What Does the C on a Hockey Jersey Mean?
What does the C on a hockey jersey mean? Plain-English guide to NHL Rule 6: the three-inch captain's letter, the alternate A, the one rulebo...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
Mike Johnson
Senior NHL Insider & Trade Analyst
Mike Johnson is a Senior NHL Insider with over 15 years covering the league, focusing on salary cap analysis, trade rumors, and offer-sheet markets. He has broken stories on the 2025 Hughes-to-Wild trade narrative, the Kaprizov $17M extension cycle, and the 2026 RFA market reset. Mike fact-checks every article against PuckPedia, CapWages, NHL.com, and named insiders such as Elliotte Friedman, Frank Seravalli, Pierre LeBrun, and Daily Faceoff Rundown. Originally from Toronto, Mike played junior hockey before transitioning to NHL coverage. Follow him on X at @NHLTradeRumors. Editorial inquiries: editorial@nhltraderumorstalk.com.
Articles by Mike Johnson
NHL Entry-Level Slide Rule: The 9-Game Window
NHL entry-level slide rule explained: CBA Article 9.1(d), the 10-game cutoff (playoffs included), the September-to-December age trap, what s...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
What Is Goalie Interference? NHL Rule 69 Explained
What is goalie interference in hockey? Plain-English NHL Rule 69 guide: the inside-vs-outside-crease test, how the 1999 Brett Hull goal rewr...
By Mike Johnson · 7 min read
What Is High-Sticking in Hockey? Explained
What is high-sticking in hockey? A plain-English guide to NHL Rule 60: the 2-minute minor, the 4-minute double on injury, the 5-minute match...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
What Is the Crease in Hockey? Explained
What is the crease in hockey? A plain-English guide to the goalie's blue paint: the 6-foot protected zone, the strict skate-in-the-crease ru...
By Mike Johnson · 7 min read
Why Is Fighting Allowed in Hockey? Explained
Why is fighting allowed in hockey? An educational guide to Rule 46: how it penalizes fighting with a five-minute major instead of an ejectio...
By Mike Johnson · 7 min read
What Is a Power Play in Hockey? Explained
What is a power play in hockey? A plain-English guide to the man advantage: five-on-four and five-on-three, why a minor penalty ends on a go...
By Mike Johnson · 7 min read
What Is Offside in Hockey? Rules Explained
What is offside in hockey? A plain-English guide to the blue-line rule: why offside is judged by the skates and not the stick, the 2020-21 v...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
What Is Icing in Hockey? Rules Explained
What is icing in hockey? A plain-English guide to the rule: the red line and goal line, the three icing systems (touch, no-touch and hybrid)...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
NHL Goalie Free Agents 2026
The 2026 NHL goalie free-agent market has exactly one proven starter, Sergei Bobrovsky, 37, asking for $42 million. His partner Daniil Taras...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
How the NHL Draft Works Explained
How the NHL Draft works, explained: who is eligible (18 by September 15), how the seven rounds and lottery work, what an entry-level contrac...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
⚡ Breaking
Confirmed Trades
Samoskevich Traded to Seattle for No. 25 Pick
Florida traded Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle for the 2026 No. 25 pick and a conditional 2027 second, hours before flipping that first-rounde...
By Mike Johnson · 11 min read
⚡ Breaking
Confirmed Trades
Brady Tkachuk Traded to Florida Panthers
Brady Tkachuk has been traded to the Florida Panthers, reuniting him with brother Matthew. Ottawa landed the No. 9 and No. 25 picks plus two...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
What Does PIM Mean in Hockey?
PIM means penalty minutes — the running total of penalty time a player has been assessed, built from 2-minute minors, 4 doubles, 5 majors, a...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
What Does Plus/Minus Mean in Hockey? +/- Explained
What does plus/minus mean in hockey? It is goal differential on the ice: +1 when your team scores at even strength, -1 when it allows one. H...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
How Long Is a Hockey Game? Periods, Times and Overtime
How long is a hockey game? An NHL game is only 60 minutes of play, three 20-minute periods, but it takes about two and a half hours of real...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
How NHL Standings Work: Points, ROW and Tiebreakers
How do NHL standings work? A win is worth two points, ties break on regulation wins then ROW, and point percentage can flip the order when a...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
How NHL Overtime Works
How does NHL overtime work? The regular season is a 5-minute 3-on-3 then a shootout; the playoffs are full 5-on-5 sudden death until someone...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
Most Stanley Cups by Team
The Montreal Canadiens own the most Stanley Cups with 24, ahead of Toronto (13) and Detroit (11). Here is the full all-time list by NHL fran...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
2027 Winter Classic: How to Watch
How to watch the 2027 NHL Winter Classic: the Utah Mammoth host the Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium on December 31, 2026, in the M...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read