The Chicago Blackhawks forwards Marcus Kruger and Artemi Panarin will play in the semifinals at the World Championship on Saturday. The Russians and Panarin play Canada in the first game before Sweden and Kruger face off against rival Finland.
In Hawks prospect news, Nathan Noel scored a goal in Saint John’s 3-2 loss to Windsor in the Memorial Cup opener.
The USHL’s Chicago Steel shut out the Sioux City Musketeers 3-0 in Game 3 on Friday at the Fox Valley Ice Arena to take a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five Clark Cup Final series. Chicago will now have a chance to hoist the Clark Cup on home ice in Game 4 on Saturday at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m.
HAWKS
**2017 Memorial Cup: Schedule, times, results (SCH)
**2017 Memorial Cup: Hawks preview (SCH)
**Championship window is defined by four moves (SCH)
**Jeremy Colliton named Hawks’ AHL head coach (SCH)
**Eight most important Hawks to extend championship window (SCH)
**Hawks’ potential trade partners — and likely trade bait (Chicago Tribune)
CENTRAL DIVISION
**Preds lose Johansen for rest of playoffs to thigh injury (On The Forecheck)
**Rexrode: With Johansen out, Preds need a miracle (The Tennessean)
**Small changes could lead to big results in Game 5 (On The Forecheck)
**Stars willing to trade No. 3 pick (NHL.com)
**Frei: 2000-01 Avs deservedly makes “Top 20 Greatest NHL Teams” (Denver Post)
**6 free agents the Avs should consider (Mile High Hockey)
NHL
**Oshie leads free agents about to cash in after strong playoffs (SBN)
**NHL confirms dates for 2017 Stanley Cup Final (PHT)
**RECAP: Murray, Penguins hold off Senators to even series (Pensburgh)
**Sullivan: Chad Ruhwedel has a concussion (PHT)
**Bolts ‘very interested’ in extending Budaj (PHT)
**Sharks’ Ward undergoes shoulder surgery (Fear The Fin)
**It’s now or never for Bergevin, Habs’ long-term success (Habs Eyes On The Prize)
**Is it time for Oilers to move on from Eberle? (Copper and Blue)
HOCKEY WORLD
**Memorial Cup: Windsor shows no ill effects from layoff (Sportsnet)
**USHL’s Steel finding a place in Chicago’s hockey landscape (The Athletic)
**USHL Clark Cup Final: Steel shut out Sioux City in Game 3 for 2-1 series lead (Sioux City Journal)