James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the most memorable moments of the greatest campaign in NHL history. This edition focuses on future Hall of Fame forward Teemu Selanne, who had a rookie campaign for the record books:Even before Teemu Selanne laid waste to the NHL as a rookie, the Winnipeg Jets knew what they had in the Finnish superstar.Not only did the Jets draft Selanne 10th overall in 1988 knowing he'd have to remain in Finland to complete compulsory military service, they also wasted no time matching the Calgary Flames' offer sheet once Selanne became a restricted free agent in 1992. And it was big money for a player who hadn't yet competed in the NHL - three years and $2.7 million in total.As it turned out, the newly minted Hall of Famer was worth every penny - and then some.The electrifying winger known as the Finnish Flash put together the most incredible rookie season in NHL history, racking up 76 goals and 132 points to establish a pair of records that haven't been challenged since. In fact, no first-year player has even come within 20 goals of Selanne's mark - making it one of the most incontestable records in league annals."I didn’t really realize what happened (at the time)," Selanne said on a conference call to celebrate his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. "Now, the (goal) number is so big ... I really don't know how that happened."It helped that Selanne had developed his game with Jokerit Helsinki of the Finnish Elite League, and joined a veteran Jets team that would offer plenty of support. Veteran Finnish defenceman Teppo Numminen was a major influence for the rookie, and Winnipeg had potent offensive weapons like Keith Tkachuk, Alexei Zhamnov, and Phil Housley to play alongside him.It didn't take long for Selanne to make his presence felt; he had points in 11 of his first 12 NHL games, a stretch that included his first career hat trick in a 7-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers and a five-point performance against that same Flames team that had tried to sign him away from Winnipeg. By the end of October, Selanne had amassed 11 goals and nine assists in just 12 games.A November swoon took him off the 50-goals-in-50-games pace, as he scored just six goals and added five assists in 11 games. But things picked back up in December, as he notched his second hat trick of the season en route to an 11-goal, eight-assist showing in 14 contests. With 28 goals through 37 games, he was on pace to beat Mike Bossy's rookie record of 53.January brought about an entirely different version of the Finnish Flash - the playmaker. Selanne put together a stretch that saw him record multiple points eight times in a 10-game span, overlapping with a 9-1-2 Jets run. He came out of January with 12 goals and 15 assists in 12 games, lapping the field in the Calder Trophy race - and the best was yet to come.It was clear by the end of that month that it was only a matter of when - not if - Selanne would break Bossy's rookie mark. But his pace slowed for most of February as he scored just five times over the opening eight games of the month; not surprisingly, the Jets also faltered over that stretch, going on a seven-game winless stretch during which they earned just one point.But a goal against the expansion Ottawa Senators and another three nights later versus the Vancouver Canucks put Selanne within six of equaling Bossy's 15-year-old record. And then Selanne really turned it on - becoming just the third player in league history to score 50 goals as a rookie with a stunning four-goal performance against the Minnesota North Stars.Two nights later, needing just three goals to set the mark, Selanne and the Jets hosted the Quebec Nordiques. The video below sets the scene:After a deft flip of the puck over prone Quebec netminder Stephane Fiset, an elated Selanne hurled his glove in the air and mock-shot it into submission before embracing his teammates as the new rookie goals champion. Seemingly eased of the pressure of chasing Bossy, Selanne not only built on the mark the rest of the season - he made it virtually unreachable.Selanne would record seven more multi-goal games the rest of the way, finishing March with an unimaginable 20 tallies in 14 games. He added five goals and nine assist in seven April contests to finish tied with Buffalo Sabres sniper Alexander Mogilny for the league lead.Selanne's 132 points were also a no-doubt rookie record; Wayne Gretzky had 137 points in his first NHL season, but he wasn't considered a rookie by virtue of his 80-game stint in the World Hockey Association in 1978-79. Selanne earned all 50 first-place votes in the Calder Trophy race, easily outdistancing Boston Bruins left winger Joe Juneau."What a great memory that whole year was, and how the people in Winnipeg lived it with me, and all the experiences I shared with the fans and the team," Selanne added. "It was something really special that I’m never going to forget."It was the start of a terrific career for Selanne, who wound up winning three NHL goal-scoring titles, making four end-of-season All-Star teams, and capturing a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He finished with 684 goals - good for 11th on the all-time list - and 1,457 points in 1,451 regular-season games over his 22-year NHL career.Those numbers landed Selanne a spot in hockey's hallowed Hall - and his resume would have been good enough even without the contributions from his first season. But it doesn't hurt to be the owner of not one, but two major rookie scoring records that should remain his for decades to come.Other entries in the series:

For the first time in his 16-year career, Andrei Markov will not don the iconic Montreal Canadiens sweater come the start of the season. The team announced Thursday that the unrestricted free agent will not be back with the club for the 2017-18 campaign.His tenure with the Habs seemed likely to end after the team signed fellow veteran free-agent defenseman Mark Streit on Tuesday.In addition to Streit, the Canadiens acquired Karl Alzner, David Schlemko, and Joe Morrow this offseason - all left-handed shooting defensemen, making it unnecessary for general manager Mark Bergevin to meet the 38-year-old's reportedly lofty contract demands.Before Thursday's announcement, it was reported that Markov had yet to seek offers from other clubs, and many NHL teams are now up against the salary cap after the wave of offseason movement.However, the veteran proved last season that he has plenty left in the tank. Markov recorded 36 points in 62 games with a 54.0 Corsi For rating while logging nearly 22 minutes per night. He is without a doubt the best free-agent defenseman currently available.Markov, a sixth-round pick in the 1998 draft, sits sixth on the historic franchise's leaderboard with 990 games played, and tied for second among points by a defenseman with 572.Canadiens owner Geoff Molson released a statement on Markov's departure:

Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson served as the Edmonton Oilers top defensive unit last season. The young duo was awfully successful, as Klefbom led the team's defensemen in goals and points, while Larsson - the more defensive-minded of the two - led the team in hits and defensive point shares.To no one's surprise, head coach Todd McLellan hopes the pair of 24-year-old, 6-foot-3, Swedish defensemen can remain together for the coming season."In an ideal world, we'll keep them together," McLellan said, according to Chris Wescott of edmontonoilers.com. "I thought they really grew up as a pair throughout the regular season and could be counted on in a number of different situations, whether it was the need for offense or a shutdown situation."There is one slight roadblock, however.Veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera suffered a torn ACL in the second round of the playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks. After the series concluded (in mid-May), the Oilers announced Sekera would miss the next six-to-nine months, meaning there's a good chance he'll miss a large chunk of the coming season.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Sekera was usually paired with Kris Russell, but with the former out of the picture for the foreseeable future, someone will need to step up into a top-4 role.Despite the hole that needs to be filled, McLellan is confident his young defense corps will grow and suffice the loss of a reliable blue-liner."We're expecting the group to come back and pick up where they left off," McLellan said of the defense. "It's not like it's a new group that has to learn the systems, the ways, the language, or even learn each other really, if that makes any sense."We're hoping they can pick up where they left off and we also want some of our younger players to come in and push and challenge. The minute you get that happening - the internal competition - I think your team is beginning to get set up for a good future."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens made it official on Thursday, Andrei Markov will not be returning for the 2017-18 season.The news comes after Markov, a veteran of 990 career games, all with the Canadiens, who prior to the announcement appeared to be holding out hope for a return will happen, as Markov has yet to seek out offers from any other teams, sources said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.In late June it was reported that Markov was seeking a two-year, $12-million contract, but Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin made it clear he would have to take less when he said it would be impossible to sign both Markov and then-UFA Alexander Radulov at their demands.This offseason, the Canadiens have inked defensemen Streit, Karl Alzner, David Schlemko, and Joe Morrow. In all, Montreal has eight defenseman locked up, meaning they might not have the roster spot for Markov regardless of cap space.If the 38-year-old's time in Montreal has come to an end, he will finish with the second-most games played among Canadiens defensemen, while ranking second in both assists and points with 453 and 572, respectively.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals and captain Alex Ovechkin have faced no shortage of criticism for their lack of playoff success during the latter's illustrious 12-year NHL career.Three-time Stanley Cup winner Evgeni Malkin wants that criticism to stop, and defended his compatriot.

Following his second straight Stanley Cup-winning season, Matt Murray has earned the right to be called the Pittsburgh Penguins' starting goalie.However, that doesn't mean he fails to recognize the positive impact that former No. 1 Marc-Andre Fleury had on his career during their two seasons playing together."I’m forever grateful to everything that Marc has ever done for me. It’s sad to see him go," Murray said Tuesday, according to Leith Dunick of SooToday.com."Honestly even though we competed for playing time and were competitors in that regard, we’re all part of the same team and we’re all out there for one thing, that’s to win. Having 'Flower' definitely gave us a good chance to win. His presence on and off the ice, he’s a guy that’s going to be missed on and off the ice."Murray's former mentor leaves Pittsburgh after spending his entire career with the Penguins. Over the past 13 seasons, "Flower" has registered a 375-216-68 record to go along with a 2.58 goals-against average, .912 save percentage, and three Cups.With two rings already under his belt at 23 years of age, Murray is well on his way to eclipsing Fleury's legacy in Pittsburgh. With that being said, the young netminder knows that next year will be an entirely different challenge."This year it’s a little bit different. We lost some key pieces and we’re going to have a new look going into this season," said Murray. "But I think we’ve added some key pieces as well and I think we’re in really good shape. Of course it’s going to be difficult, but I think if there’s a team that can do it, we can do it."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins avoided arbitration with center Ryan Spooner on Wednesday, coming to terms on a one-year deal that will pay the 25-year-old $2.8 million.With 214 games and 117 points under his belt, it's a bit of a wonder why Spooner isn't more of a recognized name. Especially considering his ability to score on the power play - a fact that is not lost on Boston general manager Don Sweeney.Related: Bruins settle with Spooner on 1-year deal"We know Ryan has the offensive skills to be an impactful player, especially while on the power play," Sweeney said, according to NHL.com. "We expect Ryan to continue to take the necessary steps with his development to be an even more complete, two-way player."Over the last two seasons, the Ottawa native has tallied nine goals and 26 assists on the man advantage while serving as a key contributor on the Bruins' top power-play unit. But, Spooner recognizes that he needs to add another element to his game in order to be a more complete player."I think the next step that I need to make is when the offense kind of dries up I need to be able to be more of a dependable, defensive guy," Spooner said."That's kind of what I need to work on. And if that's strength or kind of the mental side of the game, that's kind of for me to figure out, that's what I've been trying to do and trying to get to the gym and just kind of work on my game."Spooner is coming off a 2016-17 campaign in which he registered 11 goals and 28 assists to go along with three game-winning goals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher is hopeful he won't need the arbitration process when it comes to locking down two of his brightest stars.Forwards Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have both filed for arbitration, with dates scheduled for August 3 and August 4, respectively. However, Fletcher is steadfast negotiations won't reach that point."We'll keep plodding along," Fletcher told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune on Wednesday. "Everyone's working hard, we've had good dialogue, but obviously we haven't gotten to the finish line yet. If you look around the league, negotiations tend to go right down to the arbitration day or the day before, or the day after the hearing sometimes even."Nothing prods progress more than a deadline."In this instance, progress is vital as Granlund and Niederreiter played huge roles in Minnesota's 106-point campaign in 2016-17. Both players had career years last season, as Granlund led the Wild with 69 points, and Niederreiter contributed 57.Fletcher can lock up both forwards long-term by avoiding arbitration, which is a likely scenario for both players."We're open to any angle," Fletcher said. "I guess anything's possible, but somewhere in that three-to-five year range would probably work well for everybody. That's not to preclude a longer deal, but that's not where the focus has been on our end."According to CapFriendly, Minnesota has more than $15 million in cap space to use on new contracts for Granlund, Niederreiter, and the newly-acquired Marcus Foligno, who didn't file for arbitration,Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Jimmy Vesey taught us last year, nothing kicks the dog days of the NHL offseason into overdrive like the pursuit of a college free agent, and, as of Wednesday, all 31 teams will have a chance to lure 2017's top candidate: Denver defenseman Will Butcher.Butcher's agent announced his client will venture into the open market this summer, and will officially become an unrestricted free agent Aug. 15. The 22-year-old was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013, and while the Avs are still a potential destination, it appears he's looking to test the waters.So, who exactly is this guy?For starters, he's coming off a tremendously successful senior campaign as the Pioneers' captain, earning the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player in conjunction with winning the Frozen Four title in April.Butcher comes in a 5-foot-10, 186 pounds, and recorded seven goals and 30 assists in 43 games in 2016-17. With several NHL teams looking to add young, cheap defensive talent, the Wisconsin native should have a fair list of suitors, and below are three teams that would be wise to pursue his talents.Chicago Blackhawks(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The Blackhawks only have five defensemen under NHL contracts, and adding Butcher to the list of prospects vying for the sixth and final starting spot is a low-risk option.Believe it or not, Chicago can afford adding Butcher to its ledger, as he can only sign for a max base salary of $925,000. Bonuses could wind up costing the team more, but the chances of him coming in and immediately making that large an impact are slim.After the loss of stay-at-home stalwart Niklas Hjalmarsson, the Blackhawks' blue line isn't much to write home about, and giving Butcher a shot could help fill the void.Pittsburgh Penguins(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Who wouldn't want to join the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions?The Penguins could certainly make an easy sales pitch to Butcher, and could use the depth, too. Pittsburgh lost both Ron Hainsey and Trevor Daley in free agency, and its defensive corps has a long injury history.Pittsburgh's up-tempo style has to be attractive for an offensive-minded rearguard like Butcher, and whether he immediately joins the big club or needs time to season in the AHL, he'd be joining a top-tier organization, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finished last season with a 51-20-3 record.Toronto Maple Leafs(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Thanks to their most successful season in more than a decade, and some fellow named Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs - for the first time in a long time - appear to be a favorable free-agent destination.Toronto's quest to shore up its defense has been well documented this offseason, and bringing in the aforementioned Hainsey is the lone NHL move the club has made.The Maple Leafs signed Swedish prospects Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman, and drafted blue-chip prospect Timothy Liljegren, but none of those players appear ready to make an impact in the pros. Butcher almost certainly fits in that same category with Toronto, but, as the team proved during its rapid ascension, too many good prospects is never a bad thing.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's no secret that a large group of NHL players are discouraged by the fact that they won't have the opportunity to represent their countries at the 2018 Winter Olympics, and you can count Connor McDavid among them.McDavid previously played for Canada internationally at the World Junior Championship in 2015 and the World Championship in 2016, earning gold in both tournaments, so not being able to suit up in South Korea is a reality that irks the game's highest-paid player."I'm really upset about it," McDavid said Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox."You want to be able to represent your country on the highest stage, and the Olympics is obviously the highest stage possible. To know that you might not be able to represent your country at the Olympics for another four years for sure ... Even if you’re able to in four years, it's disappointing."The Edmonton Oilers captain also realizes that without access to the NHL's elite talent, Team Canada won't be able to assemble its usual all-world roster."I don't think Team Canada will be able to put together a team like they'd be able to put together this year (if NHLers were permitted)," said McDavid. "It would've been a special group, and you're just hoping to be a part of it."Despite being arguably the best player on the planet, McDavid won't have any influence over the Oilers' front office decisions regarding the availability of their players for the games."No, I’m not too involved in all that stuff. There's a lot of guys who've been in the league a lot longer than I have and have a lot more pull than I do," McDavid said. "You don't want to leave your team for a month."It's disappointing, but that's the way it is."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Doug Gilmour was the star of one of the most successful Toronto Maple Leafs franchises of the past 50 years, coming oh-so-close to reaching the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. Nearly 25 years later, I caught up with Gilmour to talk about his memories of the 1992-93 Maple Leafs:Thanks for doing this, Doug. Does it feel like it has already been nearly 25 years since that crazy season?No. To look back at that whole season, I've spoken about this a lot ... it was quite a year. It was a lot of fun.Let's start with head coach Pat Burns, who joined the Leafs in May 1992. There's a great story about you and Pat hanging out at Filmores, a famed Toronto strip club. Could you take me through that encounter?When Pat came in, he wanted to meet me, so we just met at Maple Leaf Gardens and then we got into a cab. We were just going to go out for a couple of beers, and that's where we went. We were in there for about 35-40 minutes until we got recognized, and then we got out of there.What did he say to you?His message to me was, "I need you to be the hardest worker in practice, and it will carry over into games. And when the other guys watch you compete in practice, then it's going to go a long way."He was intimidating, right? But I don't think I had too many coaches who ever brought me in for a beer. It was great to get to know him. I've had some tough coaches before, but this would be the toughest coach I had yet. So it was a good challenge.Pat was blunt with the media. He said prior to the season: "We're not a good team." Did you agree with him at the time?That was Pat deflecting. Just let everyone think you're average and then you go out and prove everybody wrong.We were starting at the bottom; when I came in the year before, we had a pretty good run at the end of it but we didn't make the playoffs. Now everybody's starting at training camp together. You have a new coach, a new coaching staff. Pat set the ground rules right away for everybody. It wasn't just me, it was everybody. Whatever their role was, there were expectations. It was pretty much, "Don't let me down."So the Leafs get off to a decent start in 1992-93, but hit a wall in late November and slide below .500. Did you think the team was better than what the results suggested?I think so. There's a lot of games during the year that you win that you shouldn't have won, and a lot of games you lose that you should have won. Pat was more about that. He felt we were playing well, but weren't being rewarded. You think he's going to be hard on you when you're losing, but it was the opposite. He's hard on you when you win. We all understood that.When you're going through a process like that, you have to have team functions. And he was the first one to say, "Go out, all of you. Get drunk. Go have a good time. You're not playing tomorrow. Be a team." We had good leadership there, too. (Mike) Foligno was a big part of the team. He really kept everybody kind of grounded and very positive.Did you feel personally that there was something missing from that version of the team that you would need to push you over the top?You don't look at that as a player. You know at some point in time that the front office is going to fix something, they're going to make changes. We knew that. We just didn't know what those changes were.And then it happens - the front office adds goaltender Daren Puppa and winger Dave Andreychuk from Buffalo.That made a big difference on my end. I got a bona fide goal-scorer that's going to tip everything that's in front of the net - big body, can't move him. And then there was the emergence of (goaltender Felix Potvin), as well.That obviously made it easier to trade Grant Fuhr to the Sabres.That was the biggest thing. (Felix) is just a calm guy. He's no Ed Belfour. Some goalies are loud, some goalies are quiet. Every day he came to practice and stopped the puck. It was pretty cool to watch.There were some great center-wing combos in the 1990s, and you and Dave were among the best. What was it about your respective skill sets that made you such a great pairing?He was just such a big body. And 90 percent of his shots hit the net. If it bounced back to him, rebound, he'd score. He wasn't picking the corners. You just had to get the puck into his wheelhouse. If he'd get into that area, he'd try to score. It was a lot of fun to play with Dave. We had a good connection.You finished on a 20-9-3 run to reach the postseason. Obviously Dave's scoring helped, but what else clicked for you guys down the stretch?Don't forget, when you're with a team for a little bit ... just to see the change, and then you start winning, the excitement gets in there. Now (Wendel Clark is) winning. Now some of the other guys that have been there for a bit are winning. Everybody was on the same page and we kept believing in each other. That was one of (Pat's) favorite teams. It was a lot of fun.Part II will be posted Friday.Other entries in the series:

For the second straight year, the top U.S. college hockey player will test the NHL's free-agent market.Will Butcher has decided to become an unrestricted free agent Aug. 15, his agent, Brian Bartlett, told BSN Denver's Adrian Dater.The 22-year-old defenseman, who won the 2017 Hobey Baker Award in April, was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013. While they couldn't agree on a deal, Bartlett isn't completely slamming the door on his client signing with the club."We informed the Avalanche of that decision," the agent said. "We appreciate what Colorado has done, and we're not ruling out the Avalanche as a potential destination. But we just feel there will be other opportunities that should be explored too, and therefore we're going (to the 15th)."Butcher helped lead the University of Denver to its eighth national championship in April while collecting 37 points in 43 games.He reportedly turned down an Avalanche offer of a two-year deal this spring.Last summer, the Buffalo Sabres acquired 2016 Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey's negotiating rights in a trade with the Nashville Predators, but the dynamic forward chose to become a UFA and signed with the New York Rangers on Aug. 19.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers made the biggest splash of the day when free agency opened on July 1, in a move that's still resonating with captain Ryan McDonagh.Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk joined the Rangers on a four-year, $26.6-million contract, carrying a cap hit of $6.65 million."I think everybody was pretty excited when we heard the news (he was joining the Rangers), and we're looking forward to seeing him at camp and having him contribute to the success of this team," said McDonagh, according to Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.While his defensive play has been questioned in the past, Shattenkirk's specialty is well known to his new teammates."I think everybody knows how strong he is on the power play," said Brady Skjei.Shattenkirk is one of the NHL's best when it comes to power-play production, totaling 146 power-play points in 490 regular-season games. He'll help a Rangers special teams unit which scored just three times in 39 opportunities in the 2017 playoffs.McDonagh isn't typecasting his new teammate."His skill set, his experience and just his all-around ability as a player is a huge asset to any team he's on ... He plays the puck well whether you are down a man, up a man or even strength. He's a guy you can count on to excel whatever unit you have him on," said the captain.With Shattenkirk expected to join McDonagh on the Rangers' top defensive pairing, it'll be an overdue reunion according to the incumbent leader of the defense corps."Being able to play with him in past tournaments and teams, I know the type of guy he is and he's going to fit right in with our room perfectly. We were drafted the same year (2007) and we've been in the league together the same amount of years, so I'm just excited to have this chance to play together," said McDonagh.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the most memorable moments of the greatest campaign in NHL history. This edition focuses on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who gave fans one of the most entertaining - and ultimately heartbreaking - seasons on record:Ask a Maple Leafs fan of a certain vintage what he or she remembers most from the 1992-93 season, and you probably won't hear about Doug Gilmour's career-best campaign or Dave Andreychuk's late-season goal binge. Nikolai Borschevsky's franchise-altering playoff goal? Pat Burns' Jack Adams Award-winning coaching performance? Those likely won't spring to mind, either.No, if you ask that question of a die-hard Leafs fan, you should expect to hear all about Wayne Gretzky, Kerry Fraser, and the blown high-stick call that cost the Maple Leafs a dream Stanley Cup encounter with the Montreal Canadiens.Yet, to boil the entire 105-game campaign down to that one moment does a great disservice to a Maple Leafs team that arguably remains one of the franchise's best in the last 50 years. And while the Game 6 non-call remains a bitter memory to most fans, the Los Angeles Kings still needed what Wayne Gretzky called "the best game of my career" to finish Toronto off.While fans couldn't have imagined that their team would reach the Stanley Cup final following a dismal 67-point showing the season before, there was reason for optimism.Gilmour, who had joined Toronto the season before in a blockbuster deal with Calgary, recorded 49 points in 40 games with the Maple Leafs and looked ready to take a major step forward. Burns was brought in to replace Tom Watt, and instantly brought respectability to the Toronto dressing room after a successful four-year stint with the Canadiens.Yet, despite improving both on the ice and behind the bench, Toronto languished for the first half of the season, sitting at 16-17-7 following a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 6, 1993. Less than a month later, Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher pulled the trigger on an other major deal - acquiring Andreychuk, goaltender Daren Puppa, and a 1993 first-round pick from Buffalo in a trade that sent netminder Grant Fuhr to the Sabres.The trade invigorated the Leafs. Andreychuk scored 25 goals in 31 regular-season games with his new team, while Gilmour racked up 53 points over that same span en route to a 127-point campaign, setting franchise records in assists (95) and points while finishing tied for seventh in league scoring with Sabres superstar Alexander Mogilny.Most significantly, Toronto caught fire the rest of the way, going on a 20-9-3 run to establish a then-franchise record for victories (44) and points (99). While the offense came to life after Andreychuk arrived, the defense was the real catalyst for the team's dramatic turnaround, as the Maple Leafs allowed the second-fewest goals in the league.Toronto drew a tough first-round matchup with the rival Detroit Red Wings, who finished four points ahead of the Maple Leafs in the competitive Norris Division. The home team won each of the first four games of the series, but Toronto pulled ahead on Mike Foligno's goal 2:05 into overtime in Game 5. Detroit responded with a 7-3 rout in Toronto two nights later.The Red Wings led 3-2 late in Game 7, but Gilmour converted with 2:43 remaining in regulation to force OT. And in extra time, Borschevsky scored one of the most memorable goals in franchise history:The Maple Leafs endured a similarly exhausting series with the St. Louis Blues, who had knocked off the division-leading Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round behind the goaltending of Curtis Joseph. Gilmour's now-famous swerve-wraparound goal in double-OT lifted Toronto to a Game 1 win, but the Blues responded with wins in Games 2 and 3.Toronto posted convincing 4-1 and 5-1 victories in Games 4 and 5 to take a series stranglehold, but Joseph was at it again in Game 6, turning aside 40 of 41 shots in a 2-1 triumph that sent the series to a seventh and deciding game. And it was then that Joseph's magic finally ran out, as the Leafs shelled him for four first-period goals en route to a series-clinching 6-0 rout.With a trip to the Stanley Cup final on the line, tensions were understandably high, as the Leafs and Kings kicked things off in Toronto. And while the Maple Leafs emerged as 4-1 victors, the game was remembered for something else - specifically, Kings defenseman Marty McSorley doing this to Gilmour:The ensuing melee resulted in 57 minutes in penalties, countless cups of liquid tossed onto the Maple Leaf Gardens ice, and the two head coaches nearly coming to blows (leading to a hilarious postgame rant in which hockey personality Don Cherry refers to Melrose as "Billy Ray Cyprus," a not-quite-accurate shot at Melrose's Hall of Fame hockey mullet.)The Kings earned a split in Toronto with a 3-2 victory in Game 2 on Tomas Sandstrom's goal with 7:40 remaining. Los Angeles pulled ahead with a 4-2 home win in Game 3, while the Leafs responded with a 4-2 triumph in Game 4. That set the stage for a thrilling Game 5, in which Toronto's Glenn Anderson scored 19:20 into OT to put the Leafs within one game of their first Stanley Cup appearance in 26 years.Things looked good in the early going for the Leafs, who went ahead just 58 seconds into the game on an Anderson goal and jumped back in front nearly four minutes into the second frame after Tony Granato had evened the score just past the midway point of the first. But three straight Toronto penalties - two by Foligno - led to three Kings goals and a 4-2 L.A. lead after two.Yet, just when it looked like a seventh game was inevitable, Wendel Clark took over. His second goal of the game with 8:52 left in regulation made it a one-goal affair, and he stunned the Great Western Forum crowd with just 1:21 left, converting a Gilmour feed to complete the hat trick. Neither team scored over the final 81 seconds, resulting in a second straight overtime game.Then, in the early moments of extra time, this happens (or, in the eyes of Kerry Fraser, doesn't happen):Gilmour went down immediately after taking Gretzky's stick to the chin - but none of the officials witnessed the infraction, as Fraser explains in his captivating recount of the incident for the Players' Tribune in 2016:

For the Washington Capitals to shed the title of playoff chokers, the change must come from within.General manager Brian MacLellan expects it will.Veteran forward Devante Smith-Pelly was the lone player brought in this offseason on a one-year, $650,000 contract. Forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov were all re-signed to long-term contracts worth more than $5 million annually.Despite the team's efforts and willingness to spend this summer, the Capitals still suffered significant losses, which could challenge their ability to compete for a third consecutive Presidents' Trophy, let alone make it out of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1997-98.Forward Justin Williams left to return to the Carolina Hurricanes. Forward Marcus Johansson was traded to the New Jersey Devils for draft picks after Kuznetsov's extension put the team in a cap crunch. And defenseman Nate Schmidt was the Capitals' casualty to the Vegas Golden Knights' expansion draft.It's this last loss which has some expecting the worst for the Capitals and leaves the team with just five defensemen signed to one-way contracts.MacLellan isn't nearly as worried as those outside the organization."We like Schmidt. But it's not as huge a deal as people are making it out to be," he said, according to Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post.MacLellan points to the Capitals' crop of young defensemen he believes are ready - or very close to ready - to making a significant impact at the NHL level, a group he calls "an organizational strength."The Caps selected 6-foot-1, 175-pound defenseman Lucas Johansen 28th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.“I really like Johansen, and whether it’s now or six months from now or a year from now, I think he’s going to be a factor,” MacLellan said.The success of the Capitals' seventh-round selection in the 2012 draft could afford the team the luxury of being patient with Johansen, who won't turn 20 years old until November.Christian Djoos excelled in his sophomore season in the AHL, scoring 13 goals and adding 45 assists in 66 regular-season games. He ranked third on the team in points and posted eight points in 12 playoff games."I guess the knock on him is size (6-foot, 162 pounds), but I don’t think Schmidt (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) is a big guy,” said MacLellan.The options don't end there. Defensemen Madison Bowey and Jonas Siegenthaler were second-round selections in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Tyler Lewington was a seventh-round pick in 2013 and spent the past two seasons in the AHL.Up to three of these players - or a yet-to-be-found outside option - will join the returning group of Orlov, Matt Niskanen, Brooks Orpik, John Carlson, and Taylor Chorney.While replacing Schmidt may not be "a huge deal," the winners of a NHL roster spot will also be charged with helping to change the growing rhetoric of playoff failure clinging to the team's retained core.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins have avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year contract with Ryan Spooner worth $2.825 million.Spooner and the Bruins were apparently nearly $2 million apart in talks as of Monday, with the forward seeking $3.85 million and the club offering $2 million, as previously reported by Elliotte Friedman.The 25-year-old center notched 11 goals and 39 points in 78 regular-season games for the Bruins last season, adding a pair of assists in four playoff contests.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the most memorable moments of the greatest campaign in NHL history. This edition focuses on Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux, who stunned the hockey world in more ways than one:Mario Lemieux did it all during his NHL career.The towering center won three Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player, six Art Ross awards as the NHL's top scorer, and a pair of Stanley Cup titles in the early 1990s. Just how good was Super Mario? He was immediately inducted into the Hall of Fame upon his initial retirement in 1997 - then came back and played parts of five seasons at an elite level.Yet, despite years of dominance on par with Wayne Gretzky himself, one Lemiuex season stands out above the rest - not only because of what he accomplished on the ice, but also because of what he endured off it. Imagine a player in today's NHL scoring 160 points in just 60 games - and then imagine that player doing so despite missing nearly two months due to cancer treatments.Prior to the shocking announcement that Lemieux would be stepping away from the Penguins to treat early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma, the 27-year-old was on pace to become just the second player in NHL history to record 200 points in a season. He opened the year with 12 consecutive multi-point games, and finished October with 36 points in just 11 contests.His torrid scoring pace tailed off somewhat in November - though 29 points in 15 games can hardly be considered a swoon - but Lemieux ratcheted things back up in December, recording eight goals and 28 (!) assists in 12 games to go into the new year with 101 points in 38 games - on track to challenge Gretzky's incredible record of 215 points in a single season.But just as Lemieux steamrolled his way past the 100-point plateau, he noticed a lump in his neck. Having studied cancer years earlier when his agent's sister-in-law died of the disease, Lemieux knew he had to get it checked out. And when he did, he was floored - a doctor confirmed he was dealing with early stages of Hodgkin lymphoma.Lemieux began radiation treatment later that month, fully expecting to not only beat the disease, but to return to action later in the season. Doctors were equally optimistic, suggesting Lemieux would be back following his three-to-four-week radiation treatment schedule.Still, fans and teammates wondered how it would all play out. Would Super Mario be back that season? How long would it take him to rediscover his elite form? Could he lift the Penguins back atop the NHL standings and make a run at a third consecutive Stanley Cup title?Lemieux answered most of those questions on March 2, in his triumphant return to the Penguins in a game against the state-rival Philadelphia Flyers. He looked like he'd never left, scoring a goal and adding an assist despite undergoing his final radiation treatment earlier that day.Yet, as great as it was to be back, Le Magnifique had work to do. He trailed Buffalo Sabres star Pat LaFontaine by 12 points in the scoring race - and with Pittsburgh going just 11-10-2 in his absence, the Penguins needed a big finish from Lemieux to land the top spot in the conference.To no one's surprise, Lemieux obliged.After being held without a point in a March 5 loss to the New York Rangers, he proceeded to rack up 46 (!!) over his next 15 games, scoring 22 goals and adding 24 assists. The highlight: Lemieux scored eight goals in a two-game span on March 18 and 20, prompting linemate Kevin Stevens to tell the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dave Molinari:

Team Canada general manager Sean Burke and his staff will have their ears to the ground for the rest of the NHL offseason.Burke was named general manager of Canada's hockey team at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and will now be tasked with assembling a roster devoid of any NHL players.Related: Klein, Raymond, Scrivens headline Canada's pre-Olympic tournament rostersIt presents a difficult task for Burke and Co. and with a smaller crop of players to choose from, Burke insists he would consider veteran forwards Jarome Iginla and Shane Doan if both go unsigned by NHL clubs."I don't think you would ever have to sell them," Burke told TSN 1050 radio on Tuesday. "I know that those are two players that have served their country in hockey a number of times and both have been impactful players for Team Canada and have enjoyed those experiences."Obviously both near the end of their NHL careers and not sure where their minds are as far as how much they think they have left to play in the NHL. But those are guys we will definitely consider, guys that we'll definitely think a lot about and we'll wait to see how those situations play out."Both Iginla and Doan have Olympic experience and for the time being remain unrestricted free agents as they appear to be deciding on their playing careers, with retirement a realistic possibility.As for the rest of the roster, Burke insists "most" of the team will likely be made up of players from the KHL."Most of our players will be guys that come from Europe, playing in the KHL," Burke said. "I guess if you are looking at it in at a rating system, it is probably the second best league in the world next to the NHL. A lot of our players are guys that were high draft picks guys that ended up playing in Europe for various reasons, but are excellent hockey players playing very well in other leagues."We'll maybe have an opportunity for the odd AHL guy who is maybe the higher-end guy on a AHL contract. We're not sure if that will present itself or not. There might be a guy in college, one guy in college somewhere who is a free agent college player, a guy that is a very good college player. You see these guys come out of U.S. colleges and sign and have an impact in the NHL right away, we might find a guy like that."Canada will take part in five pre-Olympic tournament games to evaluate players. Time will tell if the roster includes at least two former Olympians.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Robin Lehner is committed to the Buffalo Sabres, even without the security of a long-term contract.The goaltender signed a one-year, $4-million contract that will keep him in the Sabres' crease for at least the 2017-18 season, at the end of which he'll once again become a restricted free agent.In an interview with WGR 550 in Buffalo on Tuesday, Lehner admitted signing for a longer term would have been nice, but in his mind, he's in it for the long haul."At the end of the day, I think my decision the whole time is I want to be in Buffalo," Lehner said. "I like this city a lot. I want to keep building with this team. I'm happy I got another year here. One year or longer term - long term would be nice. One year is fine too."I'm confident in my abilities to be a good goalie in this league. If it's one year on paper, that's fine. I'm obviously a restricted free agent one more year after this. I'll take it year-by-year, try to focus on the season, and we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens next year."Lehner was acquired by the Sabres in 2015 with a view to installing him as the No. 1 goalie coming out of a serious rebuild. That process has not gone as planned, leading to the firing of general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma at the end of last season, both of whom have since been replaced by Jason Botterill and Phil Housley, respectively.Lehner has spoken to both new hires and is excited about Housley's more defensive-minded approach. His hope is that the changes on and off the ice will benefit the team, and, by extension, his contract situation moving forward."Again, I'm not going to approach it to have a good season to get my long-term deal ... obviously, there's a business aspect to the game too, but I think team success kind of leads to personal success here."We talked a lot last year about a lot of different areas that we needed to improve on – personal and as a team. It's like a little puzzle. There's a lot of pieces you've got to get in place here and I think piece by piece it's getting better. But we'll just have to keep working and see where it takes us."In two seasons with the Sabres, Lehner has posted a record of 28-35-13 with a .921 save percentage.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor Hellebuyck wants to prove that last season was a fluke.A 2012 mid-round pick by the Winnipeg Jets, the Michigan native was given no shortage of opportunity in 2016-17, appearing in 56 games and posting a 26-19-4 record.While the 24-year-old gets a passing grade in the team categories, individually he did not stack up as well. At .907, his save percentage ranked 19th among the 21 netminders with at least 50 starts, while his 2.89 GAA didn't fare any better, sitting second-last among his peers.On Monday, Hellebuyck inked a one-year extension in Winnipeg, a deal which will see him earn $2.25 million next season and will serve as his chance to show why he deserves to remain part of the team's future."It's all on the line," Hellebuyck told Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun on Monday. "I learned a lot, got a whole lot better (last season), but I have a whole lot more to give. I got more to offer than what I showed last year. I look forward to doing that this year ... I owe these guys my best every night."Hellebuyck saw the bulk of work in Winnipeg's crease last season, ahead of Michael Hutchinson and the experienced Ondrej Pavelec. But he'll have a new veteran voice in his corner this year after the Jets recruited former Philadelphia Flyers netminder Steve Mason in free agency, who was brought in on a two-year pact."I'm going to learn from (Mason)," Hellebuyck said. "He's a veteran guy who's been through the ropes. I'm going to take what I can from him. And you know what? It's going to push us both as goalies."Mason can certainly relate to Hellebuyck, who put his name on the NHL map in 2008-09. That season, a 20-year-old Mason posted 33 wins in 61 games to drag the Columbus Blue Jackets to their first-ever playoff appearance. He was later rewarded with rookie of the year honors.As he heads to Winnipeg, Mason may not see the crease as often as he did in his rookie campaign, especially with Hellebuyck motivated to shine when called upon."I'm going to (give) every ounce of effort I can on the ice to prove that I belong here and show them that last year was a fluke," Hellebuyck added. "I know I have more to give and I'm going to do that this year and prove it."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Reunited and it feels so good.Defenseman Mark Streit signed a one-year deal worth a reported $700,000 with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, nine years after leaving the team that drafted him 262nd overall in 2004, and for whom he played three seasons before moving on.Streit suited up for the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the meantime, but never forgot what it was like to wear the "bleu, blanc, et rouge.""Montreal always had a special place in my heart because I started there," he said on the team's website. "One thing I really always missed was playing at the Bell Centre. It's a unique rink with unique fans and a unique atmosphere. If you get the chance to play in front of them every night - with the atmosphere and the life in the city - I think it's very motivating."Streit was used sparingly by the Penguins during their recent run to a Stanley Cup win, recording two assists in three playoff appearances. He feels he still has much to contribute, though, especially on the man advantage."I'm still a pretty good power-play player," he said. "I think that was my biggest asset 12 years ago, and it still is. I think power play is about experience and reading and reacting, and I think that gave me the opportunity to establish myself in the NHL. If I can help the PP out, I would love to do that."You get older and you get smarter. The game is getting faster and faster. I think I picked up a few things and got better at it."Streit recorded six goals and 21 assists in 68 games split between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh last season, with 17 of those points coming on the power play.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The acquisition of Alexei Emelin was not a harbinger of trades for the Nashville Predators.At the NHL draft back in June, general manager David Poile made it clear he didn't plan on using his defense corps to get active in the summer trade market. Despite adding Emelin by way of the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round pick a few days later, he has not changed his tune."I just felt it was an opportunity that I didn't want to pass up on at this time," Poile said Monday, per Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. "Oftentimes you get to the trade deadline and you pay a king's ransom to get Alexei Emelin. You may have to pay a first-round pick to get a rental like that. Part of our job here is to provide depth to create competition."As such, the plan is to carry all eight defensemen currently under contract into training camp and to begin next season. It's a luxury Nashville can afford, considering many of them carry team-friendly deals.Player2017-18 Cap hitP.K. Subban$9MRoman Josi$4MMattian Ekholm$3.75MAlexei Emelin$3MRyan Ellis$2.25MYannick Weber$650000Matt Irwin$650000Anthony Bitetto$612500Poile didn't rule out making minor moves, but there doesn't appear to be merit to the idea that the team will ship out a core defenseman to bring in a high-profile forward."Could there be something in terms of a little more depth here and there? Maybe," Poile conceded. "But right now it feels like we're pretty close to our roster."Emelin averaged 21:19 a night for the Montreal Canadiens last season, and registered two goals, eight assists and a Corsi rating of 50 at even strength, per Hockey Reference.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The aftermath of yet another fruitless playoff run hasn't been easy for the Washington Capitals.After earning a second consecutive Presidents' Trophy, and going all in to acquire top trade-deadline prize Kevin Shattenkirk, Washington wilted once again in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.Since the heartbreaking Game 7 loss on home ice, much has changed in D.C. The Caps lost Karl Alzner and Justin Williams to free agency, as well as Nate Schmidt to Vegas. Additionally, the club dealt Marcus Johansson to New Jersey, and re-signed Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie to long-term contracts.The roster rearrangement has caused many to wonder how competitive Washington can be going forward - a notion general manager Brian MacLellan simply can't understand."People make it seem like we're a lottery team," MacLellan said, according to Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post. "I'm shocked by that. We've got good players. I want people to know: We've got a good team."While the Capitals certainly lost plenty of talent this offseason, they can still roll out a forward corps featuring Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, complemented by Oshie and Kuznetsov. Not to mention, world-class netminder Braden Holtby is locked in Washington's crease for another three seasons. That core, at the very least, should be enough to help Washington compete for a playoff spot.Still, on paper, as August approaches, a slight step backward in the standings may appear imminent for the Capitals - and how they recover from last season's disappointment shall be an intriguing storyline to monitor when the NHL returns in October.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators were wrong to fear forward Mika Zibanejad's looming salary increase when trading him last summer; however, they still made the right call in swapping him for Derick Brassard.Zibanejad and the Rangers agreed to a five-year extension on Tuesday worth an annual average value of $5.35 million, a reasonable figure the Sens would likely have been comfortable with had they kept their former first-rounder.Brassard is under contract with Ottawa for only two more years, but has a cheaper cap hit at $5 million per season.And production-wise, Brassard has been slightly more effective.Zibanejad had an edge on Brassard in early career development, entering the the NHL on a full-time basis at age 19. Through 337 career games, the 24-year-old has recorded 188 points (0.56 PPG).Brassard wasn't a regular member of the Columbus Blue Jackets until his third season, when he was 21, but he's put up 382 points in 644 games (0.59 PPG).Zibanejad is set to take over the Rangers' first-line center duties from the departed Derek Stepan, so he could outpace Brassard in the points category going forward. However, Brassard is a superior defensive forward.Brassard had a career-best Corsi For rating of 53.98 percent last season. The Senators averaged 52.58 percent of scoring chances and 55.56 percent of all goals scored when he was on the ice in 5-on-5 situations.The Rangers averaged 54.69 percent of the 5-on-5 goals with Zibanejad on the ice, but he owned an individual Corsi For rating of just 49.3 percent.More ice time for Zibanejad could also exaggerate the flaws in his defensive game.Zibanejad should have an easy enough time accounting for Stepan's point production, but when it comes to filling the role of a true No. 1 center, he may find it difficult facing tougher competition.What's more, the seemingly small difference in salaries separating the two players shouldn't be overlooked.When it comes to re-signing Brassard after the 2018-19 season, the Sens will need every bit of that $350,000 and more in order to sign fellow free-agent-to-be Erik Karlsson.(Graphics courtesy: OwnThePuck)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada's roster for the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea is beginning to take shape.Canada's men's national team will participate in two tournaments in Russia this August - the Sochi Hockey Open and the Tournament of Nikolai Puchkov - as an evaluation process for choosing the final names that will head to the Olympics.Here is a look at Canada's roster for the Sochi Hockey Open, taking place from Aug. 6-9, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.ForwardsDefenseGoaltendersGilbert BrulePatrick McNeillJustin PetersAndrew EbbettChay GenowayKevin PoulinKevin ClarkGeoff KinradeBrandon BuckmMaxim NoreauJusitn AzevedoMat RobinsonBud HollowayJonathan SigaletBrandon KozunKarl StolleryRob KlinkhammerBrandon McMillanEric O'DellMason RaymondDaniel PailleLinden VeyMax TalbotBen MaxwellGilbert Brule, Mason Raymond, Daniel Paille, Linden Vey, and Max Talbot are among the most notable names taking part.Canada will send a very different roster to the Tournament of Nikolai Puchkov, taking place from August 14-17, per Whyno.ForwardsDefense GoaltendersTaylor BeckKevin KleinBen ScrivensSean CollinsCam BarkerKevin PoulinRyan GarbuttCarlo ColaiacovoCory EmmertonStefan ElliottAndrew GordonMarc-Andre GragnaniDavid McIntyreShawn LalondeJacob MicflikierCraig SchiraTrevor ParkesMarc-Antoine PouliotDerek RoyPaul SzczechuraGreg ScottJames WrightDerek Roy, Kevin Klein, and Carlo Colaiacovo bring a combined 1,835 games of NHL experience to the table.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When Chris Kontos took the ice at Tampa's Expo Hall on Oct. 6, 1992, nobody could have anticipated that the 29-year-old would erupt for four goals in the first game in Lightning franchise history. I recently spoke with Kontos, now 53 and the president of a digital service company in Midland, Ont., about his history-making night:Let's start with how you wound up in Tampa Bay in the first place.The year before, I was with the Canadian Olympic team, and on the way to Albertville, I was battling a small groin injury and the NHL had lent a couple of players to join the team. I guess I was low man on the totem pole - I was cut at the airport flying into Albertville.Dave King was the (Canadian Olympic team) coach, but (Lightning head coach) Terry Crisp was the assistant - and there's your connection.What were your initial thoughts on being part of an expansion team?It was great. I was a seasoned player by then, I had played quite a few years. It was almost having nine lives ... I started with the Rangers, had a stint in Pittsburgh for a couple of seasons, then went to L.A., then the Olympic team. Either my eighth or ninth life was to get a shot in Tampa.I wasn't a slouch of a player. Even though you get labeled as a journeyman, I was a first-round draft pick, I was skilled, I had talent. I felt I could help, it was just a matter of somebody opening a door. Crispy said, "Sign and come down, and see what happens." So I did.Did you have a sense beforehand that you were in for a big night?No, not really. I don't have the stats from training camp, but I was pretty consistent all the way through training camp, which is what opened the door for me to get into the starting lineup.So let's go over the goals. Take me through the first one.It was a power play. We were moving the puck around, and I think I just got to the side of the net into a seam where I just kind of went undetected. Rob Zamuner slap-passed it to me and I was at the right place in the right time and just passed it into the net.On the second goal, you did a great job winning a battle on the half-wall and then headed straight for the net.John Tucker threw it across to me and I just took a big whack at it. I think the defenseman was trying to block it, and everything kind of went into the net.What are you thinking about at this point?The Fairgrounds was sold out, the electricity was great ... you just kind of go with it. Everybody's happy, everybody's pumped. Ed Belfour was the Vezina winner the year before, and we're taking on the Chicago Blackhawks, and we're on the right side of the score.On the third goal, you happen to swoop into the slot just as the puck is sitting there on a platter for you.Those kinds of goals are just opportunistic; right place at the right time. I wasn't Brett Hull, I didn't have a 100-mile-per-hour snap shot that put the puck under the bar in the apex of the corner. Just get it on net, follow it up, and if there's a rebound ...Even when I clinic kids nowadays, I say, "Just hit the net." I think that one went five-hole on Belfour. He came out and his legs were open and I threw a little sauce on it and it went just over his stick and between his legs. If he does get a piece of it, I'm still going toward the net for a rebound. I'd rather hit the net than miss it and have to backcheck. (laughs)Describe the scene after you complete the hat trick.My godfather from Clearwater was at the game with his family; he's a Michiganite but he's been down there for 35 years now. When I got the hat trick, he was so excited that he threw his hat on the ice, and the ushers, I guess they were instructed that, if anybody throws anything on the ice, throw 'em out. (laughs) So the usher was like, "Sir, come on, you're out."I think even (general manager Phil Esposito) saw it and said, "No, no, no! In hockey that's allowed! When someone scores three, that's the tradition! You throw hats!" The Floridians were just so new to hockey; they had a steep learning curve in the beginning but they loved it, because they were right into it. And to start with a 7-3 win was a great way to kick it off.So, with three in the bag and your team enjoying a four-on-three advantage late in the second, you strike again. Take me through that goal.That one was just a reaction. Joe Reekie saw me at the side of the net and I just knew it was coming hard enough. I redirected it between my legs to where I thought it was going to hit the net and I squeezed it past Belfour.I think I had pretty good hands as a player, I had gone on some runs before. I was actually more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer if you looked at my career production, but that's fine.I can't help but notice that, when the camera pans to you on the bench after each goal, you look mostly indifferent. No smile. Not even a hint of a smile! What was that about?I had been playing pro for 12 years. I wish I played every game like a 1,000-game player in the NHL, but it was a grind for me. I'd get called up, do my best, if the numbers or the politics weren't right, I'd get sent down. If the contract wasn't right, I'd go to Europe and play, and then come back because somebody else was giving me a shot.It was a euphoric feeling, just the feeling of being back and trying to make a mark for myself so that I can stay in the NHL.Where do you keep the pucks from that game?They were in a drawer in my basement, and then we used to have a backyard rink, and I'm pretty sure they're in the lake now. I think the kids, when they ran out of pucks, would just go look for pucks and grab them. I don't know, I might have them. They had tape around them, but the kids didn't care.That night kick-started an amazing run in which you scored 18 goals in your first 18 games, prompting me to ask for (and receive) your jersey from my parents as a Christmas gift. What was the key to that run?I was just doing what I always tried to do. If you look back, when I was in Los Angeles, I went on a bit of a run in the playoffs, and felt like if I was given the opportunity, I thought I could produce. But that's not always the case in hockey. There's all kind of factors that determine whether a guy plays, or doesn't play, or what line he plays on, or how much power-play time he gets.That's just the way it is. It's no different than a Broadway play where there's the star actors and the supporting actors and the guys behind the scenes. There's a hierarchy - and sometimes you can get into a good position and sometimes you can't.The Lightning had one of the more interesting seasons of any expansion team in history. What stands out most for you from that year?The team wasn't built on star-studded names. Crisp had the guys working 100 percent every night. There were a lot of one-goal games. We just did our best.Other entries in the series:

Mike Fisher has been mulling retirement since his Nashville Predators lost Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It appears the free-agent center is nearing a decision as to whether he wants to return for another NHL season."He is on vacation, and I have been away and (focused on preparing for arbitration hearings)," Predators general manager David Poile told Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. "I'm hoping to talk to him later this week to see where he's at. I'd say by next week, we should have an update."Even in his age-36 season, Fisher was still a valuable player for the Preds. He scored 18 goals, tallied 42 points, and won 54.9 percent of his faceoffs.With Nick Bonino now in the fold, Fisher would be able to slot in as the team's third-line center - a much more fitting role for the 37-year-old.With few remaining centers left in free agency, the Preds would likely turn to in-house options Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons, or Frederick Gaudreau to fill the third-line vacancy left by Fisher if he opts for retirement.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey Canada unveiled the management team Tuesday that will be tasked with building the country's Olympic roster for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.Former NHL goalie Sean Burke, currently scouting for the Montreal Canadiens, will serve as general manager, while Martin Brodeur, assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues, will be part of the management team.Former Vancouver Canucks bench boss Willie Desjardins will coach the club.Burke and Brodeur will work alongside Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney, president and COO Scott Smith, and vice president of hockey operations Scott Salmond.Filling out the rest of Desjardins' coaching staff will be assistant coaches Dave King, Scott Walker, and Craig Woodcroft."This is an exciting time for Hockey Canada and for our national men's team program, and it will be an exciting season for Canadian hockey fans," said Renney. "The goal is always to field the best possible team in all upcoming competitions, including this February when we hit the world's biggest sporting stage in Pyeongchang. The faces on our Team Canada rosters may be different than in previous years, but the expectations will be the same; with the addition of Sean, Martin, Willie, Dave, Scott, and Craig, we have assembled some of the best hockey minds out there to help us meet those expectations of on-ice success."In the 2018 Games, no NHL players will be loaned to their respective countries. Due to that wrinkle, Canada will compete in various tournaments starting in Russia in August in order to properly evaluate potential players."These first two events allow us to continue a player evaluation process that began last season with our Deutschland Cup and Spengler Cup teams," said Salmond. "We will continue to look at the best available players to us - these two tournaments being the next opportunity to see some of the talent we can select from."Canada is looking to capture gold in men's hockey for the third straight games and the fourth time since 2002.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the most memorable moments of the greatest campaign in NHL history. This edition centers around Manon Rheaume, who became the first woman to compete with a men's North American pro sports team when she played an exhibition game for the Tampa Bay Lightning:The final line score might not look that impressive: two goals against on nine shots in 20 minutes of an exhibition game. But for Manon Rheaume, all that mattered was the real result: the 20-year-old had made history as the first woman to appear in a men's professional hockey league.Not bad for a woman who played in just one major junior game in her career - a stint with the Trois-Rivieres Draveurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in which she received a rude awakening to live action, as she explained to NHL.com's Arpon Basu in a 2012 interview:

The New Jersey Devils announced they've locked up three restricted free agents Tuesday: defenseman Mirco Mueller, forward Joseph Blandisi, and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.Mueller's deal is for two years and will pay the 22-year-old $775,000 this upcoming season and $925,000 in the 2018-19 season. Blandisi's contract is a two-way deal for two years and will pay him $660,000 and $700,000 in those respective years. Finally, Wedgewood will earn $650,000 on a one-year, two-way contract.Mueller was acquired from the San Jose Sharks during the draft in a deal that also included a swap of draft picks. In 54 career games over the last three years, he's tallied two goals and six points.Blandisi is coming off his second season split between the Devils and their American Hockey League affiliate in Albany. In 68 games at the NHL level, the 23-year-old has put up eight goals and 26 points.Wedgewood missed most of the 2016-17 season with an injury and played exclusively in the AHL, but made a strong first impression in the NHL in the prior campaign: He suited up in four games, going 2-1-1 with a .957 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran defenseman Mark Streit signed a one-year deal to return to the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced Tuesday.The deal comes with a cap hit of $700,000, reports TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie.Streit - who concluded the 2016-17 campaign as a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins - began the season with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he scored five goals and added 16 assists in 49 games. He was then traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the deadline, and was subsequently flipped to Pittsburgh later that day.Streit was rarely used during the Penguins' journey to the Cup, averaging just 15:03 of ice time per game in only three appearances while contributing two assists.He last played for the Canadiens in 2007-08, scoring 25 goals and recording 109 points over a three-year span with the club that began in the 2005-06 season. He left Montreal to join the New York Islanders via free agency, and went on to post a total of 179 points over 286 games.Now 39 years old, Streit is coming off a four-year contract that carried an annual average value of $5.25 million. His ice time has dropped in each of the past two seasons.The signing of Streit leaves the future of long-time Canadiens defender Andrei Markov up in the air. The 38-year-old Markov remains an unrestricted free agent and is coming off a season in which he recorded 36 points in 62 games while averaging 21:50 of ice time.According to Cap Friendly, the Canadiens have a little over $9 million in cap space remaining for the coming season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers and forward Mika Zibanejad agreed to a five-year, $26.75-million contract, the team announced Tuesday.Both sides had a 9 a.m. ET arbitration meeting on Tuesday, but came to terms on a deal prior to a third-party's decision.The deal appears to be a big win for Zibanejad. who was asking for $5.35 million per season from the Rangers, who were reportedly countering with a contract valued at $4.1 million per season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Zibanejad is coming off his first season with the Rangers since being acquired from the Ottawa Senators for forward Derick Brassard. The 24-year-old was limited to just 56 games due to injury, posting 14 goals and 37 points.Zibanejad proved his worth in the postseason, where he led the club in scoring with nine points in 12 games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The team that finished the 2016-17 NHL season with a league-worst 48 points has largely remained intact this offseason.The Colorado Avalanche re-signed restricted free-agent forward Matt Nieto to a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday, resolving his case prior to a meeting with an arbitrator. The deal's worth $1 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.The Nieto signing leaves defenseman Nikita Zadorov as the Avalanche's lone remaining restricted free agent.Nieto began last season with the San Jose Sharks, posting just two assists while averaging 12:13 of ice time in the team's first 16 games. He was eventually placed on waivers and claimed by the last-place Avalanche, where he showed some improvement while seeing his ice time increased to 15:56 per game. He scored seven goals with four assists in 43 contests with Colorado.Nieto has totaled 81 points in 264 games over his four-year career thus far.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the most memorable moments of the greatest campaign in NHL history. This edition focuses on the 1993 All-Star Game, a one-sided affair in which the Wales Conference steamrolled its Campbell Conference counterpart:Considering everything else that helped solidify it as one of the greatest seasons in NHL history, the 1992-93 campaign deserved a memorable All-Star Game - and boy, did it get one.Led by New York Rangers winger Mike Gartner and his stunning four-goal performance, the Wales Conference cruised to a 16-6 drubbing over the Campbell Conference, establishing a single-game goals record that stood until 2015. Gartner wasn't even supposed to play, but was named as a late replacement for teammate Mark Messier, who was nursing a wrist injury.Gartner's scoring exploits put a cap on one of the most entertaining All-Star weekends in history, even with two of the league's biggest stars out of action. In addition to Messier sitting out, Pittsburgh Penguins megastar and league scoring leader Mario Lemieux was forced to miss the game due to treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma.Even still, both sides had plenty of star power. The Campbell Conference's starting lineup featured a Hall of Fame sextet that included Chicago Blackhawks netminder Ed Belfour, Detroit Red Wings center Steve Yzerman, and St. Louis Blues sharpshooter Brett Hull. Among the reserves: A Los Angeles Kings trio of Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Jari Kurri. Not bad.The Wales Conference boasted plenty of firepower itself, headlined by an all-Pittsburgh Penguins starting forward line of Rick Tocchet, Kevin Stevens, and Jaromir Jagr. Gartner was joined on the reserves list by fellow snipers Peter Bondra of the Washington Capitals, Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres, and Joe Sakic of the Quebec Nordiques. Equally not bad.Yet, despite the perceived parity in lineups, this one was over in a hurry. Gartner scored a pair of goals on his first shift, and his hat-trick marker with 6:38 remaining in the first period put the Wales Conference ahead 6-0. He added his fourth of the game 3:33 into the middle frame.It was a defining moment for Gartner, who spent the majority of his career in the shadows of Gretzky, Lemieux, and others despite reaching the 700-goal plateau. He'd entered the 1992-93 season as the only player in NHL history to register 14 consecutive 30-goal campaigns, and even showed off his wheels by winning the Fastest Skater competition a day earlier - at age 33, no less.The four-goal burst tied him with Gretzky, Lemieux, and Vincent Damphousse for the most in a single All-Star Game - a mark that's been equaled by Dany Heatley (2003) and John Tavares (2015). Gartner's linemates tried setting him up for a fifth, but it wasn't to be.While Gartner made the biggest headlines, he certainly wasn't alone. Rick Tocchet (No. 22, shown below) had a pair of second-period goals, including the eventual game-winner just 19 seconds into the frame, while Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders added two goals and two assists in the win. Adam Oates of the Boston Bruins chipped in with four assists.Even defenseman Brad Marsh of the expansion Ottawa Senators got in on the action, tallying at 12:52 of the third period to give the Wales Conference an absurd 15-2 advantage. How significant was that goal? Marsh, the commissioner's pick for the Wales roster, finished his NHL career with just 23 goals in 1,086 games. (Hey, when you're hot, you're hot.)It was a rough day for the Gretzky-Robitaille-Kurri Campbell Conference triumvirate, which finished without a point. Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks scored a pair of goals in defeat, while Jeremy Roenick of the Blackhawks, Kelly Kisio of the San Jose Sharks, and rookie phenom Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets each added a goal and an assist.To no one's surprise, Gartner was awarded All-Star Game MVP honors, taking home a 1993 Chrysler Intrepid for his efforts. And he had a message for the guy whose roster spot he claimed."Mark Messier gets a big handshake and a thank you very much," Gartner joked with reporters after the game. "If you're watching, Mess, thank you. I'll buy you dinner for this."Other entries in the series:

The concussion lawsuit between the NHL and its former players is about to get rolling.According to TSN's Rick Westhead, the two sides have a court date set for Oct. 11, when the lawyers for former players will argue the case should qualify as a class-action suit.Should the court agree, upwards of 5,000 alumni who suffered from concussion-related problems will instantly become plaintiffs. In that case, only players who elect to opt out of the case would be excluded from the proceedings and any potential payout.The lawsuit began with 10 players, including former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Rick Vaive, but quickly grew to over 100 names.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres announced Tuesday they re-signed goaltender Robin Lehner to a one-year, $4-million deal for the 2017-18 season.Lehner started 79 games for the Sabres over the past two seasons, posting a record of 28-35-13 with a .921 save percentage and 2.63 goals-against average.The 26-year-old was originally selected 46th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2009 draft. He owns a career .918 SV% and 2.76 GAA through 155 starts and 166 games played.The short-term pact will see Lehner become a restricted free agent at the end of the upcoming season. Meanwhile, veteran Chad Johnson will serve as the Sabres' backup goaltender in 2017-18 and then become an unrestricted free agent next summer.Twenty-three-year-old goaltender Linus Ullmark is viewed as the future of the team in the crease, but he's appeared in just 21 NHL games over the past two campaigns and struggled to a .909 SV% in 55 games at the AHL level last season.According to Cap Friendly, the Sabres still have two remaining RFAs in forward Zemgus Girgensons and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu. They are currently an approximate $11 million below the 2017-18 salary cap.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators defenseman Derek Smith is among three players who have been suspended by the KHL for doping, the league announced Tuesday.Per the release, Smith tested positive for a category S6.a stimulant, defenseman Andrei Konev tested positive for a category S6.b stimulant, and forward Danis Zaripov tested positive for a category S6.b stimulant and category S5 diuretics and masking agents.In accordance with the tests, Smith has been suspended until Sept. 2, 2018, Konev until Nov. 19, 2017, and Zaripov was dealt the biggest suspension, which will see him banned until May 22, 2019.

By all rights, Thomas Vanek should be signed by now.And yet, as August approaches, and despite a solid bounce-back season that should have earned him a measure of job security, the 33-year-old winger remains without a contract for 2017-18.After being bought out by the Minnesota Wild last summer, Vanek signed a one-year, $2.6-million contract with the Detroit Red Wings, for whom he registered 15 goals and 23 assists in 48 games.Vanek was flipped to the Florida Panthers prior to the trade deadline, and added two goals and eight assists in 20 games to his point total. Overall, his 48 points in 68 games last season ranks him first among all remaining unrestricted free agents.Clearly he still has some gas left in the tank, and what he lacks in speed, he makes up for in net-front presence, deft passing, and sharp shooting.Here, then, are three teams that should not let him remain unemployed.San Jose SharksPatrick Marleau's departure left a hole in the Sharks' lineup that could be handily filled by a dexterous winger like Vanek.While playing for a pair of non-playoff teams last season, Vanek recorded two more points than Marleau, and in 14 fewer games played. And over the course of their respective careers, Vanek has, on average, outproduced the former Shark.PlayerGamesGoals/GPAssists/GPPoints/GPMarleau14930.340.380.72Vanek8850.380.570.79Vanek will no doubt come much cheaper than the $6.25-million cap hit Marleau will carry with the Toronto Maple Leafs over the next three seasons, and could be equally, if not more, effective on the ice.Montreal CanadiensVanek's previous run with the Canadiens was brief but effective.Traded to Montreal by the New York Islanders prior to the 2014 deadline, Vanek scored six goals and added nine assists in 18 regular-season games, and contributed five goals and five assists in 17 playoff appearances for the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.Much like in San Jose, a roster spot opened up after Alexander Radulov decided to move to Dallas, and Vanek's 0.71 points per game average last season matched that of the Russian, who's only 2.5 years younger.Radulov will make Marleau money with the Stars, and could be replaced on the cheap with a player who's proven to be able to succeed on one of hockey's biggest stages.Sure, the Canadiens did add Ales Hemsky on a low-risk deal earlier this summer, but could further shore up the forward ranks with a familiar face.Nasvhille PredatorsStill yet to re-sign top center Ryan Johansen, the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators have worked their cap situation to perfection, with over $13.4 million in available funds to strengthen a fairly complete roster.Scott Hartnell was signed to a one-year deal worth $1 million, but he managed only 37 points in 78 games last season. Vanek is younger and better, and after coming so close to winning the Stanley Cup, the time is now for Nashville to add as many contributing pieces as possible.The Predators' injury issues during this year's playoff run proved the team could use some depth, and Vanek's veteran experience, and more importantly, his skill set, could help ensure a return to the Stanley Cup Final and hopefully a win next time around.Wherever Vanek signs, he's no doubt been on the market for too long.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

By advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and subsequently dishing out numerous team-friendly contracts in the evaluation period that followed, the Nashville Predators have firmly staked their claim as a perennial threat in the Western Conference.Since seeing their captivating playoff run end two wins shy of the ultimate prize in June, general manager David Poile has brought in Nick Bonino and Scott Hartnell to solidify his forward corps, and handed out new contracts to five restricted free agents, most notably Viktor Arvidsson and Austin Watson.However, one roster player remains without a contract for 2017-18, and it's a big one - Ryan Johansen.Below, we dive into what the star center might earn as he awaits a new deal.His backgroundJohansen is coming off his first full year with the Predators, a successful campaign in which he proved his worth by finishing the season tied for the team lead with 61 points. He carried his success into the playoffs with 13 points in 14 games, but was stunningly shut down after emergency thigh surgery.On July 31, Johansen will turn 25 years old, and the end of the 2016-17 campaign signaled the conclusion of his three-year, $12-million extension signed in 2014, then with the Columbus Blue Jackets.Johansen infamously held out before signing said deal, and his rocky relationship with the club that drafted him fourth overall in 2010 ended with a trade to Nashville in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones last January. However, after fitting in nicely atop the Predators' center depth chart, it's unlikely any similar problems emerge as Johansen and Poile work to reach an agreement.Comparables from around league(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)After playing out his bridge deal, Johansen should be reasonably inclined to expect a long-term contract, and here are some comparable pacts recently signed by forwards across the NHL.Player (Position)Team AgeLengthAAVCareer P/PGEvgeny Kuznetsov (C)Capitals258 years$7.8M0.69Sean Monahan (C)Flames217 years$6.375M0.68Mark Scheifele (C)Jets238 years$6.125M0.74Aleksander Barkov (C)Panthers206 years$5.9M0.67Filip Forsberg (C/RW)Predators216 years$6M0.72(Contract information courtesy: CapFriendly)Through 433 career games, Johansen's per-game production rate sits at 0.66. Last season, he owned a remarkable Corsi-For percentage of 55.9 percent in the regular season, and further boosted his value by winning 54.6 percent of his faceoffs.Poile's magic, and a verdictThat Poile has managed to keep just over $13 million in cap space with only Johansen left to sign is wizardry in itself, and there's no reason to believe the veteran executive won't strike a deal that doesn't greatly benefit the future of his club.Somehow, Nashville's core of Arvidsson, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis combine for only $20.5 million in annual salary, and Poile's knack for locking down his players at reasonable rates before they hit their peaks has paid great dividends in affording the financial flexibility to build a championship-worthy roster.For years, Nashville's missing ingredient was a top-line center, and now the club has a chance to secure a young, prospering two-way pivot in Johansen. With P.K. Subban raking in $9 million per season, Johansen surely won't leave his negotiations as the Predators' highest-paid skater, but he's well in line to earn second spot on the list, ahead of Filip Forsberg's forward-leading $6 million.In his contract year, Johansen adequately demonstrated his importance to the Predators, and his absence in the postseason left a glaring, perhaps insurmountable hole in the lineup. Now, it's time to pay him, and a deal, let's say, for seven years and $7 million annually, fits more than comfortably in Nashville's books, and is cost-comparable to several of Johansen's peers across the league.Now we wait.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chuck Greenberg, who's reportedly in the market to purchase the Carolina Hurricanes, spent some time Monday checking out the team's practice facility as part of a fact-finding trip, according to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer.On July 13, Bloomberg News reported Greenberg was close to purchasing the club for approximately $500 million in a deal that would keep the team in North Carolina. The Hurricanes later confirmed owner Peter Karmanos Jr. is indeed considering an offer to sell.Alexander added Greenberg would not discuss the details of his visit, nor comment on the reported sale. The potential ownership group, however, is believed to include local investors.Greenberg is the former CEO of the Texas Rangers and remains involved in the ownership of three minor-league baseball teams.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian Dumoulin is a tough character.The Pittsburgh Penguins defender, who emerged as pivotal piece to the club's successful title defense, and recently earned a six-year contract extension for doing so, broke his hand multiple times in the playoffs, he told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Dumoulin was initially injured in Game 5 of the first round versus the Columbus Blue Jackets after blocking a slap shot. After keeping it a secret and hoping to let it heal, Dumoulin's hand was broken multiple times as he suited up in all 25 of the Penguins' postseason contests."It would get better for a little bit," Dumoulin said. "I'd do a cross-check then it would break again. It was a process."The 25-year-old led Pittsburgh by logging 21:59 per game in the playoffs, and chipped in six points along the way despite the ailment."It was tough to play with it, but obviously everybody had injuries," he said. "It's all healed up now. They were deciding on surgery or not at the end of the season, but doctors saw a little bit of healing."Dumoulin said he doesn't know how many times he broke and re-broke his hand, but clearly the injury wasn't debilitating enough to prevent him from hoisting his second Stanley Cup in as many years - or stop him from putting his signature on a fresh contract that will pay him $4.1 million per season until 2023.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"It's been an interesting few months for me to say the least."That's how Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo began an open letter posted on the team's website in which he thanked all those who reached out during his time away from the ice and shed some light on the illness that forced him to be hospitalized and miss the end of the regular season.It all started, Okposo explained, with a hard bump from a routine hit in practice, and climaxed following a game against the Florida Panthers on March 27, his last of the season.Okposo had been losing sleep, and, after being removed from the lineup for a game the next night due to a lack of appetite, went to the hospital with the hope that doctors could help him get some rest.He was given sleep medication that caused a negative reaction - including continued lack of sleep and rapid weight loss - and was later admitted to the Neuro Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Buffalo General in order to be stabilized.After prioritizing time with family following his release, he's now on the road back to the Sabres' lineup, beginning with a stint in this summer's Da Beauty League.

Four more years for Adam Pelech.The New York Islanders signed the 22-year-old defenseman to a four-year extension Monday, a deal which runs through the 2020-21 season.Pelech split last season between the Islanders and the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He tallied 10 points in 44 games with the Islanders, plus five points in 13 minor-league contests."Adam has proven at a very young age that he's capable of playing an important defensive role on our team," Islanders president and general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. "He will be an important piece of our defensive core moving forward and I'm excited to watch him continue to develop at the NHL level."The deal is worth $1.6 million per season, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday.The Islanders drafted Pelech with the 65th pick in 2012.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite having a richer deal on the table, Johnny Oduya was willing to take less money to sign with the Ottawa Senators.The veteran defenseman, who split last season between the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks, signed a one-year, bonus-laden deal with Senators on Monday that will see him earn a base salary of $1 million.The 35-year-old, who tallied nine points in 52 games last season, could take home an additional $1.25 million should he meet certain ice-time and games-played requirements, and if the Senators qualify for the postseason.But it wasn't about the money for Oduya. Rather, it was the opportunity to win, something the two-time Stanley Cup champion is acutely familiar with."He wanted to go to a team that had a chance to win," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told TSN 1200 on Monday. "I know for a fact that a team offered him more money and he chose to go to (the Senators) just for the reason that he felt it was a better fit and they have a better chance to win."The Senators proved to be tough competition in last year's playoffs, as they advanced to the conference finals, but came up one goal short against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.The hope is that Oduya can help build on last year's squad, much of which will return in 2017-18, minus top-pairing defenseman Marc Methot who was lost in the expansion draft. Methot played alongside Senators captain Erik Karlsson last season, a duty that could shift to Oduya in the coming campaign.Dorion noted that Oduya's experience allows him to fit anywhere on the blue line, but in any event, was happy to get him signed as the two sides had been in contract talks since July 2, just after free agency opened."This was the one defenseman that we were really on from the start," Dorion added. "Just what we're looking for, for the right fit for our team."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Player agent Lewis Gross is a busy man these days.Gross has been going hard negotiating contracts for a couple of his clients and one of those - Brian Dumoulin - is reaping the benefits after inking a six-year, $24.6-million deal on Monday.With Dumoulin now inked to a deal, Lewis' priorities will now shift to fellow Pittsburgh Penguin, forward Conor Sheary, who also remains a restricted free agent seeking a deal."We've been working on Conor for a while," Gross said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We'll get back at it (Tuesday). Hopefully we'll be able to make a deal on Conor as well."Lewis doesn't necessarily believe the process will go down the same way Dumoulin's did, but in the end he believes both sides would like to avoid arbitration."Each one is so different," Gross said. "Ultimately, though, team and player would like to avoid going in that room. It's not a pleasant experience."Sheary has quickly become an important cog in the Penguins' offense, helping the team in its back-to-back Stanley Cup runs. This past season - his first full campaign in the NHL - he tallied 23 goals and 53 points in 61 games.The Penguins and Sheary are scheduled to have an arbitration meeting on Aug. 4.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pat LaFontaine was one of the best forwards of his generation, racking up 1,013 points in 865 games over his 15-year NHL career. And like many other players, his best work came during the 1992-93 season, when he amassed 148 points with the Buffalo Sabres - one of the top 20 single-season totals in NHL history. I recently spoke with LaFontaine about that historic performance:So that 1992-93 season was incredible, not just for you, but for a lot of guys. Do you find yourself talking about it much these days?I do. When I run into hockey fans, they either want to talk about the Easter Epic (when LaFontaine scored the winning goal for the New York Islanders at 8:47 of the fourth overtime period in a playoff win over Washington) or the 1992-93 season. The stars seemed to align for so many players and teams that year. Obviously it was a career year for me from a stats perspective.Let's start with the season before. Without getting into the specifics of the nature of the trade, how did you feel about leaving Long Island and starting the next stage of your career in Buffalo?Obviously I have strong ties to Long Island. My wife is from there, my oldest daughter was born there ... it is near and dear to my heart. I really enjoyed my time with the Islanders; I had the privilege of playing with five Hall of Famers, I played for the Stanley Cup, and I learned a lot from guys who had won multiple championships.I prided myself on consistent, high-level play - and I had enjoyed some success playing with (Brian) Trottier, (Mike) Bossy, Bob Nystrom, and Denis Potvin. And with Al Arbour as the coach, I learned so much at a young age. There was a great foundation there. But then we went through a dismantling; the team was trying to rebuild.The trade was about principle for me (LaFontaine and the Islanders were embroiled in a contract dispute that led to him sitting out the start of the season.) But between Alexander Mogilny and Dave Andreychuk, and other guys like Dale Hawerchuk, Doug Bodger, and Donald Audette, I felt there were a lot of great players in Buffalo. And we found chemistry right off the bat.You had enjoyed some offensive success with the Islanders, but in your first year in Buffalo, you hit a whole other level. What changed?I think for me, I was just fortunate. (The Islanders) were going through a period of transition; reloading didn't work, so they went with a rebuild, focusing on younger players. They were going in a different direction. I was in the middle of my career when I arrived in Buffalo, and I was fortunate to be put between two terrific players in Andreychuk and Mogilny.It must have been exciting to be flanked by two elite goal scorers.I remember thinking, "Mogilny has so much talent." I have never seen anyone faster between the blue lines. So I tell him, "Let's do some give-and-gos. You're so quick between the lines, just let me get the puck to you." I also encouraged him to shoot more; he had a great shot, but didn't shoot enough.There's a story I like to tell. Alex had three areas of the ice where he liked to shoot from. I told Alex, "Trust me to get you the puck there. If you do, I guarantee you'll score 50 goals." And when he skated away, I told the trainer "If he does that, I bet you he'll score 70." The trainer laughed and walked away. And sure enough, Alex scored 76.Andreychuk was that big body who tipped a lot of pucks. He was great at creating traffic in front of the net. We had such great chemistry; things just took off. We had a lot of fun playing together. I felt like I had a sixth sense out there, and it made for some fun synergy.You wound up losing a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Boston Bruins in the opening round of the 1992 playoffs. Did that sit with you?It was tough. We were still learning, evolving, and growing as a team. So it was a good learning experience. It was definitely frustrating, but it was a stepping stone for us.John Muckler took over behind the bench during that season, and 1992-93 represented his first full campaign in Buffalo. What did he bring to the team that year?John is a really brilliant systems guy. He's so good at breaking down film and coming up with a game plan for the best way to attack an opponent through puck pursuit and other areas. He was part of a high-tempo offensive attack in Edmonton, and he brought a lot of that with him to Buffalo.I saw him recently, and thanked him for bringing such high-tempo, high-IQ hockey to that team. The focus on puck pursuit, faceoffs, tempo ... it made the game a lot more fun to play. I really enjoyed it.You had an opportunity to play with Hawerchuk, one of the greatest passing centers in history. What did you learn from him?He was Gretzky-like in his hockey IQ. I remember watching him in Windsor for the Memorial Cup when he was playing with Cornwall; I followed him. His ability to see the ice, his amazing hands ... he had his own style, very high thinking, high IQ. We made such a great 1-2 punch in Buffalo.You look at some of the best teams in history, you have Gretzky-Messier, you have Crosby-Malkin. Great teams often have multiple threats up the middle. Dale and I also played on the power play together that season, and there are times the puck would just appear on my stick. It was amazing.So you get off to a great start, and the Sabres put together a nice run heading into February. And then, the trade: Andreychuk and Daren Puppa to Toronto for Grant Fuhr. What was your reaction?It was tough. Dave brought size, goal-scoring, and that ability to cause traffic in front of the net. He had amazing hands, and was great as the third guy high in the slot. He was a huge presence, a huge contributor to our success.You have to trust management - and in this case, it was a win-win trade. We paid a price, but I had the privilege of being inducted into the Hall of Fame with Grant Fuhr. He's a great player and an unbelievable person. You can think about what would have happened had the trade not taken place, but the deal worked out for us.You take the scoring lead and hold it into March, sitting with a double-digit advantage over Mario Lemieux upon his return from treatment for Hodgkin's disease. Did you think you might win the scoring title?I wasn't personally following it. I was focused on our chemistry and going about my business - but the guys brought it up. And I remember Mario going on an amazing tear to end the season. But the guys made more of it as the season went along. I remember being on the bus after a win, and I had four points in that game, and someone shouted, "Mario had five!" (laughs)Mario and I have history going back to junior. Laval-Verdun was the marquee matchup (in the QMJHL); he played for Laval, and I played for Verdun. I was 17, he was 16. He had a huge lead on me at Christmas, and our team went out and got Gerard Gallant. The two of us clicked, and I came back to beat him by 50 points. I think he remembered. (laughs)Were you disappointed at not coming out on top?I have the greatest respect for Mario. What he did that season was not only important for hockey, but it was important for Hodgkin's awareness. I was happy to finish second, happy to ride his coattails. It was special.So it was a sensational year for you, obviously, but the Sabres went into the postseason on a sour note, losing their last seven regular-season games. Were you concerned?It's funny ... this was back when parity wasn't prevalent, and teams were securing playoff spots in January. You knew the season would go in waves and phases, where you'd face a bunch of hot teams in a row, and then get hot yourselves. Things kind of peaked at that point, where we lost seven straight and Boston entered the playoffs on fire (16-2-0 over its final 18 games). And then we went on to sweep them.It was a big deal for us, since it had been 10 years since the team had made it to the second round. We wanted to go a lot further, too. You see these eight seeds, Nashville, the Kings (from 2014) ... who would have thought these teams would compete for the Stanley Cup? It's all about momentum.So then you face Montreal, and ... heartbreak again. Every game 4-3, the last three settled in OT. How much did that sting? Does it still sting?When I look back ... you need to be lucky enough to stay healthy, and you have to be deep. And we were a deep team, for sure, but we had too many key guys get hurt at the same time. I had to have knee surgery after the season. Alex broke his ankle (in the Canadiens series). Dale was banged up. Grant had something wrong with his knee.Everything has to come together at the right time - and (Patrick Roy) was on a roll. And who could have predicted that the Canadiens would win 10 straight overtime games and go on to win the Cup? That's just kind of the way it goes.I owe so much to the game of hockey; I look back with fondness, not thinking about what could have been. I choose to focus on the positives of the game. Even after we retire, the game lives on through us. And we take that into everything we do in our life. It would have been great to win a Stanley Cup, but to look back on my career, I feel very fortunate.Here was this kid born in St. Louis, playing on an outdoor rink in Kirkwood, Missouri, moving to Detroit when I was seven ... if you had told me then that there was an opportunity to play hockey, it was unheard of. I never thought I would be here talking to you about this incredible season I had 25 years ago.Well said, Pat. So will we ever see a season like 1992-93 again?It'll be hard. With the video and technology, with the speed and size, with the systems ... it's going to be very hard. I think 1992-93 was really the peak, where everything came together. Never say never, but it's highly unlikely.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the most memorable moments of the greatest campaign in NHL history. This edition focuses on Buffalo Sabres superstar Pat LaFontaine, who reached a point plateau few others have ever visited:You could easily forgive Pat LaFontaine for feeling like a bit of a forgotten man whenever the 1992-93 season is mentioned.Between Mario Lemieux's astounding run to the scoring title, Teemu Selanne obliterating rookie scoring marks, and even LaFontaine's own teammate Alexander Mogilny scoring an otherworldly 76 goals, it can be easy to overlook the fact that LaFontaine became just the sixth player in history to record at least 148 points in a single season.LaFontaine had earned a reputation as one of the league's most dangerous offensive threats well before arriving in Buffalo. The St. Louis native was selected third overall by the New York Islanders in the 1983 draft following a sensational junior career that saw him rack up 234 points in just 70 games with Verdun of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.Expectations were high for an Islanders fan base that was struggling with a rebuild after seeing its team win four consecutive Stanley Cup titles in the late 1970s and early 1980s. And LaFontaine made good on his immense potential, recording back-to-back 40-goal seasons in his early 20s before erupting for career highs in goals (54) and points (105) in 1989-90.But things didn't stay rosy for long. LaFontaine and the Islanders found themselves in a contract dispute following the 1991-92 season, and LaFontaine stayed home rather than report to the team. That spurred the Islanders to make one of the biggest trades in history, shipping him to Buffalo for a package that included former No. 1 overall pick Pierre Turgeon.Blessed with a fresh start following a sour finish to his Long Island tenure, LaFontaine became an instant hit with the Sabres. He scored 46 goals and added 47 assists in just 57 games with his new team, guiding Buffalo to a playoff spot in the Adams Division. But the run was short-lived, as the Sabres fell in seven games to the rival Boston Bruins.Hopes were high in Buffalo the following season - and why not? With a forward core featuring LaFontaine, veteran playmaker Dale Hawerchuk, towering scorer Dave Andreychuk, and speedy sniper Mogilny, the Sabres boasted an impressive attack. And LaFontaine wasted no time showcasing that in 1992-93, racking up 29 points in his first 10 games:DATEOPPSCOREGAPOct. 8vs. QUEL 5-4134Oct. 10at HARW 5-2022Oct. 11vs. MTLW 8-2101Oct. 13at PITL 6-5022Oct. 16vs. TBW 5-4 (OT)112Oct. 21at WASL 6-4112Oct. 23vs. CHIW 4-1123Oct. 28vs SJW 5-4235Oct. 30at TORT 4-4033Oct. 21vs. OTTW 12-3235LaFontaine went on to finish October with 30 points in 11 contests, putting him on the same level as the league's top scorers. His November pace slowed considerably - he recorded just 17 points in 14 games for the month - but the 27-year-old caught fire again in December and January, piling up 45 points over 27 contests. And the Sabres (26-20-6) were benefiting greatly.February saw a significant roster shakeup, as the Sabres dealt Andreychuk and goaltender Daren Puppa, along with a first-round pick, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for veteran netminder Grant Fuhr. The deal sent shockwaves through the division, providing the Sabres with some much-needed stability in goal but carving a major swath through their offense.Yet, despite the loss of Andreychuk, LaFontaine continued chugging along, scoring eight goals and chipping in 14 assists across 10 February contests. By the beginning of March, he'd built up a double-digit lead in the scoring race over Lemieux, who'd been forced out of action for two months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in early January.There wasn't much more LaFontaine could have done in March to improve his Art Ross chances; he scored 10 goals and added 18 assists in 15 games, but actually lost ground to Lemieux, who returned to amass an absurd 37 points over that span. And Le Magnifique saved his best for last, adding 19 points in April to LaFontaine's seven, winning the scoring title by 12.But LaFontaine could hardly be disappointed about the end result: He set franchise records for assists (95) and points (148), while helping Mogilny establish a new team mark for goals. LaFontaine finished third in Hart Trophy voting - behind Lemieux and Doug Gilmour - while also placing third in Lady Byng voting and making the NHL's All-Star second team.The Sabres, despite losing the final seven games of the regular season, saw a 12-point improvement over the previous campaign - and that earned them a rematch with the Bruins in Round 1. The result was quite different in 1993, as the Sabres swept their rivals out of the postseason behind a one-goal, six-assist performance from LaFontaine.But that's as far as the Sabres would get, as they ran into a charmed Montreal Canadiens team that won four straight 4-3 decisions - the final three in overtime - to complete a second-round sweep. LaFontaine did his part with five points in the first three contests, but missed Game 4 with a knee injury and wouldn't get another chance to keep Buffalo's playoff hopes alive.Concussions cut LaFontaine's career short; he played just 194 more games before being forced to call it quits at 33. But with 1,013 points over 865 regular-season contests, he was deservedly inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 - and he'll forever have a place in hockey annals after producing one of the greatest seasons in NHL history.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins and Ryan Spooner are nearly $2 million apart in their contract negotiations.Spooner, who is a restricted free agent, is asking for $3.85 million from the Bruins, while the team is countering with $2 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The 25-year-old is coming off his second full season in the league during which he tallied 11 goals and 39 points in 78 games. Spooner is also coming off his second contract with the Bruins that saw him earn $1.9 million over two years.Spooner and the Bruins are scheduled to go before a third-party arbitrator Wednesday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.