Ciarán Breen

    Ciarán Breen is a Video Producer and Global Sports Editor for Yahoo Canada Sports. Originally from Ireland, Ciarán focuses on creating diverse content experiences and hopes to make it to the 2026 World Cup without his accent disappearing completely.

  • Matthew Knies to the Maple Leafs rescue?

    Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has shuffled his left-wing lineup combinations this season, with Alexander Kerfoot currently holding the top-line spot alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Assuming Michael Bunting returns to form and is moved back up ahead of the playoffs, there's still question marks over Kerfoot's position in the top six. Matthew Knies, currently playing for the University of Minnesota, is widely regarded as NHL ready and could be called up for the postseason.

  • Timothy Liljegren victim of Sheldon Keefe's double standards

    Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has left Timothy Liljegren out of the lineup since Kyle Dubas added three new defencemen at the NHL trade deadline. Keefe says the increased blue-line depth means increased standards but it seems those standards are not being applied equally across Toronto's defensive lines.

  • Ryan O'Reilly injury could be blessing in disguise for Maple Leafs

    Maple Leafs center Ryan O'Reilly underwent surgery on his injured finger and is scheduled to return to the lineup in four weeks. Toronto will miss their star acquisition at the NHL trade deadline but as long as O'Reilly is fit for the playoffs, fans shouldn't be concerned with his temporary absence.

  • Leafs stars set tone for final stretch

    Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting led a late-game charge to help the Maple Leafs end their five-game road trip with a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Mitch Marner, William Nylander and goaltender Ilya Samsonov also starred as Toronto returned to winning ways ahead of the final stretch of regular season games.

  • Which current NHLer could host Saturday Night Live?

    Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce recently took his talents to the stage as host of Saturday Night Live but which current NHL player has the chops to host the comedy institution?

  • Tampa Bay Lightning will be fine, as they always are

    A 6-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes capped a five-game losing streak for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper benched star players Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point during the previous loss to the Buffalo Sabres, suggesting the team was not playing up to standard. However, the Lightning have made it to the Stanley Cup final three seasons in a row, winning twice and no one outside of the organization doubts their pedigree will shine through come playoff time.

  • Maple Leafs and their fans are falling apart

    The Maple Leafs lost two out of three on a Western Canada road trip and Toronto fans are not happy with the performances. To make things worse, trade deadline acquisition Ryan O'Reilly is out indefinitely with a broken finger, while John Tavares will miss Tuesday's game in New Jersey. The Leafs are locked in a playoff spot but some of their key players are playing below standard, notably defenceman Morgan Rielly. On the latest episode of Zone Time, Julian asks Omar and crew if the panic within the fanbase is really justified?

  • Should the Flames wave a white flag?

    The Calgary Flames snapped a five-game losing streak against the Dallas Stars but the relative lack of activity at the NHL trade deadline leaves the team with a roster that has underperformed all season and sitting outside the playoff spots, a disastrous return for a team built for contention.

  • The Vancouver Canucks make no sense

    A turbulent year in Vancouver continued at the NHL trade deadline as the Canucks were both buyers and sellers, leaving fans confused at what general manager Patrik Allvin's strategy is for the future of the franchise. Allvin added defenceman Filip Hronek and forward Vitali Kravtsov while moving out captain Bo Horvat and defenceman Luke Schenn.

  • Ken Holland finally puts the pieces together in Edmonton

    Oilers general manager Ken Holland deserves credit for the trades he made ahead of the NHL deadline, bringing in defenceman Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators and forward Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes. Holland said goodbye to a first-round pick, Tyson Barrie and Edmonton's 2022 first-round draft pick Reid Schaefer as the Oilers, led by Connor McDavid, prepare to make a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup.

  • NHL Trade Deadline: Winners & Losers

    An historically busy NHL trade deadline saw the rich get richer in the Eastern Conference as Stanley Cup contenders loaded up for the playoffs, while the future of some losing franchises looks increasingly bleak, especially considering only one of them can draft generational talent Connor Bedard in the summer.

  • Kyle Dubas has earned extension, regardless of playoff success

    Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has been aggressive ahead of the NHL trade deadline, adding on both ends of the ice. The 37-year-old has made a Stanley Cup contender better and if Toronto stumbles again in the playoffs, the responsibility should fall on the players and Dubas should receive a contract extension for his work regardless.

  • New pieces, hard decisions for Maple Leafs after deadline

    After Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas made several roster moves ahead of the NHL trade deadline, head coach Sheldon Keefe has some big decisions to make as he rejigs Toronto's lineup for a Stanley Cup playoff run. Ryan O'Reilly has been playing on the second line with John Tavares since his trade from St, Louis but should the Stanley Cup champion lead the third line and on defence, is Justin Holl's time finally up?

  • What is the Western Conference waiting for?

    While Eastern Conference cup contenders have been loading up ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Western Conference has stayed relatively quiet. With the race for playoffs spots and the conference wide open, what's stopping teams including the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames from making moves?

  • Bruins NHL's best team, and they know it

    By adding defenceman Dmitry Orlov before the NHL trade deadline, the league's best Boston Bruins just got better. The Bruins lead the NHL's next best team by double digits and are looking like Stanley Cup favourites. The worst part for their rivals is they know it, and have the confidence to match.

  • Patrick Kane can still turn it on when he wants to

    If the New York Rangers add Patrick Kane to a roster that already includes Vladimir Tarasenko, the team's offensive lines will objectively be upgraded with two Stanley Cup champions, particularly Kane who at 34-years-old has shown he can still turn it on this season. However, Kane and Tarasenko are high-end wingers with defensive liabilities, which might be the flaw in the Rangers experiment if they face the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

  • This Jake Muzzin era should be remembered fondly

    The Maple Leafs announced that Jake Muzzin will remain out for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Muzzin's performances have swung from stellar to inconsistent but while Toronto fans will miss their defenceman in the playoffs, they should remember his on-ice contributions,from riling up Matthew Tkachuk to scoring twice against Montreal in Game 7.

  • Maple Leafs are not done shopping

    As the NHL trade deadline approaches on March 3, Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas finds himself with some remaining cap room to play with, following the salary retained on the deal that sent Ryan O'Reilly to Toronto. The Leafs look well stocked on both ends of the ice, but fans would love to see Dubas make one more move before the team locks in for a make-or-break postseason. 

  • What will Ryan O’Reilly do next?

    Ryan O’Reilly has played just three games for the Maple Leafs since his blockbuster trade from the St. Louis Blues but the 32-year-old is already changing playoff expectations among Toronto fans. The former Blues captain has a hat-trick and five points on an explosive line with John Tavares and Mitch Marner. O'Reilly was the playoff MVP for the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning Blues.

  • Maple Leafs fanbase can be 'overwhelming for players'

    Brad Marchand, not beloved in Toronto, believes the Maple Leafs fanbase and the media circus surrounding the team can sometimes be overwhelming for its players. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, the Boston Bruins star shared his perspective on the role of social media, growing the game and why many NHL players are wary of attention.