Oilers defenseman Kulak races from daughter’s birth to playoff game

Brett Kulak didn’t get his regular pregame routine in on Monday.

Instead of skating with his teammates ahead of Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers defenseman was on a flight after briefly returning home for the birth of his second daughter, Scotlyn, on Sunday afternoon.

The plan had long been for Kulak’s wife, Caitlin, to have a C-section early Monday morning, but health care workers at the hospital heard the family might have a scheduling conflict.

“They called on Saturday evening and were like ‘Hey, we see your husband and the Oilers are playing on Monday. We can squeeze you in tomorrow afternoon. And so it ended up being Sunday afternoon,’” Kulak said.

The veteran blueliner practiced with the Oilers in San Jose on Saturday. Then, as the rest of the team traveled to L.A. to settle in ahead of Edmonton’s first-round matchup with the Kings, Kulak flew from San Francisco to Calgary on Sunday morning. His mom met him there and they drove to the family’s off-season home in Canmore, Alberta.

Soon after, Kulak and his wife headed to the hospital, and met their newborn daughter about two hours later.

He spent the evening with his newly expanded family, then boarded a flight back to California on Monday morning and rejoined the team before puck drop.

“Everyone’s doing really well. So I’m thankful for that,” said Kulak, who played 24 minutes and 58 seconds in Edmonton’s 6-5 loss. “It’s all you can hope for, obviously. It just makes you happy and just grateful. And everyone’s healthy. And it gives me a better peace of mind knowing I have to leave, but they’re all feeling good.”

Capitals’ Fehervary is out for the playoffs after having knee surgery

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary is out for the remainder of the team’s playoff run after undergoing knee surgery.

The Capitals said Tuesday that Fehervary had surgery Monday for a torn meniscus in his right knee. Fehervary twisted his right leg trying to block a shot last week in Washington’s penultimate game of the regular season.

“It’s a massive loss for our team — really feel for him,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “My heart hurts for him because he’s an unsung hero for our team. If you know the Washington Capitals and if you’re around our team and if you watch our team, he’s someone that goes unnoticed, that the rest of the hockey world probably doesn’t pay much attention to, but he’s a big part of our team.”

Fehervary skated 19 minutes a game for the Capitals, missing only the season finale after getting injured, and was their top penalty-killer. The 25-year-old from Slovakia also blocked 150 shots.

Lamoriello is not returning as New York Islanders general manager

Lou Lamoriello is out as president and general manager of the New York Islanders, after the team said Tuesday the longtime NHL executive’s contract was not being renewed.

Lamoriello, 82, spent the past seven years running the Islanders’ hockey operations with a close connection to ownership. They missed the playoffs this season but qualified five times under Lamoriello’s watch, including a trip to the Eastern Conference final in the 2020 “bubble” during the coronavirus pandemic.