NHL Stars' Favorite Picks: Defense, Goals, and Rivalries

0:00It's April 17th. Welcome in. This is NHL News today, where Team Coverage meets AI. The NHL Players Association just dropped the results from their 11th annual player poll for the 2025-26 season, and it's packed with fun picks from the league stars. Players voted Alexander Barkov of the Florida Panthers as the top guy to switch to defense, while Kale Macar from the Colorado Avalanche would kill. It up front. Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues took best puck handling goalie, and William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs owned most fashionable and best social media presence. Meanwhile, David Pasternak from the Boston Bruins snagged best nickname with Pasta. Nathan McKinnon of the Avalanche has the most intense training. Routine and Sydney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins would make a killer head coach someday. Utah Mammoth Captain Clayton Keller dominated as the league's best golfer, pulling in votes from guys who hate losing to him on the links.

1:00Players love the old school vibes too, crowning the Toronto Maple Leafs versus Montreal Canadian's rivalry as the best in the NHL. That same Canadian squad got nods for the best ice, and the Detroit Red Wings won for the top visiting dressing room, making road games their feel. Black home. On bigger league questions, over 34% of players won expansion to Houston, showing real buzz for growth down south. More than 60% say stick with dark sweaters for home games, keeping that classic look alive. These polls always highlight the league's personality, from ice mastery to style kings, proving hockey's got layers beyond the scores.