play0:48Kirill Kaprizov’s 2nd tally of the game wins it for the Wild in OTKirill Kaprizov scores the winner early in overtime to give the Wild a 4-3 win over the Red Wings.
play1:12Sidney Crosby caps off a 3-goal Penguins blitzThe Penguins score three goals within a span of 37 seconds with Anthony Mantha scoring twice, then Sidney Crosby.
play1:02Stamkos nets winner for Preds, completes hat trickSteven Stamkos scores his third goal of the game to give the Predators a 4-3 lead in their win over the Senators.
Clayton Keller plays hero with tying goal in final minute, winner in OT for Mammoth (1:20)Mammoth captain Clayton Keller ties the game with under a minute to play before winning it in overtime. (1:20)
Kirill Kaprizov’s 2nd tally of the game wins it for the Wild in OTKirill Kaprizov scores the winner early in overtime to give the Wild a 4-3 win over the Red Wings.
Sidney Crosby caps off a 3-goal Penguins blitzThe Penguins score three goals within a span of 37 seconds with Anthony Mantha scoring twice, then Sidney Crosby.
The Penguins score three goals within a span of 37 seconds with Anthony Mantha scoring twice, then Sidney Crosby.
Stamkos nets winner for Preds, completes hat trickSteven Stamkos scores his third goal of the game to give the Predators a 4-3 lead in their win over the Senators.
Steven Stamkos scores his third goal of the game to give the Predators a 4-3 lead in their win over the Senators.
It’s also time for another set of ESPN NHL Power Rankings, led once again by the Colorado Avalanche.
In addition to this week’s updated rankings, we’ve also identified each team’s best celebrity fan — i.e. their leading candidate for the “Heart Trophy.” Hit me up if you think you have a better candidate for your team!
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 16. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Riley Moss. This can really be a Broncos-led team award here. Moss and Alex Palczewski recently attended an Avs game, supporting their fellow Denver-based team.
Charles Barkley. The NBA legend recently went fishing with Bolts coach Jon Cooper for a good cause. The pair have been friends for over a decade.
Darius Rucker. The three-time Grammy Award winner sounded the siren at a playoff game last season. I can only assume his devotion to the Canes is true and to the team he says “I only wanna be with you.”
Hannah Bilka. The Torrent forward (and Texas native) recently dropped the ceremonial puck at a Stars game. In college, Bilka helped the Ohio State Buckeyes win the NCAA championship in 2024, leading the team in scoring. With Team USA, she won a world championship in 2023.
Julius Randle. When Quinn Hughes got traded to Minnesota, one of the first welcomes was from the Timberwolves forward, who said “Welcome to the city my man!! You’ll love it here. Can’t wait to catch a game.” You love to see the mutual athlete respect.
Kirill Kaprizov’s 2nd tally of the game wins it for the Wild in OT
Kirill Kaprizov scores the winner early in overtime to give the Wild a 4-3 win over the Red Wings.
Chad Smith. The Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer grew up in Michigan and doesn’t hide his massive Wings fandom. He recently attended Sergei Federov’s long overdue jersey retirement ceremony.
Dion Dawkins. The Bills offensive tackle has been to Sabres games recently, and creating content on Sabres social media. Dawkins has also contributed his time and resources to charitable causes in the Buffalo area, showing his love for the city.
Madison Beer. The Isles have consistent celebrity fans at their games who have been repping the Island for a long time (Ralph Macchio and Chloe Grace Moretz are other examples). But we’ll go with the two-time Grammy nominee and Long Island native, who recently received a jersey with her name on it, which is terrific because who wouldn’t love a hockey jersey that says BEER on it?
Dave Filoni. The lifelong Penguins fans just got promoted to Co-President of Lucasfilm. He’s also a goalie, who regularly attends the Mario Lemieux fantasy camp. He’s even put Penguins references in Star Wars projects, including the iconic Penguin mask of his favorite goalie, Michel Dion.
Bill Burr. Adam Sandler is in the mix here too, but Burr is more consistent in his posts/public fandom. His locker room lineup read was also hilarious.
Alphonso Davies. The Bayern Munich star is a diehard Oilers fan who repped them all playoffs last season. He’s even streamed while watching games.
Jaxson Dart. The New Giants quarterback is proud to be from Utah, recently attended a Mammoth game, took pictures with Tusky and repped the squad well.
Pat Sajak. The former “Wheel of Fortune” host is a longtime Caps fan and recently attended a game with Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. Sajak was also in attendance at UBS Arena last season to see Alex Ovechkin set the all-time goal scoring record.
Shane Gillis. The comedian recently attended a Flyers game and snapped photos with Gritty. I wonder if Gritty dumped any popcorn on him like he does everybody else?
Tom Brady. Brady attended the Winter Classic, and while he didn’t necessarily pledge allegiance to any team (you’d think if he would pick a Florida team to support it would be the Lightning because he won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers), his presence in Miami, plus taking a picture holding the Stanley Cup, qualifies.
“Heated Rivalry.” The Sens recently sold Rozanov and Hollander jerseys at the team store, where proceeds went to Ottawa Pride Hockey.
Mickey Mouse. Every year, the Ducks spend the day at Disneyland (located in the team’s backyard up the road in Anaheim) with fans and loveable Disney characters. Honorable mention to Donald Duck, who welcomed 2025 first-round pick Roger McQueen at Disneyland on draft day over the summer.
Kaitlyn Chen. The Golden State Valkyries guard is a California native and was recently in the building to see some of Macklin Celebrini’s razzle dazzle.
Will Ferrell. The man behind Ron Burgundy will probably win the Heart Trophy for the entire league, for his hilarious costumes and bits while sitting against the glass at Kings games. In a city where plenty of celebrities are available to attend games, Ferrell shines bright — whether it’s talking hockey with Bebe Rexha or dressing up as a referee making calls.
Kickball Dad. I checked in with NJ Devil for his pick, and without hesitation he responded Kickball Dad (rather, he texted it to me because he obviously doesn’t talk). Kickball Dad is one of the best content creators out there, especially if you’re a Dolphins or Devils fan, which he has been since day one in 1982.
Marshawn Lynch. The former Seahawks running back is a minority owner of the Kraken and recently helped the team unveil its third jersey — “it’s not just a jersey, it’s a fashion statement.” The “boy boy Calle” no longer plays for the team, but that’s still an iconic line from the Kraken expansion draft.
Captain Blue Jacket. This guy dresses up in full superhero attire, complete with custom CBJ jersey, Captain America (erm, CBJ) shield and painted face like he’s the Steve Rogers of Ohio’s capital. And he attends every game! Sources say he also doesn’t like bullies, he doesn’t care where they’re from. Years ago, and maybe still today, he traveled hours to get his face painted right.
Nick Saban. The “College Gameday” analyst and iconic Alabama coach recently bought a minority interest in the Preds, which I hope means he will be around the team during a playoff run … even if that idea is in the distance.
Olivia Steadman. The 22-year-old Jets superfan was born blind and lives with cerebral palsy and other challenges. Her dream was to sing the national anthem at a Jets game.. And now she’s done it twice, bringing the house down each time.
Gaten Matarazzo. Attend any Rangers game and it’s a safe bet Gaten Matarazzo will appear on the jumbotron in celebrity row. The “Stranger Things” star is a massive Rangers fan. He even recently built his ultimate starting five with Stranger Things characters.
Jon Hamm. The passionate Blues fan is always in the running for this award, even though his latest contribution to hockey wasn’t for the Blues but for Team USA in a cheeky commercial that surely riled up the Great White North.
Michael Buble. Also very high on the “celebrity status vs. hockey fanatic” scale, Buble co-owns the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, and often gives his opinions on the Canucks: “We’re closer to being better than people think,” he told the Hockey News recently.
Clayton Keller plays hero with tying goal in final minute, winner in OT for Mammoth (1:20)Mammoth captain Clayton Keller ties the game with under a minute to play before winning it in overtime. (1:20)
Mammoth captain Clayton Keller ties the game with under a minute to play before winning it in overtime. (1:20)
Next seven days: vs. PHI (Jan. 23), @ TOR (Jan. 25), @ OTT (Jan. 28), @ MTL (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ CHI (Jan. 23), @ CBJ (Jan. 24), vs. UTA (Jan. 26), vs. WPG (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ OTT (Jan. 24), vs. UTA (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: vs. STL (Jan. 23), @ STL (Jan. 27), @ VGK (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: vs. FLA (Jan. 24), vs. CHI (Jan. 27), vs. CGY (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ WPG (Jan. 24), vs. LA (Jan. 27), vs. WSH (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ TOR (Jan. 23), @ OTT (Jan. 25), @ MTL (Jan. 27), vs. DAL (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ BOS (Jan. 24), vs. VGK (Jan. 27), vs. COL (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ NYI (Jan. 24), @ TOR (Jan. 27), vs. LA (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Jan. 24), @ PHI (Jan. 26), vs. NYR (Jan. 28), @ NYR (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ VAN (Jan. 25), vs. CHI (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: vs. MTL (Jan. 24), @ NYR (Jan. 26), vs. NSH (Jan. 27), vs. PHI (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: vs. WSH (Jan. 24), vs. ANA (Jan. 26), vs. SJ (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: @ NSH (Jan. 24), @ TB (Jan. 26), @ FLA (Jan. 27), @ CAR (Jan. 29)
Next seven days: vs. VGK (Jan. 23), vs. COL (Jan. 25), vs. BUF (Jan. 27), @ SEA (Jan. 29)