The Ottawa Senators will welcome back fans to the Canadian Tire Centre on Sept. 18 for a rookie showcase against the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced Friday.Following guidelines released by the province of Ontario, the club will only welcome back guests who are fully vaccinated.With the Senators' first home game slated for Oct. 14, the organization's expectation is that the Canadian Tire Centre will be able to host at full capacity.Earlier in August, the Winnipeg Jets became the first Canadian team to announce that it will host games at full capacity for fully vaccinated fans. The Calgary Flames also announced a similar policy late last month. For the Montreal Canadiens, fans will need to be fully vaccinated but the Bell Centre will be restricted to 7,500 fans.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames secured a pair of defensemen on one-year contracts in rapid succession Friday, agreeing to a deal with Erik Gudbranson for $1.95 million and then signing Michael Stone for $750,000.Both players were unrestricted free agents.Stone spent his last four-plus campaigns with Calgary, while Gudbranson finished last season with the Nashville Predators, posting a lone assist while averaging 17:15 of ice time over nine games.The Ottawa Senators traded the 29-year-old to Nashville on deadline day after he played 36 contests with the Canadian club. Gudbranson will be suiting up for his seventh team in 11 years.

David Backes is hanging 'em up as a member of the St. Louis Blues.The 37-year-old signed a one-day contract with his old team and announced his retirement Thursday.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev asked for a trade at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, multiple sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The club made it clear they do not want to accommodate the request and have told Mikheyev they consider him a key part of the team moving forward, Friedman adds.The 26-year-old put together an impressive rookie campaign in 2019-20, racking up eight goals and 15 assists in 39 games. However, it was cut short after he suffered a significant laceration to his wrist from a skate.Last season, Mikheyev was largely relegated to a bottom-six role, averaging 14:13 minutes of ice time per game while contributing 17 points in 54 contests.Entering the upcoming season, Mikheyev could find himself elevated into a top-six role with the departures of left-wingers Zach Hyman and Joe Thornton, but will likely have to compete with new arrivals Nick Ritchie and Michael Bunting for the vacant spot.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won't have to worry about the NHL's COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated players this upcoming season."It will have zero effect on our team," general manager Kyle Dubas said on the "Bob McCown Podcast" Thursday. "Between players and staff, we'll be 100% vaccinated here right now, so we're good to go. So no impact on us."The NHL reportedly sent out a memo to the league earlier this month detailing its COVID-19 policies. One of the biggest items is vaccinated players who test positive will be treated by the NHL as having a hockey-related injury in accordance with the league's CBA.Teams also have the power to ban players who decline to get vaccinated if they can't take part in team activities, and players will be docked pay each day they're away from the club. That ban is extended to unvaccinated players who can't travel to certain cities due to local regulations.The NHL sent out a memo in August stating that any person whose job requires them to have personal interactions with hockey operations personnel, including players, must be fully vaccinated. Earlier in September, it was estimated that 95% of NHL players were fully vaccinated, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks after undergoing a wrist procedure on Wednesday, the team announced.Crosby, 34, will miss the start of training camp and likely time during the regular season with the league's first game slated for Oct. 12 - five weeks away."This is not a new injury for Sid. It is something that he has played through for years," general manager Ron Hextall said. "After exhausting all minimally-invasive options and much discussion, it was decided that surgery was in his best interest."Hextall added the procedure was done on the left wrist - the same one that Crosby had surgery on last August, according to Trib Sports' Seth Rorabaugh.Crosby appeared in 55 games last campaign, scoring 24 goals and adding 38 assists.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With one year left on his contract, Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron isn't thinking too far ahead in regard to his hockey career."For me, the way that I approach this year, is I want to concentrate on this year," Bergeron said, per Boston Sports Journal's Conor Ryan. "I have a year left on my contract and I think it would be useless to think about the future."Bergeron, 36, is entering the final season of the eight-year pact he agreed to with the Bruins in 2013. He's spent his entire NHL career in Boston and will begin his 18th season this upcoming campaign.Last month, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney began initial discussions with Bergeron and said it's a "completely open door" for how long he wishes to play in Boston.Bergeron told reporters his main focus is winning a Stanley Cup this upcoming season.He added: "I'm going to play out this year and talk about that after."In 1,143 career games with the Bruins, Bergeron has scored 375 goals and added 542 assists. He's been one of the league's premier two-way centers over the last decade. Last season, he recorded 23 goals and 25 assists in 54 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames made a pair of moves Wednesday, agreeing with unrestricted free-agent forward Brad Richardson on a one-year, $800,000 contract, and re-signing defenseman Connor Mackey to a two-year pact with a $912,500 cap hit.Richardson played for Flames head coach Darryl Sutter earlier in his career with the Los Angeles Kings. The 36-year-old was limited to 17 games with the Nashville Predators last season, posting one goal and three assists while averaging 12:16 of ice time per game.Mackey played most of 2021 with Calgary's AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. The 24-year-old produced three goals and 13 assists over 27 games at that level while adding one marker and two helpers across six NHL contests with the Flames.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Given his history, it might seem like Brian Burke isn't a fan of offer sheets. However, he says that's not the case.The Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations said Tuesday he sought to file an offer sheet for then-Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel when he was the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager."I was prepared to offer sheet Phil Kessel when I (traded for) him in Toronto, and I told the Boston Bruins that," Burke told Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "They were trying to make a deal with the (Los Angeles) Kings and trying to talk to (the) Nashville (Predators), and I said, 'Either you guys make a deal with me or I'm going to offer sheet him.' So they made a deal with me."In September 2009, the Bruins traded Kessel to the Maple Leafs for a 2010 first-round pick (which Boston used to select Tyler Seguin), a 2011 first-rounder (with which they took Dougie Hamilton), and a 2010 second-round selection.Two years earlier, when Burke was GM of the Anaheim Ducks, he infamously challenged Edmonton Oilers counterpart Kevin Lowe to a barn fight after the Canadian club signed forward Dustin Penner to a five-year, $21.25-million offer sheet, which Burke ultimately declined to match. Anaheim got three picks from Edmonton as compensation, but Burke clearly wasn't happy about it."My anger about it, going back, was I didn't like the player they signed and I didn't like the way they did it," Burke said Tuesday, before acknowledging he understood why Penner signed the offer sheet.He added: "The fact that the player took advantage of our cap situation and signed an offer sheet we couldn't match made sense."Similarly, the 66-year-old understands why the recent Jesperi Kotkaniemi situation played out as it did.Kotkaniemi signed a one-year offer sheet with the Hurricanes worth $6,100,015. Seven days later, Montreal declined to match it, taking first- and third-round selections from Carolina instead and then landing forward Christian Dvorak in a separate deal with the Arizona Coyotes."I thought it was a smart move by Carolina to handcuff Montreal, and I think it was a smart move to take the picks, which they managed to flip for a player I think will be useful," Burke said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brandon University, which gave Theo Fleury an honorary degree for shining a light on child sexual abuse in junior hockey, released a statement Tuesday expressing its disappointment in the former NHLer for spreading conspiracy theories about vaccine passports.In particular, the Canadian school called his latest inflammatory social media post "reprehensible." Fleury said vaccine passports would allow pedophiles to "know where your kids are at all times.""Fleury's significant contributions to exposing the rot in junior hockey, and to supporting other survivors of child sexual abuse through recovery, continue to deserve respect," the university wrote."It is understandable that he may struggle to trust authority, and that he may see dark motives in others' actions. His recent statements, however, go beyond reasonable distrust and are a stain on his legacy, which saddens us."The school then called on Fleury to show self-awareness and educate himself about the value of vaccinations."One of the tragedies of abuse is how it perpetuates itself across generations. We call on Fleury to recognize that he is now a person in a position of authority, and to recognize that his actions as an authority put him in a place where he can cause harm to others," the statement reads."We hope he takes advantage of the resources at his disposal and seeks greater understanding of the science behind the pandemic and the essential public health role of vaccines."After Fleury received criticism for his since-deleted tweet, he responded by sharing a screenshot showing some of his achievements, including the honorary doctorate BU gave him in 2015.The university emphasized Tuesday that honorary degrees aren't academic credentials and are handed out to acknowledge a person's accomplishments or contributions.Fleury revealed in 2009 that he was abused by his former junior hockey coach, Graham James, who was found guilty after the now-53-year-old filed a criminal complaint.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After playing just three games in the 2020-21 campaign and battling COVID-19 this offseason, Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin is pleased to report that he's in a healthier spot."I can confidently say that I can do pretty much 98% of the things in the gym now, which is really exciting," Seguin told Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. "It has taken a long time to get here. There are certain things like sprinting that have been a little bothersome but, on the ice, I feel pretty much back to normal, which is exciting for me."Seguin missed the majority of the shortened campaign after undergoing hip surgery last November. He made his season debut May 3 and scored two goals, but the Stars missed the playoffs after making the Stanley Cup Final in 2019-20.However, his health battles weren't over. Seguin, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 while at home in recent weeks. He had been feeling a little sick and opted to get tested."I was like, 'I can't believe it, but I got COVID.' That knocked me on my ass for a couple of weeks," he said.The 30-year-old said his symptoms kept him "in the doghouse" for a week, and he's still trying to get his sense of smell and his lungs back to normal. Fortunately, Seguin said he feels "better every day.""Just another eye-opener for me, just realizing that this thing is still real and affects so many people. It's a crazy time right now. It was honestly confusing because I'm double vaccinated. I wasn't doing anything stupid or anything like that but maybe you have a little bit of ignorance thinking you're more invincible being double-vaxxed."Seguin added that the experience "humbled" him. He hit the ice for the first time in 14 days last Wednesday and battled cramps, while his nose and lungs felt like they were "on fire."The alternate captain expects to be back at 100% by the end of the week. Training camp is set to kick off in two weeks."No matter what, it's hard not to have a smile on my face when competing and being back on the ice," Seguin said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks struggled both on and off the ice last season en route to a last-place finish in the North Division, and head coach Travis Green wants to tackle his team's issues head-on."We were on the right road going into the bubble year and we've been taking steps, but last year was tough. We're not going to hide from that. We didn't have a very good season, and I expect a bounce-back year," Green said, according to The Province's Ben Kuzma."This is the most excited I've been coming into a season as a coach," he added.The scariest part of the Canucks' 2020-21 campaign came via a brutal bout with COVID-19 throughout March and April that forced the rescheduling of several games. Now, Green is looking forward to a return to semi-normalcy with training camp set to kick off Sept. 23."Getting back to regular hockey - or as close as we can be - with a full camp and fans in the building and the changes we've made along with the evolution of our young group, I expect them to be better," he said.A makeover was needed after the Canucks gave up the sixth-most goals in the NHL. Among the new additions for Vancouver are forwards Conor Garland and Jason Dickinson, defensemen Tucker Poolman, Luke Schenn, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, as well as goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Additionally, top prospect Vasili Podkolzin looks primed to make a splash this season."We've added some different players, but after the season we had, we have to be better in all areas of our game - defensively and offensively," Green said. "I don't think there's any team that goes into training camp without concerns. Winning isn't easy. A lot of teams expect to make the playoffs, but you can't get ahead of yourself."Before the regular season begins, the Canucks have major questions to answer regarding new deals for restricted free agents Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes."We understand that sometimes these contracts take a little while and probably longer than the player or team wants," Green said. "I'm confident they'll get things sorted out and be in camp."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It seems the Ottawa Senators and restricted free-agent forward Brady Tkachuk are progressing in the right direction regarding a new contract.The Senators hope to agree on a long-term deal with Tkachuk before training camp begins on Sept. 22, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.Tkachuk's camp and Ottawa reportedly discussed a new contract as late as last Friday and will likely continue negotiating this week. There hasn't been any animosity between the two sides throughout the talks, adds Garrioch.General manager Pierre Dorion said Friday the sides have held "productive discussions," per The Athletics' Ian Mendes.The Senators drafted Tkachuk fourth overall in 2018. The 21-year-old winger posted 36 points across 56 contests last season, which translates to 53 points over an 82-game campaign.Ottawa is looking to name a captain for the 2021-22 season. Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot are among the leading candidates for the honor.Tkachuk isn't the only restricted free agent left on the Senators' roster, as the club will also have to decide on Logan Brown. The 23-year-old reportedly hasn't signed his qualifying offer, and both sides agree the forward could use a change of scenery.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Armed with a brand-new extension, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion made some waves during his celebratory press conference with a bold proclamation."The rebuild is done. Now we're stepping into another zone," Dorion said, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.The Senators caught fire toward the end of a 2020-21 campaign that saw them employ a revolving door of injured goaltenders. They secured 30 points in their last 25 games and went 16-13-4 after an abysmal January and February. The Sens were rewarded for their efforts with a sixth-place finish in the realigned North Division - decidedly not last."We've had a plan since we started this rebuild. I feel that we're in the next stage now, it's time to start to win," he said, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa."The next step for us is not to take anything for granted," Dorion added. "Last year, we felt we were a team that was hard to play against, but now it's time to challenge to get two points every night, be in every game. Games that maybe you got a point last year, you need two this year."The NHL is returning to its usual divisions, which will have the Senators squaring off with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Florida Panthers on top of their usual Canadian rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. While the level of competition will increase this season, so too will the expectations for Dorion and the Senators."A lot of people say that, 'When you look on paper,' but that game's not played on paper. Any team can beat any other team any night in the NHL for most nights, so for us, (the goal is) to surprise people. Compete every night like we did last year."The Senators' young guns now have another year of NHL experience under their belts, and with a new captain expected to take center stage this season, Ottawa will need them to step up."A lot of our younger players have reached a maturity stage in their career where they should be leading us and not be considered young players anymore. As a group, It's time to start winning."The Sens appear to be one step closer to locking up the leader of their youth movement, as the club's talks with restricted free agent Brady Tkachuk are reportedly trending in the right direction.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a summer spent walking the complicated line between tragedy and joy, Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins is entering the fall with a renewed sense of focus and motivation.Now, Merzlikins has his newborn son to think about. Knox Matiss Merzlikins was born in August - just one month after Merzlikins witnessed the death of close friend and fellow goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks during a freak fireworks accident on July 4."At the end of the day, my peace is that I told (Matiss) everything. The only thing I didn’t tell him was … after the Fourth of July I was going to ask him to be a godfather for Knox," Merzlikins said in an interview with The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "This is the only piece where I feel, not guilty, but I missed saying something to him."Merzlikins credited Kivlenieks with saving his family's life and said making Knox's middle name "Matiss" was "the least I could do" to pay tribute.However, there's one more way Merzlikins plans to honor "little brother" Kivlenieks' memory: Become the league's top goaltender."It's another stem of motivation, to do it better for Matiss because he's not going to be able to do that," he said. "I'm gonna win a f------ Vezina for him. We can't make promises because this is hockey, and we don't know how the season can go, but this is my goal. I believe I'm going to reach it. I'm not going to have any limits. I'm just gonna go all-in."The 27-year-old said he's "grateful" for the Blue Jackets' support and is still talking to a doctor, which he added has been helpful with navigating his grief."I’m not in pain. Obviously, I miss my friend. But this is what surprises me ... it’s not disturbing me to focus on my life. I’m happy that I can move on," Merzlikins said. "When I talk about him, it comes from my heart, and you want to cry, but I cry from happiness, not from sadness."I believe he made me stronger."Merzlikins is expected to split the crease with Joonas Korpisalo this campaign behind a new-look blue line.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have signed general manager Pierre Dorion to an extension through the 2024-25 campaign. The new deal also includes a team option for the 2025-26 season."We're very pleased to sign Pierre to a second extension as Senators general manager," Sens owner Eugene Melnyk said. "Dating to when he was named GM in 2016, Pierre has worked tirelessly toward building an organization that can compete with the National Hockey League's best."He's dedicated, detailed, and (he) maintains a sound hockey mind. Under Pierre's leadership, we have the utmost confidence that this team will soon be recognized as one that is consistently meriting success."The Senators made it to the conference finals in Dorion's first season as GM in 2016-17. After a disappointing 2017-18 campaign, he's used his scouting background to help build one of the league's strongest prospect pipelines.Dorion, an Ottawa native, ranks third in team history with 149 wins as GM, trailing only John Muckler (240) and Bryan Murray (339).Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Vancouver Canucks winger Jake Virtanen has signed a one-year deal with the KHL's Spartak Moscow.Virtanen spent six seasons in Vancouver after the Canucks selected him sixth overall in 2014. He enjoyed a career year in 2019-20, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists over 69 games. However, he recorded just five points across 38 contests last season.The 25-year-old was sued for sexual assault in May. The Canucks placed him on leave for the rest of the season before buying out the remainder of his contract in July.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No Montreal Canadiens player will wear the "C" for the 2021-22 campaign, general manager Marc Bergevin announced Monday.Weber won't play this season due to ankle, foot, knee, and thumb injuries. His playing career is likely over.The 36-year-old served as captain for three seasons, taking over following Max Pacioretty's departure in 2018.The Habs last went without a captain during the 2014-15 campaign after Brian Gionta left as a free agent.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens might've thought harder about matching the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet if Christian Dvorak wasn't available to them on the trade block, general manager Marc Bergevin said Monday.Bergevin added that the lucrative one-year deal Kotkanemi signed with the Carolina Hurricanes also played a role."Would we have loved to have kept (Kotkaniemi)? Of course," Bergevin said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "But not at $6.1 million and not with Christian Dvorak available to us."Bergevin added that matching the offer sheet would've affected the team's future cap management with "players we wanted to keep" moving forward, TSN's John Lu reports. Kotkanemi's qualifying offer for next season will be $6.1 million.The Canadiens received a first-round pick and third-rounder from the Canes for not matching the one-year, $6.1-million offer sheet for Kotkaniemi. Montreal then flipped a first- and second-rounder to the Arizona Coyotes for Dvorak.Dvorak, 25, has four years remaining on his contract carrying a $4.45-million cap hit. He recorded 17 goals and 14 assists in 56 contests last season while averaging 18:24 of ice time per game.Bergevin is excited to see how Dvorak's reliable, two-way game translates to the Canadiens."He won't wow you but he's detailed, plays an honest game," Bergevin said. "He'll have 'different wingers' (that is, more skilled) than he did in Arizona."Bergevin also said the club was proposing a two-year bridge deal to Kotkaniemi at a price lower than the offer sheet.Kotkaniemi, 21, tallied just five goals and 15 assists in 56 games this past season. He's failed to meet expectations since being taken third overall in the 2018 draft.Bergevin added that, in hindsight, it would've been beneficial to let Kotkaniemi play another year in Finland instead of bringing him to the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2018-19.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Those wondering how the Carolina Hurricanes planned to fit newcomer Jesperi Kotkaniemi under the salary cap now have an answer.The Hurricanes will place defenseman Jake Gardiner on long-term injured reserve when he undergoes multiple procedures, thereby clearing space for Kotkaniemi's $6,100,015 cap hit before the season begins."We won't be in a (tight) cap situation," Carolina general manager Don Waddell said Sunday. "Gardiner, who's going to have back and hip surgery here, is not going to be ready to go this year. So we had cap space available knowing that he'll go on (LTIR)."Gardiner was limited to 26 games and averaged a career-low 16:03 of ice time last season due to his injuries. He's played for the Hurricanes for the last two campaigns after spending his first eight with the Toronto Maple Leafs.The 31-year-old is under contract through 2022-23 at a $4.05-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.Carolina officially acquired Kotkaniemi on Saturday when the Montreal Canadiens elected not to match the Hurricanes' offer sheet. That move temporarily put them over the cap, a position they're allowed to be in until opening night.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes dealt center Christian Dvorak to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of draft picks Saturday.Arizona will receive the better selection between Montreal's own 2022 first-round pick and the first-rounder the Canadiens acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes earlier Saturday. The Coyotes will also get Montreal's second-round pick in 2024 as part of the deal.However, if either or both of the first-rounders are in the top 10, the Coyotes will instead receive the worse selection in addition to the second-rounder.The Canadiens landed Dvorak to replace Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the Finnish forward whose offer sheet Montreal declined to match Saturday, making him a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens nabbed a first-round pick and a third-round selection as compensation in that transaction.The timing of the latest move wasn't exactly ideal for Dvorak.

Despite the Carolina Hurricanes' numerous references suggesting otherwise, general manager Don Waddell insists the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet wasn't about getting back at the Montreal Canadiens for doing the same to Sebastian Aho two years ago."It certainly was not revenge," Waddell said Sunday. "We talked about this player, we know this player.""(We used) the CBA as other teams have in the past to try to acquire a 21-year-old player," he added. "So to us, it was all about the player. We looked around the league and thought this made the most sense from where we are as a team."We have a couple of other good Finnish players on our team and thought this would be a great fit."On Saturday, Montreal chose not to match an offer sheet for $6,100,015 that Carolina tendered to Kotkaniemi one week earlier, making the forward a member of the Hurricanes. Carolina was also forced to surrender a first- and third-round pick to Montreal as compensation.Last Saturday, in the immediate aftermath of the move, the Hurricanes' press release included a quote from Waddell that was nearly identical to what Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin said after issuing an offer sheet to Aho in 2019. Carolina also included a $20 signing bonus in Kotkaniemi's deal (Aho wears No. 20), and the Hurricanes' social media team repeatedly poked fun at Montreal with callbacks to the earlier ordeal.The club even posted a screenshot of the signing bonus on Twitter with a caption reading, "People don't forget.""The (press) release, that's a marketing thing," Waddell said. "We're trying to continue to build our franchise here in Raleigh (and) trying to keep our fans engaged. Our social team gets huge marks from the NHL, and they had some fun with it."The Canadiens signed Aho to a five-year offer sheet with a $8.454-million cap hit on July 1, 2019. The Hurricanes matched it several days later.Kotkaniemi's deal is the first unmatched offer sheet since the Edmonton Oilers plucked Dustin Penner from the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens chose not to match the Carolina Hurricanes' offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Saturday.As a result, Kotkaniemi joined the Hurricanes on a one-year contract worth $6,100,015. The extra $15 tacked onto the deal mirrors the Finnish forward's jersey number.The Canadiens receive first- and third-round draft picks from Carolina next year as compensation. Montreal had seven days to match after the Hurricanes initiated the transaction last Saturday."Carolina has used a tool available to them in the collective bargaining agreement and we accept that decision," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said in a statement.Meanwhile, Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell revealed he'd been monitoring his new acquisition for years."Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a player who has been on our radar since before his draft year," Waddell said. "We believe he will flourish in (head coach) Rod Brind'Amour's system and culture, and he will be an important piece of what we are building in Carolina for years to come."The Hurricanes reportedly tried to acquire Kotkaniemi in a trade last week before tendering the offer sheet.Carolina made it abundantly clear last Saturday that this move was in response to the Canadiens filing an offer sheet for Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho in 2019, which Carolina ultimately matched.The Metropolitan Division club made multiple references to that incident last week on social media and in their press release confirming their bid to sign Kotkaniemi. One reference was the $20 signing bonus they included in Kotkaniemi's offer sheet, an obvious allusion to Aho's No. 20.The trolling continued one week later.

Hockey has come a long way in the desert, but former Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland is excited to see what the city of Vancouver has to offer following his trade to the Canucks."I grew up in a hockey city in Boston," he said, according to Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. "I played juniors in Moncton, New Brunswick, a hockey city. You felt every Friday night you were the main event and you had the city behind you. It's a little different in Arizona. You're not one of the major sports teams there."Garland and teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson were involved in a blockbuster trade earlier this offseason that sent the pair into the throes of the hungry Canadian hockey market.He signed a five-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4.95 million four days later, a deal that the 25-year-old thinks is only going to look more attractive over time."To get that kind of number and security is pretty good for someone who's only played 164 games," Garland said. "I think I'm just getting started and getting better, and I think I'll be a pretty good player at 30. I think by that time it'll be a pretty good deal for them. I'm excited to fulfill my part of it."In those 164 contests, Garland has put up 96 career points. During the 2020-21 campaign, he tied his career-high 39 points in just 49 appearances, which is a 65-point pace over an 82-game season.Garland's crossing his fingers that his first year in a new city will be a bit more ordinary than last year's pandemic-altered season."Last year was tough. The season was shortened, but it felt like forever," he said. "I'm looking forward to spreading it out and getting back to the normal schedule we train for and prepare for. Obviously, I've got a new team that's heading in a different direction than the Coyotes were."Though the Coyotes and Canucks failed to qualify for the playoffs this past season, both found some level of success in the 2019-20 postseason bubble. Arizona topped the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round before getting dispatched by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, while the Canucks were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.The Canucks were plagued by COVID-19 issues throughout last season, and, like Garland, are also looking for a return to normalcy and success. The team still has to iron out deals with two huge parts of the franchise's future in Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks associate coach Rocky Thompson is no longer with the club because the NHL's new vaccination protocols prohibit him from being a part of the team."Due to a medical exemption that prevents me from taking the COVID-19 vaccine, under the new league protocols, I am not permitted to fulfill my duties on the Sharks coaching staff at this time," Thompson said in a statement. "I will have no further comment on this matter."The NHL's new rules reportedly allow for the suspension of unvaccinated players with certain exceptions, including for medical reasons. The protocols also severely limit what unvaccinated players can do and where they can go. However, the restrictions for coaches are unclear.The Sharks will replace Thompson soon. The 44-year-old joined San Jose's staff as Bob Boughner's second-in-command in September 2020. Thompson previously guided the AHL's Chicago Wolves as their head coach for three seasons beginning in 2017-18.He also led the OHL's Windsor Spitfires to the 2017 Memorial Cup championship, and before that served as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers.Thompson played 25 NHL games over four campaigns as a defenseman with the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. The former enforcer spent the majority of his on-ice career in the AHL.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins inked forward Brian Boyle to a professional tryout contract on Friday.Boyle didn't play in the NHL last season, but he helped the United States claim bronze at this year's World Championship with a pair of goals and an assist in 10 games. The veteran took over as team captain midway through the tournament after Justin Abdelkader's injury forced him out for the rest of the event.The 36-year-old last suited up in the NHL with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20, collecting six markers and nine helpers over 39 contests. He won the Masterton Trophy in 2018, a year after he was diagnosed with leukemia.Boyle has logged 12-plus seasons in the league with seven teams. He's played for the Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings.The Massachusetts-born grinder has registered 231 points across 805 NHL games.The Penguins also signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski to a pro tryout. The 33-year-old played four NHL games - three in the regular season and one in the playoffs - with the Minnesota Wild over the last three campaigns.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings inked restricted free-agent defenseman Filip Hronek to a three-year contract.It carries an average annual value of $4.4 million, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Hronek led the team in points (26), assists (24), and average ice time (23:23) last season. He was one of only two Red Wings to play all 56 games along with Marc Staal.The Czech blue-liner has spent three campaigns with Detroit, which drafted him 53rd overall in 2016.Hronek, who turns 24 on Nov. 2, was the last remaining free agent of any kind on the Red Wings' NHL roster.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just hours after the NHL announced its participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, USA Hockey revealed David Quinn, John Hynes, Todd Reirden, and Ryan Miller will serve as assistant coaches for the U.S. men's team under head coach Mike Sullivan.Quinn was most recently head coach of the New York Rangers but was fired in May after failing to make the playoffs. He held a 96-87-25 record in three seasons as the bench boss in the Big Apple. Quinn has coached on the international stage before, serving as an assistant for Team USA at the 2016 IIHF Men's World Championship.Hynes is currently the head coach of the Nashville Predators. He has coached 438 NHL games and spent parts of five seasons with the New Jersey Devils. He has never served on an Olympic team but was the head coach of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program from 2003-2009. He guided the U.S. to three medals at the IIHF U18 Men's World Championship.Reirden has never represented the United States at the international level. Currently an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was also the head coach of the Washington Capitals during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns. Reirden has captured two Stanley Cups in his coaching career.Finally, Miller is making his first international appearance for the U.S. as a coach. The former NHL goaltender played for Team USA on five different occasions, including in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. Miller retired at the end of the 2020-21 season following an 18-year career in which he suited up for the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Anaheim Ducks. His 391 regular-season wins are the most for a U.S.-born netminder in league history.The 2022 Games are set to kick off in February.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have signed restricted free-agent forward Drake Batherson to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $4.975 million, the team announced Friday.Batherson played his first full NHL season in 2020-21, putting up 34 points in 56 games, and his 17 goals were tied for the second-most on Ottawa's roster.The 23-year-old right-winger suited up for the Sens during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 campaigns as well, but he spent most of his time with the AHL's Belleville Senators."Drake represents an integral component of our future at forward," general manager Pierre Dorion said. "Dating to his first pro season, he has steadily progressed to the point where he is now widely recognized as a bonafide top-line NHL winger."While attending the BioSteel fitness camp earlier this week, Batherson seemed confident a deal would get done before training camp."I'm looking forward to getting back to Ottawa, seeing all the guys, and just getting it going. It's going to be exciting for sure," he said Monday, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.The Senators selected Batherson in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, and he has 53 career points in 99 NHL games.Ottawa has a little bit more work to do on the restricted free-agent front, with Brady Tkachuk and Logan Brown still on the books.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is heading back to the Olympic Games.After months of negotiating, the league came to an agreement with the NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC to take part in the 2022 event in Beijing.The arrangement was settled after a lengthy period of uncertainty during which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly both expressed concern on separate occasions that a deal may not get done."I know that I can speak for hockey fans around the world when I say that we absolutely welcome the decision to bring back best-on-best ice hockey to the Olympics," IIHF President Rene Fasel said. "We had many constructive discussions, and a lot of hard work was put into making this happen within the time we set out for ourselves, and I want to thank all parties involved for their support and commitment."The league and NHLPA can pull out of the Olympics if COVID-19 conditions worsen or if NHL games are canceled and cannot be rescheduled during the 2021-22 regular season, according to a memo sent out to the players. The opt-out deadline is set for early January, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports."We understand how passionately NHL players feel about representing and competing for their countries. We are very pleased that we were able to conclude arrangements that will allow them to resume best on best competition on the Olympic stage," Daly wrote in a statement.Players also have the right to decline to go to the Olympics at any time without consequence. Each participant's contract will be insured in the event of an injury, but there is no insurance for COVID-related illnesses. However, the IIHF agreed to create a $5 million fund to help cover lost salaries due to COVID-19 if all affected players followed pandemic protocols while at the Games.Although the Chinese government and the IOC are currently workshopping these protocols, the Games are expected to take place within a tight bubble with limitations on where the Olympians can go and who they can socialize with. It's anticipated that athletes won't be allowed to go sightseeing or interact with anyone not on their regular contact list and will additionally have to undergo daily COVID-19 testing, social distancing, mask-wearing, and temperature checks.Everyone inside the bubble, excluding very limited exceptions, is expected to be vaccinated.National clubs are not permitted to hold in-person orientation camps but may hold virtual meetings before the Games. Teams will submit their long lists of participating players by Oct. 15.After participating in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia, the league could not reach an agreement in time for the 2018 event in PyeongChang, South Korea.The Olympic Athletes from Russia captured gold in 2018, with Germany settling for silver and Canada claiming bronze. In 2014, Canada secured the gold, Sweden took home silver, and Finland nabbed bronze.The 2022 Games run from Feb. 9 to Feb. 20. China, Canada, the Olympic Athletes from Russia, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Latvia, and Denmark have all qualified to participate.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes are eyeing a Phoenix suburb as a potential site for their new home.Two weeks after the city of Glendale told the Coyotes the upcoming season would be their last at Gila River Arena, the team submitted a bid to build an arena in nearby Tempe."We remain incredibly excited about this extraordinary opportunity," the club said in a statement the Arizona Republic's Paulina Pineda obtained. The Coyotes confirmed the proposal but declined further comment, according to Pineda.The site is a 46-acre plot near Tempe Town Lake. The city took other bids as well and required submissions by 3 p.m. PT. Thursday. A committee of city staffers will now review the proposals and make a recommendation to city council, which can then approve or reject it.The Coyotes and the city of Tempe have reportedly been negotiating for at least two years.Glendale informed the club in mid-August it wouldn't renew the operating agreement for the city-owned Gila River Arena. That pact expires at the end of the 2021-22 NHL campaign.The Coyotes have played at their current facility since 2003-04.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL clubs will be able to ban players who decline to get vaccinated if they can't take part in team activities, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.That includes if an unvaccinated player isn't allowed to travel due to regulations in a jurisdiction, according to Friedman. A player would be docked one day's salary for each day he's unable to be with his team.Medical reasons and "sincerely held" religious beliefs are reportedly among the exceptions to the policy.Players who want to opt out of the upcoming season can do so by Oct. 1 if they're unvaccinated or can prove an immediate family member in the same household is at high risk of becoming severely ill if they contract the virus. The club will then get 30 days to determine whether to roll the player's contract over to next season or strike 2021-22 from the pact.A player who opts out can't play in another league or the Olympics.Testing will continue this season, and fully vaccinated players will undergo PCR exams at least every three days, while unvaccinated players will be tested every day. The NHL will treat any fully vaccinated player's positive COVID-19 test as a hockey-related injury in accordance with the league's CBA.Unvaccinated players will essentially live in a bubble, according to Friedman. They won't be allowed into "internal venues" on the road aside from the arena, practice rink, and team hotel. They also won't be permitted to use shared facilities at the hotel or host visitors in their hotel room other than fully vaccinated family members. Unvaccinated players also aren't allowed to eat or drink at establishments that are open to the public.Fully vaccinated and masked media members will be able to interview players in dressing rooms, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.It's estimated that 95% of NHL players are fully vaccinated, an increase of about 10% from mid-August, a source told Russo.Numerous businesses and leagues have recently implemented vaccination policies while many areas of North America struggle to contain the Delta variant of the coronavirus. The NBA will reportedly require players to be vaccinated in places where mandates are already in place, and all NBA referees must be vaccinated.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Boston Bruins forward Nick Foligno will think about his short-lived stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a long time."My biggest disappointment was we didn't get the job done, and I unfortunately got hurt. That'll sit with me. Regardless of what Leafs fans think of me, I'm way harder on myself," Foligno said on Sportsnet 590 The FAN's "Good Show" with JD Bunkis."The fact that I couldn't perform to the abilities that I felt like I was early on killed me inside. It's something I'll regret forever."The Leafs acquired Foligno just before the trade deadline in a three-way deal with the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets. Toronto had to cough up a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round selection to obtain the veteran's services.Foligno played seven regular-season games with the Leafs leading up to the postseason and missed some time due to an upper-body injury. The 33-year-old struggled to stay healthy and sat out three of the team's playoff games against the Montreal Canadiens."I was unfortunately dealing with a really bad back injury that was debilitating. There was nerve pain, it shut down my whole right leg," he said. "Anything else you can play through a lot of the time. This, I couldn't. I tried."Foligno, who's claimed he likes playing a physical game and isn't afraid of some "hard minutes," found himself in a tricky position."Trying not to hurt the team instead of trying to help the team, that's what it felt like. That bothered me a lot as a player," Foligno said.Even though his time with the franchise didn't go the way he wanted, Foligno enjoyed his time in Toronto, including his Game 1 fight with Corey Perry."I'd do anything for those guys. The way they embraced me when I got there, I have nothing but great things to say about that team. That's why I think it stung so much … that's a group that really felt like they were ready," he reflected.With his brief Leafs tenure behind him, Foligno is ready to get rolling as a Bruin."I am really thrilled at the opportunity Boston's given me to now join a team that I have a lot of respect for and obviously hated playing against all these years. Looking forward to playing with them," Foligno said.The left-winger signed a two-year, $7.6 million contract with Boston as an unrestricted free agent in July.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche inked defenseman Jack Johnson to a professional tryout contract.The 34-year-old appeared in 13 games with the New York Rangers last season but missed most of the campaign after undergoing core muscle repair surgery. The Pittsburgh Penguins bought out the remainder of Johnson's contract following the 2019-20 season before he inked a one-year pact with the Rangers.Johnson, a third overall pick in the 2005 Draft, has played 950 career NHL games. He's accumulated 71 goals and 232 assists while playing with the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Penguins, and Rangers.Colorado has a number of left-shooting defensemen signed for the upcoming campaign, including Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, Bowen Byram, and Ryan Murray. Johnson could provide the team solid depth at the position, but he's likely a long shot at making the roster right out of training camp.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres re-signed restricted free agents Casey Mittelstadt and Henri Jokiharju to identical three-year deals with average annual values of $2.5 million, the team announced Thursday.Mittelstadt is coming off the most productive season of his young career. After spending the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign on the taxi squad, the forward thrived under new head coach Don Granato, who replaced the fired Ralph Krueger in March. Mittelstadt tallied 17 points in the final 22 games after returning to the center position and seeing matchups against the opponent's top lines."I think a lot of guys, including myself, owe (Granato) quite a bit," Mittelstadt said. "He challenged me when he took over and pushed me to become a better player. I think it's that simple. A lot of the strides I made are partly because of him pushing me or had a lot to do with him pushing me."The Sabres selected Mittelstadt eighth overall in the 2017 draft. The 22-year-old has 61 points in 155 career games.Jokiharju also saw increased responsibilities under Granato. The 22-year-old defenseman averaged 19:01 of ice time during the last 27 games of the season, which is over a minute more than his career average. Jokiharju registered eight points in 46 contests this season.Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is the only restricted free agent left on the Sabres' books.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The OHL suspended controversial Montreal Canadiens draft pick Logan Mailloux indefinitely after he violated "the expectation of the appropriate conduct of an OHL player," commissioner David Branch announced Thursday.Mailloux was charged and fined in Sweden in November 2020 for invasion of privacy and defamation after taking a photo of a woman without consent during a sexual encounter and distributing it. The OHL cites the incident as the reason for the suspension.The London Knights player will have the opportunity to apply for reinstatement on or after Jan. 1, 2022. Whether or not Mailloux is reinstated will depend on his conduct since his return to Canada, as well as any treatment and education he receives.Montreal selected Mailloux with the 31st pick in this year's draft. Three days prior, Mailloux put out a statement asking teams not to draft him because he hadn't done enough to "earn that privilege."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Joel Farabee to a six-year extension with an annual cap hit of $5 million, the team announced Thursday.Farabee had one more year left on his entry-level contract and was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.The 21-year-old was a bright light for the Flyers in a less-than-impressive 2020-21 season, leading Philadelphia in scoring with 20 goals."I think I came off a pretty good year last year so definitely wanted to get things rolling, and I'm glad both sides came to an agreement," Farabee said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "I'm really excited to be in Philly for the next seven years after my last year on my ELC."The left-winger saw a major uptick in production during his sophomore campaign. After mustering eight goals and 21 points in 52 games as a rookie in 2019-20, he responded with a total of 38 points in 55 contests this past season.Farabee was rewarded for his efforts with the 2020-21 Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as the Flyers' most improved player.After being drafted 14th overall in 2018, Farabee made his NHL debut on Oct. 21, 2019, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to appear in a game for Philly.Farabee is now under contract with the Flyers through the 2027-28 season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With three Stanley Cup championships, six All-Star appearances, and 863 NHL games under his belt (plus a whopping 142 playoff contests), Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has pretty much seen and done it all.Well, not quite. There's still one more thing the 34-year-old covets."Four," Letang said, according to Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, referring to the Stanley Cup."It doesn't matter how many years I'm going to keep doing this," he added. "I just want to do it for one reason - that's to win every year."Entering the final year of an eight-year deal that carries an average annual value of $7.25 million, Letang's feeling confident in a 2021-22 Pittsburgh team that held on to much of its core."I feel comfortable saying we have what we need to be successful, whether on the coaching staff or player-wise," Letang said. "We have the group to do it."The right-handed shot has spent his NHL career with "brothers" Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby and "of course" he'd certainly like to keep it that way."You hear about those guys who decide to go with another team trying to look for another Cup or bigger salaries," Letang said. "The thing we built in Pittsburgh with Sid and Geno, I think it's special. Obviously, there's always an end to an era. I cannot predict when it's going to be done."For now, things are looking good for the Penguins; Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in 15 straight seasons and finished at the top of the realigned East Division in 2020-21. However, the squad hasn't advanced past the second round of the postseason since winning the Cup in 2016-17.“At the end of the day, guys who have been together for 15-20 years - whatever it ends up being - is going to be on the small scale of the longevity of a franchise. You have to think about all the other years and you want to keep winning," Letang said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran free-agent forward Zach Parise confirmed that he agreed to terms on a contract with the New York Islanders earlier this summer, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.The contract's details aren't known. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello hasn't registered the deal with the NHL, Russo adds.The Minnesota Wild bought out the final four years of Parise's contract earlier in the offseason. Despite producing decent numbers, the 37-year-old seemed to have fallen out of favor in Minnesota and was a healthy scratch multiple times over the last year.Parise recorded seven goals and added 11 assists across 45 games last season. He scored 25 goals and contributed 21 helpers over 69 contests during the 2019-20 campaign.The Islanders announced a slew of signings Wednesday, including multi-year extensions for Kyle Palmieri, Ilya Sorokin, Casey Cizikas, and Anthony Beauvillier.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues signed defenseman Colton Parayko to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6.5 million, the team announced Wednesday.The contract will kick in after the upcoming season has concluded and will run through the 2029-30 campaign."I can't wait to wear the Blue Note for another nine years," Parayko said. "St. Louis has been my home now for six seasons, and this is where I want to be. All the relationships I've gained, the teammates I've had, and the organization have all had a big impact on me. Winning here in 2019 was special, and I want the chance to stay here and do that again."The 28-year-old had two goals and 10 assists in 32 games last season while averaging 21:20 minutes of ice time.Parayko has spent his entire career with the Blues, suiting up in 418 career games and totaling 171 points.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders signed four players to new deals Wednesday, agreeing to multi-year contracts with goaltender Ilya Sorokin as well as forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle Palmieri.Sorokin's pact is for three years, according to his agent, Dan Milstein. It carries an average annual value of $4 million, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. Palmieri's new deal is for four years at a cap hit of $5 million, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Beauvillier, whose three-year agreement was reported earlier Wednesday, will earn a $4.15-million AAV, according to Johnston, who adds Cizikas' contract is for six years at $2.5 million annually.Sorokin is the Islanders' netminder of the future. The 26-year-old went 13-6-3 with a .918 save percentage over 22 games as a rookie last season. However, his underlying numbers weren't as favorable, including minus-1.56 goals saved above expected and 0.73 goals saved above average at five-on-five. He ranked 41st and 38th league-wide in those categories, respectively.Palmieri produced only two goals and two assists across 17 regular-season contests with the Islanders, who acquired him in a trade with one of New York general manager Lou Lamoriello's former teams, the New Jersey Devils, in April. But Palmieri rediscovered his form in the playoffs, notching seven markers and adding a pair of helpers in 19 games.The 30-year-old spent five-plus campaigns with the Devils after four-plus seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. He's scored at least 24 goals in a campaign five times, including a 30-goal effort in 2015-16.Beauvillier tied Brock Nelson for the team lead with 0.32 goals per game in 2021, netting 15 in total. (Anders Lee's 0.44 mark is excluded because the captain only played 27 contests.) The 24-year-old drove possession while averaging over 16 minutes of ice time last season, his fifth with New York.Cizikas has played a depth role for the Islanders and has spent his entire 10-year career with the club. The 30-year-old registered only seven goals and seven assists while playing all 56 games in 2021. However, he won 53.2% of his faceoffs and ranked third on the team with 112 hits.Sorokin and Beauvillier were restricted free agents, while Palmieri and Cizikas were UFAs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Kraken added some depth Wednesday, inking forward Riley Sheahan to a one-year contract worth $850,000.Sheahan was an unrestricted free agent.The 29-year-old collected four goals and nine assists over 53 games while averaging 13:18 of ice time with the Buffalo Sabres last season. He led the Sabres in shorthanded ice time and topped the team in average ice time on the penalty kill among those who played more than 33 contests.Sheahan played for four teams in the past three campaigns, the others being the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Detroit Red Wings traded him to Pittsburgh in October 2017.He played his first six-plus seasons with Detroit, the club that drafted him 21st overall in 2010.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anthony Beauvillier will soon have a new three-year contract with the New York Islanders, reports The Athletic's Arthur Staple.The restricted free-agent forward and the club have agreed to the deal but it has yet to be filed, Staple adds.Beauvillier ranked fourth on the squad with 15 goals this season, tying Brock Nelson with a team-high 0.32 goals per game (not including Anders Lee's mark of 0.44 because he was limited to 27 contests). Beauvillier also collected 13 assists while averaging 16:24 of ice time over 47 games in 2021.The 24-year-old authored favorable expected goals for (53.03) and scoring chances for (50.54) percentages at five-on-five this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.Beauvillier has played five seasons with the Islanders, who drafted him 28th overall in 2015.Goaltender Ilya Sorokin is the lone remaining RFA on New York's NHL roster.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada will take on the United States in the gold-medal game at the Women's World Hockey Championship after defeating Switzerland 4-0 in Monday night's semifinal.Renata Fast put Canada on the board minutes into the contest. Melodie Daoust scored shortly after and added another goal in the second period to extend her team's lead. Rebecca Johnston capped the game off with a goal in the final minutes.Canada outshot Switzerland 65-10, with Swiss goaltender Andrea Braendli making an incredible 61 saves.The Americans are the defending champions in the tournament after defeating Finland in the 2019 final. Canada and the U.S. previously met in the gold-medal game of the tournament 18 straight times beginning in 1990. Canada's last victory came in 2012, while the Americans have won five straight golds.The gold-medal clash is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. Switzerland will take on Finland in the bronze-medal match at 3:30 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The United States advanced to the gold-medal game at the Women's World Hockey Championship after defeating Finland 3-0 in the semifinal on Monday afternoon.The game remained a scoreless tie following the first period, but Alex Carpenter put the Americans on the board early in the second.Abbey Murphy tacked on another goal toward the end of the second frame. The team held on to close out the game, adding an empty-netter in the final minutes.The U.S. outshot Finland 32-14.The Americans will now take on the winner of Canada vs. Switzerland, a matchup slated for 7 p.m. ET Monday night. The U.S. defeated Finland during the 2019 tournament and is the defending champion.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada defeated the United States 3-2 in overtime to win the gold medal at the Women's World Hockey Championship in Calgary on Tuesday night.Marie-Philip Poulin scored the game-winning goal in the extra frame. The goal was initially not called, with play resuming for moments before the buzzer sounded. This marks Canada's first gold at the tournament since 2012.

Words can't quite describe just how proud Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers was to help his home nation of Denmark qualify for its first-ever Olympics."It was emotional. It was one of the best feelings I've ever had," Ehlers said.Ehlers led the way for Denmark with nine points across three qualifying games. He topped it off with a breakaway snipe with just over three minutes left in a contest against Norway.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman Connor Murphy to a four-year extension with an annual cap hit of $4.4 million, the team announced Tuesday.Murphy was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 campaign as he enters the final season of a six-year deal that carries an average annual value of $3.85 million.Chicago acquired Murphy in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes during the 2017 draft. In four seasons with the Blackhawks, the 28-year-old has 61 points in 236 games."When we acquired Connor in the summer of 2017, we had visions of him growing as both a player and leader in our organization for many years," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "He has transformed into a defenseman capable of matching up with the opponent's best players and someone we trust to help us preserve a lead in the final minutes."Murphy shouldered the second-highest average ice time per game (22:09) among all Blackhawks defensemen during the 2020-21 campaign.With this new deal under his belt, Murphy is now signed through the 2025-26 season. Chicago's longest-tenured active defenseman has cemented his place on the team's revamped blue line alongside Seth Jones and Jake McCabe.The then-Phoenix Coyotes drafted Murphy with the 20th overall pick in 2011.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid is, to put it mildly, an overachiever.McDavid has either lived up to, exceeded, or completely obliterated lofty expectations at every level of hockey he's played. The extreme scenario unfolded most recently, with No. 97 smashing any reasonable expectations for what one NHL player might produce in a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.The Edmonton Oilers captain recorded 105 points over 56 contests. That's 1.88 points per game, or the highest rate since Mario Lemieux's 2.30 in 1995-96. Amazingly, a whopping 83 of those 105 points were goals or primary assists. Leon Draisaitl, McDavid's teammate, finished second in the league in points with 84 total, which means McDavid, at just 24 years old, essentially lapped the field offensively. (McDavid rightfully received all 100 first-place votes for the Hart Trophy.)That said, when we look back on McDavid's career decades from now, let's hope '20-21 is also remembered as the first campaign he showed tangible signs of improvement in the defensive end and faceoff circle. The stud center had his finest two-way season based not only on stats but also the eye test.And guess what? Over the past few months, McDavid has doubled down on his commitment to draws and off-puck play in an attempt to master those areas."When the game gets tight, and in those moments that really matter, I think those are two things that you can really dial into and focus on," McDavid told theScore. "You're never going to get in trouble out there when you're playing well defensively, winning faceoffs, and focusing on the full, 200-foot game." Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesMcDavid spoke over Zoom on Monday afternoon from the annual BioSteel training camp, which is being staged this week in Montreal for the first time. McDavid, a company ambassador, wore a black athletic shirt featuring the word "#CAMP" while sitting in front of a backdrop filled with BioSteel logos.The four-day event offers McDavid a legitimate late-summer tune up and a golden opportunity to test what he's learned in private sessions. For a second straight year, McDavid's offseason program has involved on-ice work with ex-pros Keith and Will Acton, a father-son duo tapped to hone his draw-taking skills."Honestly, I think the biggest thing is paying attention to it," McDavid said when asked what led to a career-high 49.5 faceoff percentage in '20-21."It's kind of the forgotten part of the game when you first come (into the NHL). You think, 'Oh, it doesn't really matter,' and you lose your draw, you move on, and you get on with your shift. But I think as you get a little older in the league, you start to realize that these little details really matter. Just paying attention, digging in, really focusing on it, and really making it a part of your game, I think, is obviously Step 1. And then I think Step 2 is mastering some of those details. Those little things like timing, or some little tricks, or things that you can do in (to outsmart the opposition), it's obviously Step 2." BioSteelSeeing as McDavid still finished last season with a sub-50% success rate in the circle, there's plenty of room to grow there. Meanwhile, he earned career bests in several even-strength defensive metrics, including shot attempts against per 60 minutes and expected goals against per 60, after flashing better positioning, awareness, and support in the defensive third. Most importantly, he made it a habit to loop deeper in Edmonton's zone to stop on pucks - versus glide by - which is no small task for such a frenetic player."Skating's obviously been a strength of mine, ever since I was a little kid," he said. "I've always wanted to play the game on the move, and it's tough to get pucks that way, it's tough to help win battles for your D-men or your wingers. ... As a centerman, it's important to be in the middle of the ice. You're kind of the last line (of defense) if something breaks down along the wall."As for what has given him that extra push to develop a well-rounded game, McDavid said, "a lot of it is seeing what other guys do when they're winning. You look at Sid (Crosby) and his game, he's won Cups. A guy like Brayden Point, he's won a couple of Cups, and the details that he has in his game (are impressive). Everything I do in my game is so ultimately I can win a Cup one day, and that's obviously the main focus, and that's what drives everything."Oilers offseasonDuring his end-of-season press conference back in May, McDavid talked about having "another level I can get to." It's tempting to dismiss those words as something a megastar probably feels obliged to say in defeat. How might he reach new heights? What does "another level" mean, practically speaking?"On the ice, I think I can be better defensively. I think there are still things that I can do offensively to allow myself to create more, score more goals," McDavid said. "And then, I think for me, off the ice, being a better leader, being a better teammate. All of those types of things are things that I can focus on and continue to make myself better and continue to make our team better." Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesRight, the team. The Oilers, who last season finished second in the one-off North Division thanks to a 35-19-2 record, were swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round of the playoffs. Edmonton has made the postseason in three of McDavid's six campaigns, advancing to the second round just once, in 2016-17. Much like pal Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs, McDavid and the Oilers have thus far failed to string together a meaningful run at the Stanley Cup.General manager Ken Holland - or "Kenny," as McDavid calls him - has been one of the NHL's busiest executives this summer. Notables arriving for the '21-22 season include defensemen Duncan Keith ("I think he's going to do a lot for our group," McDavid said, "bring his winning ways to Edmonton") and Cody Ceci, as well as forwards Zach Hyman ("great addition, he works so hard and is so prepared"), Derek Ryan, and Warren Foegele. Notables leaving: blue-liners Adam Larsson and Ethan Bear, as well as forward Jujhar Khaira."Mainly, you've gotta see a push from everybody. It starts at the top," McDavid added. "I think me and (Draisaitl) have to take a step, and (Darnell Nurse) and those core guys have to take a step forward and be better. The same with the young guys. Everybody's got to push each other along and make each other better, and that's how we're going to build a winning team."Are the Oilers, as currently constructed, good enough to challenge for a Cup?"That's a long way down the road. We haven't even started training camp. We haven't even been face to face. So, I think that's a question for another day," the captain replied. "For us, I think we've got to focus on coming in and having a great camp, start building that chemistry and building that culture, and getting off to a good start, and we go from there. That's all we can really focus on. Let the chips fall where they may."Olympic thoughts Andre Ringuette / Getty ImagesFact: McDavid, a generational talent, hasn't competed in a best-on-best international tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was 19.Now, there's light at the end of the tunnel, according to a weekend report via ESPN. NHLers may be heading to the 2022 Beijing Olympics after all, with sources suggesting to the network that "an agreement between NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and Olympic Committee is close, just down to some final items.""As any Canadian kid, your dream is to play in the NHL, and then your dream is to play for Team Canada at the Olympics," McDavid said of the latest development. "I think that's always how it is, and I'm no different."McDavid called the 2016 World Cup - which saw him play alongside Matthews on the gimmicky but wildly popular 23-and-under Team North America squad - "a great experience" featuring "a great group of guys.""But," he continued, "I mean, ultimately, I think there were a couple of guys - maybe even more than a couple of guys - that could have had the opportunity to play for their country and play in a best-on-best tournament. And, obviously, with not going to the Olympics, it's been a long time since we've been able to represent our country at a best-on-best tournament. So, my last time would have been a world juniors (in 2015), so it's been a long time, and I'm certainly looking forward to, I guess, having the ability to chase down a spot and hopefully make the team and represent my country at the Olympics."Oh no, your spot is reserved on Team Canada. Don't worry.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators signed restricted free-agent forward Eeli Tolvanen to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $1.45 million, the team announced Monday.Tolvanen enjoyed a strong first full campaign with the Predators in 2020-21, registering 22 points over 40 games. He also led Nashville with six power-play goals.The 22-year-old put up a six-game point streak in late March, which is tied for the second-longest rookie streak in franchise history.The Predators' 30th overall pick in 2017 played in seven NHL games across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Tolvanen spent 2019-20 with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, scoring 36 points over 63 contests.He also made 25 appearances for Jokerit of the KHL before joining the Predators this past season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.