NEW YORK — Former Cornell men's hockey players Morgan Barron, Jacob MacDonald, Sam Malinski, and Jeff Malott were named to their respective NHL teams' opening-day rosters, the league office announced Tuesday morning (Oct. 7).

Barron is entering his sixth NHL season and fourth full campaign with the Winnipeg Jets. Playing primarily on Winnipeg's fourth line, Barron appeared in 74 regular-season games last season, recording 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) while averaging 10:23 of ice time and tallying 122 hits, ranking fourth on the Jets and third among forwards. He added two assists in 13 playoff games.

Malott received a late-season call-up from the Los Angeles Kings, appearing in the team's final 12 regular-season games before making six playoff appearances. The 6-foot-5 forward logged an average of 10:17 of ice time and posted his first NHL point on April 15 against Seattle, assisting on a second-period goal by Alex Laferriere. Before his NHL call-up, Malott had 51 points (23 goals, 28 assists) in 61 games with the AHL's Ontario Reign.

MacDonald, who had a standout season with the AHL's Colorado Eagles last year, was designated as one of six injured/non-roster players by the Colorado Avalanche after undergoing hip surgery last month. He is expected to miss five to six months. Last season, MacDonald led the Eagles with 55 points (31 goals, 24 assists) in 63 games, setting a new AHL single-season record for goals by a defenseman and earning the Eddie Shore Award as the league's most outstanding defenseman.

Malinski is entering his third NHL season with the Avalanche. He appeared in 76 games last season, posting 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) while averaging 15:57 of ice time. His 107 blocked shots ranked third on the team behind Cale Makar (128) and Samuel Girard (111). Malinski had one assist in five playoff appearances.

The 2025-26 NHL regular season begins tonight with three games. The Chicago Blackhawks face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers at 8 p.m. ET. Malinski and Malott are scheduled to make their season debuts when the Avalanche face the Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET. All three games will be televised on ESPN, and can be streamed on ESPN+.

Barron is scheduled to make his season debut Thursday, Oct. 9, when Winnipeg hosts the Dallas Stars at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.