James Mirtle

Toronto

Senior Managing Editor and Columnist, NHL at The Athletic

Senior Writer @TheAthletic @TheAthleticNHL • Podcasting with @LeafReport and @JDBunkis • Newsletter 🚨 https://t.co/3x5A4NWxPz

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Articles

Which NHL team has the best local broadcast in 2025? Vote now for your favorites

2 days ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

It isn't just the product on the ice that matters. The team in the broadcast booth also plays an important part in shaping the enjoyment of every hockey fan's television viewing experience. The Athletic has asked hockey fans to rate their experience with local market broadcasts every year since 2020, after which we do a ranking from 32 to 1. It's time to voice your opinion again.
Is Utah Mammoth a good name for an NHL franchise?

2 days ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle |Sean McIndoe

What makes a great name for a hockey team? With the Utah Hockey Club officially deciding to be known as the Utah Mammoth last week, we have debated the new name at length here at The Athletic. Some people here like it. Others ... well, not so much. Part of that debate has spun off into a different question: What are the best team names in the NHL? And what makes them great? In order to help answer that question, we've pulled together a survey of all 32 current team names, including the Mammoth.
Panthers are hammering Maple Leafs in one key area. Will it matter?

5 days ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

This one felt like a huge missed opportunity. And probably will for a while, especially if it doesn't ultimately go their way. The Toronto Maple Leafs had an early 2-0 lead, six minutes into Game 3. Then a 3-1 lead early in the second period, thanks to two pretty goals from John Tavares. They looked great, and it felt right there for the Leafs to take a 3-0 series lead against the defending Stanley Cup champions, something that had only happened five times in NHL history. It's a wild stat.
Why did concussion spotters miss Anthony Stolarz's head injury in Game 1?

6 days ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

The process for pulling an NHL player from a game due to a potential concussion is complex. The league introduced concussion spotters during the 2015-16 season as part of its initial concussion protocols, but over time, the way those spotters interact with events on the ice has evolved. While it was initially on team employees to flag and pull players from games, the NHL later introduced neutral spotters at the league offices in New York and in arenas around the league.
5 reasons the Maple Leafs have the defending champs on the ropes

6 days ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

TORONTO - Two playoff wins in the second round. A 6-2 start to the postseason. Trumpeting those stats might sound odd in some NHL markets, but it's been a good while since any of this has happened in this city. In fact, the Toronto Maple Leafs have only started the postseason with six wins in their first eight playoff games twice in the modern era, in 1987 and 2001. In a span of 58 years.
As NHL playoffs enter Round 2, who will win the Stanley Cup and why?

1 week ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

We're down to eight teams left playing for the Stanley Cup, and as of Wednesday morning, three of four Round 2 series are already underway. Over the past few days, I've noticed that the Stanley Cup probabilities have been shifting dramatically, with each big win, key injury and poor performance from a top player having a significant impact. Some of that is simply because the field is so closely bunched up talent-wise, which means little things can create some newfound separation between teams.
Why Sam Bennett should be suspended for his hit on Anthony Stolarz

1 week ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

TORONTO - We had this debate in Round 1, on a lesser scale, when a physical player went hard to the net, hit the goalie in the head and knocked him out of the game. Officials initially called a five-minute major, then had a look at the replay and wiped the penalty off the board. Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who played almost 1,500 games in the league, was flabbergasted.
Why analytics darling Taylor Hall has found a perfect home with the Hurricanes

1 week ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to spend four days in Raleigh with the Carolina Hurricanes, getting the know the lay of land with the team as the playoffs approached. The main focus of my trip was a feature on general manager Eric Tulsky and his unique staff, but I was also able to spend some time talking to players about what they thought of the organization's analytical approach to roster building. Most didn't have a lot to say. They like and endorse Tulsky.
Can Maple Leafs beat Panthers? 5 keys to victory for Toronto

1 week ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

So, the Toronto Maple Leafs are big underdogs in Round 2. I don't think many outside of the biggest blue and white die-hards are disputing that, and certainly the oddsmakers aren't, given Toronto's struggles facing the Florida Panthers in recent years.
Maple Leafs headed to Round 2 thanks to new-look roster

1 week ago | nytimes.com | James Mirtle

It was the day before Game 6, a game that felt like a must-win for a Toronto Maple Leafs team that had just turned a 3-0 series lead into 3-2, and a franchise that had blown so many elimination games in the past eight years. But when a question came about the need for his core players to deliver, head coach Craig Berube swatted it away immediately. "It is on everybody on the team," Berube said. "I get it. All I hear around here is 'Core. Core. Core. Core Four.' But it is on everybody on the team.