The Rangers and Maple Leafs join the Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils in the playoffs.

Here are the updated standings for both conferences following Monday's results.

Eastern Conference 

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 57-11-5, 119 points (clinched division)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 44-20-9, 97 points (clinched playoffs)
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-26-6, 90 points

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 47-16-9, 103 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 46-20-8, 100 points (clinched playoffs)
3. New York Rangers: 43-20-10, 96 points (clinched playoffs)

Wild-Card Race

1. New York Islanders: 38-28-9, 85 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 36-27-10, 82 points
3. Florida Panthers: 36-31-7, 79 points
4. Buffalo Sabres: 35-31-7, 77 points
5. Ottawa Senators: 36-33-5, 77 points
6. Washington Capitals: 34-32-8, 76 points
7. Detroit Red Wins: 31-32-9, 71 points
8. Philadephia Flyers: 28-32-12, 68 points
9. Montréal Canadiens: 30-38-6, 66 points
10. Columbus Blue Jackets: 23-42-7, 53 points

Western Conference 

Central Division

1. Minnesota Wild: 43-22-9, 95 points
2. Colorado Avalanche: 43-23-6, 92 points
3. Dallas Stars: 39-20-14, 92 points

Pacific Division

1. Vegas Golden Knights: 46-21-6, 98 points
2. Los Angeles Kings: 43-20-10, 96 points
3. Edmonton Oilers: 41-23-9, 91 points

Wild-Card Race

1. Seattle Kraken: 40-25-8, 88 points
2. Winnipeg Jets: 41-30-3, 85 points
3. Calgary Flames: 33-26-15, 81 points
4. Nashville Predators: 36-28-8, 80 points
5. Vancouver Canucks: 34-34-5, 73 points
6. St. Louis Blues: 33-34-6, 72 points
7. Arizona Coyotes: 27-34-13, 67 points
8. Anaheim Ducks: 23-40-10, 56 points
9. Chicago Blackhawks: 24-32-6, 54 points
10. San Jose Sharks: 19-39-15, 53 points

The Rangers booked a spot in the postseason without even having to play Monday night after the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres each lost their respective matches.

They return to the playoffs for a second-consecutive season and will look to improve upon an unexpected run to the conference finals in 2022, where they lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were the defending champions at the time.

Meanwhile, Toronto has been a postseason regular over the last few years but has continually disappointed.

The Maple Leafs have lost in the first round of the playoffs every single season dating back to 2017, including last year when the team managed to score 115 points, the most in a single season in franchise history.

They'll be looking to finally get over the hump this year.

The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing the storm surge to the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

Carolina clinched a playoff berth on Thursday night by way of the Florida Panthers losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 at FLA Live Arena. The Canes are just the second team this season to earn a spot in the postseason, joining the league-leading Boston Bruins.

Here's a look at the updated Eastern Conference playoff picture by division:

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 55-11-5, 115 points (clinched playoffs)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 43-19-9, 95 points
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-25-6, 90 points

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 46-16-8, 100 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 45-18-8, 98 points
3. New York Rangers: 42-20-10, 94 points

Wild Card

1. New York Islanders: 37-27-8, 82 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 35-16-10, 80 points

The Hurricanes have the second-best record in the NHL at 46-16-8 (100 points) and are looking to lock up the Metropolitan Division crown for the second straight season. However, it won't be an easy task as the New Jersey Devils sit second in the division with a 45-18-8 record (98 points) and are just two points behind Carolina for the division lead.

With 12 more games remaining in the regular season, it will be crucial for the Canes to lock up as many points as possible down the stretch in order to earn home-ice advantage to start the playoffs.

Despite losing star forward Andrei Svechnikov to a torn ACL earlier this month, the Hurricanes still have the talent and star power to win the Stanley Cup this season.

Forwards Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho are having tremendous seasons offensively. Necas leads the team with 65 points—27 goals and 38 assists—in 70 games, and Aho leads the team in goals with 31 tallies in 63 contests, in addition to 28 assists for 59 points.

The additions of Brent Burns and Shayne Gostisbehere on the blue line have also elevated the franchise's title chances this year. Burns leads the team with 41 assists in 70 games, and he also has 12 goals for 53 points.

Gostisbehere, whom Carolina acquired from the Arizona Coyotes at the trade deadline in February, has tallied two goals and three assists for five points in 11 games with the franchise.

The Hurricanes also have a talented trio of goaltenders in Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta. They have split time in the crease this season as Andersen has played in 28 games, Raanta in 23 and Kochetkov in 22.

Anderson, the team's primary netminder, ranks fifth in the NHL with a 2.44 goals-against average, and he also boasts a .903 save percentage.

The Hurricanes last won the Stanley Cup in 2006, when now-head coach Rod Brind'Amour helped lead the franchise to its first-ever championship by defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

Mercyhurst University hockey player Carson Briere, the son of interim Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere, is under investigation after being captured on security camera footage pushing a woman's wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a bar on Saturday night.

Mercyhurst University said in a statement, via TMZ Sports:

"Late this afternoon, Mercyhurst University became aware of the disturbing video in which one of our student-athletes is seen pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a local establishment. Our Office of Student Conduct and Department of Police and Safety are investigating."

Mercyhurst Athletics announced Wednesday following an initial investigation that the three student-athletes shown in the video, including Briere, have been placed on interim suspensions from their athletic programs.

On Tuesday, Twitter user Julia Zukowski published security camera footage that shows Briere and another man walking up a flight of stairs before engaging in a short conversation. Briere is then seen on video sitting in the wheelchair before shoving it down the stairs and entering the bar area.

Zukowski added that the wheelchair was left at the top of the stairs because the owner of the chair "physically had to be carried down to use the restrooms," which were only located on the lower level.

"I am deeply sorry for my behavior on Saturday," Briere said in a statement. "There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for this serious lack of judgement."

Daniel Briere added:

"I was shocked to see Carson's actions in the video that was shared on social media yesterday. They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family's values on treating people with respect. Carson is very sorry and accepts full responsibility for his behavior."

Zukowski has since set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money to replace the victim's damaged wheelchair. Donations totaled more than $5,600 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Briere joined the Mercyhurst hockey team in 2020 after being dismissed from Arizona State's hockey program as a redshirt freshman following the 2019-20 season.

According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Briere was dismissed for "a clear violation of team rules." A source told Wyshynski his "dismissal wasn't the result of a single incident but rather repeated behavior for which he received multiple warnings."

The 23-year-old told College Hockey News in 2021 that he "wasn't taking hockey seriously" while playing for the Sun Devils.

"It wasn't anything bad, it was just not being committed to hockey, I was more committed to having fun at school," Briere said. "Too much partying, that's probably the best way to put it."

Before taking over as the Flyers interim general manager, Daniel Briere played 17 seasons in the NHL from 1997-2015, suiting up for the Flyers, then-Phoenix Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche. He tallied 307 goals and 389 assists in 973 games.

On the verge of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, the Philadelphia Flyers are making changes in their front office.

The Flyers fired general manager and co-president Chuck Fletcher on Friday morning, and Daniel Brière will take over as general manager on an interim basis.

Giana Han and Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported the news.

Fletcher took over as Philadelphia's general manager in December 2018 after Ron Hextall was fired.

The Flyers made the playoffs during Fletcher's first full season on the job in 2019-20. Their 89 points were the fourth-most among Eastern Conference teams. They defeated the Montréal Canadiens in the first round before falling to the New York Islanders in seven games in the second round.

That turned out to be the high-water mark of Fletcher's tenure. They did finish over .500 during the 2020-21 season (25-23-8), but finished sixth in the East Division.

The bottom dropped out for the Flyers with a 25-46-11 record in 2021-22. It marked the first time they finished last in the division since 2006-07 and was the second-worst single-season winning percentage (.372) in franchise history.

Fletcher and Flyers governor Dave Scott both pledged to make significant changes to their roster in January 2022 in an attempt to get the franchise back on track. Their only significant additions during the offseason were Anthony DeAngelo and Nicolas Deslauriers.

DeAngelo has 34 points as a defenseman, but his plus-minus of minus-28 ranks 754th out of 757 players this season. Deslauriers is a winger who has 11 points in 65 games.

The Flyers have been better so far this season compared to 2021-22, but their 24-30-11 record ranks seventh in the eight-team Metropolitan Division.

Brière has been working with the Flyers as special assistant to the general manager since February 2022. The 45-year-old spent six seasons in Philadelphia as a player from 2008 to '13.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo has been suspended two games for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Corey Perry in the groin, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday following a hearing.

The incident occurred during the third period of Philadelphia 5-2 loss to the Lightning on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena. DeAngelo was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct.

The NHL Department of Player Safety explained:

"Well after the whistle is blown, DeAngelo circles back toward Perry, pulls back his stick and drives the point of the stick blade into Perry's groin with a stabbing motion, causing him to fall to the ice. This is spearing. It is important to note that DeAngelo does not engage with Perry in any way prior to spearing him, choosing to deliver this strike while Perry is not looking at him.

"What causes this play to rise to the level of a suspension is the premeditated nature of the foul against an unsuspecting opponent well after the whistle, the area of the body where the spear was delivered and the force of the blow."

"I haven't seen the clip of what happened," Flyers head coach John Tortorella told reporters of the incident after the game. "Guys in the room said it was pretty obvious what happened."

He added: "That's the line you walk, as far as going over the edge. I want him to have his personality, to have that competitiveness. A couple of guys I did sit, I wish a little of that would rub off on them. But again, I haven't seen it, but I think he may have crossed the line."

DeAngelo also told reporters after the loss that he didn't mean to catch Perry in the groin.

"He tried to slash my stick out of my hands a second beforehand. He talks all game," he said. "I asked him to fight, he doesn't want to fight. He'll tell you he's asked me to fight for years. I don't say no. But wasn't trying to give him a shot [where it landed]. Replay probably looks worse."

DeAngelo is in his first season with the Flyers after spending the 2021-22 campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes. He has 10 goals and 24 assists in 59 games this year, but he also boasts a minus-28 rating.

The 27-year-old made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes in 2016-17 and spent a little over three seasons with the New York Rangers before the franchise waived him following an altercation with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev.

DeAngelo was previously suspended three games in 2017 for abuse of officials while playing for the Coyotes.

He was also twice suspended while playing as a prospect in the Ontario Hockey League for violating the league's policy to "keep homophobic, racist and sexist language out of the game."

DeAngelo will miss games against the Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. He'll be eligible to return to the lineup on March 14 against the Vegas Golden Knights. In the meantime, Justin Braun figures to slot in on Philadelphia's third defensive pairing.

The Flyers sit well out of a playoff spot with a 24-29-11 record. They're seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 59 points.

Michigan defenseman Luke Hughes will join the New Jersey Devils for the remainder of the 2022-23 season once his collegiate hockey season with the Wolverines comes to an end, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald told reporters Friday.

The Devils selected Hughes with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft. He is the youngest brother of Devils star forward Jack Hughes and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The 19-year-old has spent the last two seasons with Michigan. During the 2021-22 campaign, he notched 17 goals and 22 assists in 41 games. Through 32 games this season, he has tallied nine goals and 27 assists.

Prior to joining Michigan, Hughes was a standout for the United States National Team Development Program. He also suited up as captain for the U.S. at the 2022 World Junior Championships, where he notched four goals and one assist in seven games

The Devils have the third-best record in the NHL at 40-15-5. Only the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes have been better.

New Jersey loaded up ahead of Friday's trade deadline, acquiring Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks in an effort to better its roster for a deep playoff run.

Adding Hughes will only make the team stronger moving forward, though it's possible he might not suit up for the franchise until closer to the end of the regular season. Michigan is ranked the No. 4 team in the country with a 20-11-3 record, and last season's national semifinalists will have the opportunity to make another run to the Frozen Four, which takes place April 6-8.

Veteran forward Nick Bonino is heading back to the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline.

Josh Yohe of The Athletic was the first to report that the San Jose Sharks had agreed to send Bonino back to the Pens on Friday, and TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that the Sharks are receiving a fifth- and seventh-round pick in return.

Per Sportsnet, the Montreal Canadiens were also involved in the deal, making it a three-team trade. In addition to San Jose receiving a 2023 seventh-rounder and 2024 fifth-rounder from the Penguins, it landed defenseman Arvid Henrikson from the Habs.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens secured defenseman Tony Sund and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Sharks.

Bonino, 34, spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons in Pittsburgh, winning a pair of Stanley Cups.

This season, which is Bonino's 14th in the NHL, he has recorded 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in 59 games while also posting a minus-six rating.

For his career, Bonino has registered 158 goals and 195 assists for 353 points in 820 games, enjoying stops with the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Penguins, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild and Sharks.

He has been a third- or fourth-line player for most of his career, playing a defensively responsible game and chipping in double-digit goals on nine occasions, including each of the past seven seasons.

Bonino's two years in Pittsburgh were among the most productive of his career, particularly in the playoffs.

During the Penguins' run to a Stanley Cup in 2016, he was among Pittsburgh's best players, racking up an impressive 18 points in 24 games. He added seven points in 21 playoff games the following season.

Also, in 2016-17, Bonino had 18 goals, which was the second-highest mark of his career, and 37 points, which was his third-best total.

Now that Bonino is set to rejoin the Penguins six years later, a level of familiarity still exists.

Many of the complementary pieces have changed; however, forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang remain the Penguins' core, just as they were during the Cup runs.

The Penguins are not considered a top Cup contender like they were then, but they are in the thick of the playoff hunt, holding the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 71 points.

Since Pittsburgh's window of opportunity to win a Cup is likely closing with Crosby and Malkin getting older, the team has been active leading up to the deadline.

Prior to the Bonino trade, the Penguins acquired winger Mikael Granlund from the Predators for a second-round pick Wednesday, meaning the Pens are loading up on plenty of forward depth for the stretch run.