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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/16/2013 Boston Bruins 714370 Bruins dismiss top scout Wayne Smith 714371 Bruins fire Director of Amateur Scouting 714372 Bruins dismiss director of scouting Calgary Flames 714373 Calgary Flames prospect Tyler Wotherspoon could crack roster 714374 Pavlo Padakin skating at Calgary Flames prospect camp 714375 Sven Baertschi gets physical at Calgary Flames prospect camp Carolina Hurricanes 714376 Lindholm signed, says he's ready for NHL 714377 Canes expect top draft pick Elias Lindholm to make team Chicago Blackhawks 714378 Re-air on CSN: Hawks-Kings Western Conference Final Columbus Blue Jackets 714379 Michael Arace commentary: Jackets not rushing into new contract for Gaborik Detroit Red Wings 714380 Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Brendan Smith to 2-year contract 714381 Detroit Red Wings to host NHL prospects tournament in Traverse City 714382 Report: Red Wings' Damien Brunner close to signing with Devils 714383 Brendan Smith, Red Wings avoid arbitration with two-year deal 714384 Brendan Smith experienced growing pains as rookie, but Red Wings believe in his potential 714385 Red Wings announce schedule, ticket information for 2013 NHL Prospects Tournament 714386 Red Wings, Brendan Smith agree to two-year contract extension, avoid arbitration 714387 Injured forward Darren Helm pleased with progress he saw at Detroit Red Wings Development Camp 714388 Chris Chelios helps prank his son, birthday boy Dean, at Detroit Red Wings Development Camp 714389 Red Wings would like to make another move or two, but that's not likely to happen before training camp 714390 Red Wings re-sign Brendan Smith Edmonton Oilers 714391 Oilers GM Craig MacTavish is “reasonably comfortable” with depth on Oilers now 714392 Belanger signs one-year deal in KHL 714393 Eric Belanger moving to KHL after Edmonton Oilers buyout Florida Panthers 714394 Florida Panthers sign Barkov, Markstrom 714395 MARKSTROM RESIGNS: Panthers Goalie Gets Two-Year Deal 714396 BARKOV SIGNS: Panthers Rookie Aleksander Barkov Signs ELC 714397 Panthers re-sign goalie Jacob Markstrom for two years and sign top pick Aleksander Barkov Los Angeles Kings 714398 Kings executive Ron Hextall returns to Flyers 714399 L.A. Kings, defenseman Alec Martinez agree to $2.2M, 2-year contract Minnesota Wild 714400 Minnesota Wild shore up defense with Keith Ballard, Jared Spurgeon 714401 Minnesota Wild: Matt Cullen, sorry to leave, headed to Nashville 714402 Minnesota Wild celebrate the day after the Fourth with some fireworks of their own Montreal Canadiens 714403 Canadiens’ Blake Geoffrion retires from hockey at age 25 714404 Geoffrion calls it quits‘for the time being’ 714405 Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion retires Nashville Predators 714406 Brentwood's Blake Geoffrion, former Nashville Predators forward, retires from hockey New Jersey Devils 714407 Kovalchuk Signs With SKA St. Petersburg of K.H.L. 714408 When the Stanley Cup Missed its Connection 714409 Devils emerge as winners in Ilya Kovalchuk retirement, according to Grantland 714410 Devils prospects camp opens with Anthony Brodeur, Stefan Matteau 714411 Devils' Jon Merrill sets sights on playing in the NHL next season 714412 Devils' prospect Anthony Brodeur begins quest to follow in dad's footsteps 714413 Martin Brodeur not angry about Devils losing best friend David Clarkson 714414 Devils' Pete DeBoer doesn't feel Ilya Kovalchuk double- crossed team 714415 Gulitti: Pete DeBoer takes high road on star leaving 714416 Devils' prospect Anthony Brodeur reminds team of his father 714417 Anthony Brodeur on the ice at Devils’ prospects development camp 714418 Former Devil Ilya Kovalchuk signs four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg 714419 DeBoer shocked that Kovalchuk left Devils for KHL 714420 DeBoer’s Devils move on New York Islanders 714421 Islanders and Bailey Agree to Five-Year Deal 714422 Islanders re-sign Bailey 714423 Islanders, Bailey agree on five-year deal Philadelphia Flyers 714424 Hextall returning to Flyers 714425 Ron Hextall back as Flyers asst. GM 714426 Hextall returns to Flyers as assistant GM 714427 Hextall named Flyers assistant GM 714428 'Gut feeling' brings Ron Hextall back to Flyers' front office 714429 Ron Hextall returns to Flyers as assistant GM 714430 Flyers' draft pick Morin like Pronger? Not yet 714431 Hextall says 'gut feeling' told him to return to Flyers Phoenix Coyotes 714432 Coyotes happy with center position despite losing Gordon Pittsburgh Penguins 714433 Penguins’ prospect camp continues evolution

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Page 1: SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEFpenguins.nhl.com › v2 › ext › media › pdf › 07 16 2013.pdfSPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/16/2013 Boston Bruins 714370 Bruins dismiss top scout Wayne Smith

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/16/2013

Boston Bruins 714370 Bruins dismiss top scout Wayne Smith 714371 Bruins fire Director of Amateur Scouting 714372 Bruins dismiss director of scouting

Calgary Flames 714373 Calgary Flames prospect Tyler Wotherspoon could crack roster 714374 Pavlo Padakin skating at Calgary Flames prospect camp 714375 Sven Baertschi gets physical at Calgary Flames prospect camp

Carolina Hurricanes 714376 Lindholm signed, says he's ready for NHL 714377 Canes expect top draft pick Elias Lindholm to make team

Chicago Blackhawks 714378 Re-air on CSN: Hawks-Kings Western Conference Final

Columbus Blue Jackets 714379 Michael Arace commentary: Jackets not rushing into new contract for Gaborik

Detroit Red Wings 714380 Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Brendan Smith to 2-year contract 714381 Detroit Red Wings to host NHL prospects tournament in Traverse City 714382 Report: Red Wings' Damien Brunner close to signing with Devils 714383 Brendan Smith, Red Wings avoid arbitration with two-year deal 714384 Brendan Smith experienced growing pains as rookie, but Red Wings believe in his potential 714385 Red Wings announce schedule, ticket information for 2013 NHL Prospects Tournament 714386 Red Wings, Brendan Smith agree to two-year contract extension, avoid arbitration 714387 Injured forward Darren Helm pleased with progress he saw at Detroit Red Wings Development Camp 714388 Chris Chelios helps prank his son, birthday boy Dean, at Detroit Red Wings Development Camp 714389 Red Wings would like to make another move or two, but that's not likely to happen before training camp 714390 Red Wings re-sign Brendan Smith

Edmonton Oilers 714391 Oilers GM Craig MacTavish is “reasonably comfortable” with depth on Oilers now 714392 Belanger signs one-year deal in KHL 714393 Eric Belanger moving to KHL after Edmonton Oilers buyout

Florida Panthers 714394 Florida Panthers sign Barkov, Markstrom 714395 MARKSTROM RESIGNS: Panthers Goalie Gets Two-Year Deal 714396 BARKOV SIGNS: Panthers Rookie Aleksander Barkov Signs ELC 714397 Panthers re-sign goalie Jacob Markstrom for two years and sign top pick Aleksander Barkov

Los Angeles Kings 714398 Kings executive Ron Hextall returns to Flyers 714399 L.A. Kings, defenseman Alec Martinez agree to $2.2M, 2-year contract

Minnesota Wild 714400 Minnesota Wild shore up defense with Keith Ballard, Jared Spurgeon 714401 Minnesota Wild: Matt Cullen, sorry to leave, headed to Nashville 714402 Minnesota Wild celebrate the day after the Fourth with some fireworks of their own

Montreal Canadiens 714403 Canadiens’ Blake Geoffrion retires from hockey at age 25 714404 Geoffrion calls it quits‘for the time being’ 714405 Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion retires

Nashville Predators 714406 Brentwood's Blake Geoffrion, former Nashville Predators forward, retires from hockey

New Jersey Devils 714407 Kovalchuk Signs With SKA St. Petersburg of K.H.L. 714408 When the Stanley Cup Missed its Connection 714409 Devils emerge as winners in Ilya Kovalchuk retirement, according to Grantland 714410 Devils prospects camp opens with Anthony Brodeur, Stefan Matteau 714411 Devils' Jon Merrill sets sights on playing in the NHL next season 714412 Devils' prospect Anthony Brodeur begins quest to follow in dad's footsteps 714413 Martin Brodeur not angry about Devils losing best friend David Clarkson 714414 Devils' Pete DeBoer doesn't feel Ilya Kovalchuk double-crossed team 714415 Gulitti: Pete DeBoer takes high road on star leaving 714416 Devils' prospect Anthony Brodeur reminds team of his father 714417 Anthony Brodeur on the ice at Devils’ prospects development camp 714418 Former Devil Ilya Kovalchuk signs four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg 714419 DeBoer shocked that Kovalchuk left Devils for KHL 714420 DeBoer’s Devils move on

New York Islanders 714421 Islanders and Bailey Agree to Five-Year Deal 714422 Islanders re-sign Bailey 714423 Islanders, Bailey agree on five-year deal

Philadelphia Flyers 714424 Hextall returning to Flyers 714425 Ron Hextall back as Flyers asst. GM 714426 Hextall returns to Flyers as assistant GM 714427 Hextall named Flyers assistant GM 714428 'Gut feeling' brings Ron Hextall back to Flyers' front office 714429 Ron Hextall returns to Flyers as assistant GM 714430 Flyers' draft pick Morin like Pronger? Not yet 714431 Hextall says 'gut feeling' told him to return to Flyers

Phoenix Coyotes 714432 Coyotes happy with center position despite losing Gordon

Pittsburgh Penguins 714433 Penguins’ prospect camp continues evolution

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St Louis Blues 714434 Blues release 2013-14 preseason schedule 714435 Blues announce preseason schedule

Tampa Bay Lightning 714436 Lightning re-sign forward J.T. Brown

Toronto Maple Leafs 714437 Maple Leafs making strides with Barbara Underhill: Feschuk 714438 New Maple Leafs boss has parade route mapped out, wants old pics taken down 714439 Doubling MLSE’s value among CEO Tim Leiweke’s big plans

Vancouver Canucks 714444 No urgency in Tanev contract talks, says agent 714445 Chris Tanev’s negotiations going at glacial pace

Washington Capitals 714440 What is the fair market value for Marcus Johansson?

Websites 714446 NBCSports.com / DeBoer: Kovalchuk-less Devils have a big challenge 714447 NBCSports.com / Kovalchuk says he’s not thinking about possibility of NHL return 714448 NBCSports.com / Isles sign Bailey — five years, $16.5 million 714449 NBCSports.com / New Canucks goalie Eriksson excited at opportunity 714450 NBCSports.com / ‘Nothing imminent’ for Brunner: agent 714451 USA TODAY / Flyers bring back Ron Hextall, name him assistant GM 714452 USA TODAY / Canadiens' Blake Geoffrion retires following head injury 714453 USA TODAY / Islanders sign Josh Bailey to five-year extension 714454 USA TODAY / Retired from NHL, Ilya Kovalchuk returning to play in KHL

Winnipeg Jets 714441 Jets draft pick Mark Scheifele working hard to make team this season 714442 Jets' Kane tests recovering foot at development camp 714443 Evander Kane a guest coach at Winnipeg Jets' development camp SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

Page 3: SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEFpenguins.nhl.com › v2 › ext › media › pdf › 07 16 2013.pdfSPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/16/2013 Boston Bruins 714370 Bruins dismiss top scout Wayne Smith

714370 Boston Bruins

Bruins dismiss top scout Wayne Smith

By Kevin Paul Dupont

July 15, 2013

After seven seasons of mixed/weak results in the amateur draft, the lifeblood of NHL franchises, Wayne Smith has been dismissed as the Bruins’ director of amateur scouting.

“Wayne’s a friend and he’s been with us for a while,’’ said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, reached late Monday afternoon by phone. “But we want to change the complexion of our scouting staff.’’

Smith, one of Chiarelli’s first hires when the GM took command of the front office in June 2006, was relieved of his duties in the days immediately following the draft June 30.

Chiarelli has yet to name a successor, but the lead candidate could be Keith Gretzky, the brother of league icon/scoring great Wayne Gretzky, who was hired here as an Ontario-based scout soon after the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in June 2011. Gretzky’s input has been increasingly valued in the front office the last two years and he has had input on amateur players throughout Canada and the United States.

“We’ve got a couple of in-house candidates,’’ said Chiarelli. “So we’ll look there first, and decide then if we want to go outside . . . but right now I’d say that’s not likely.’’

News of Smith’s dismissal was first reported Monday by Ken Campbell of The Hockey News.

“We wanted to freshen up our amateur scouting and shift things a little bit,’’ Chiarelli told The Hockey News. “Wayne has done a good job and I’ll give him a good reference, but we wanted to inject some new life.’’

As Campbell noted in his story, Smith can be “rough around the edges’’ and it’s possible his sometimes-gruff approach finally wore thin with management and fellow Boston scouts. Chiarelli would not comment beyond his initial remarks, other than to say, “I felt I had to make a move.’’

Boston’s roster for the 2013-14 season reflects a dearth of Bruins draft picks, in part because of Chiarelli’s two major transactions that featured first-round picks Phil Kessel and Tyler Seguin being dealt out of town. Kessel was drafted in June 2006, just weeks before Smith was hired, while Seguin was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, the highest selection made under Smith’s watch. Seguin, though, was an obvious pick at No. 2 and scouts make their reputations on finding valuable picks in later rounds.

During the later rounds of the recent playoff run, the Bruins went to battle nightly without a single Boston draft pick among their six defensemen. Doug Hamilton, their puck-moving defenseman-in-waiting and a Smith draft pick, remained on the sideline. Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk, and Adam McQuaid all joined the club via trade. Rookie Torey Krug was signed as a free agent, albeit with Smith’s input.

Up front among the forwards, again there was very little trace of Smith’s influence. Of the 12 forwards to dress in Game 6 against Chicago, Seguin was the only player drafted during Smith’s tenure. The other 11 were selected in drafts not under Smith’s watch or arrived via trade.

“He drafted some serviceable players,’’ said Chiarelli, asked if the move reflected the lack of Smith’s influence on the playoff roster. “Joe Colborne . . . Lane MacDermid . . . a couple of guys yet to make their mark, but serviceable assets.’’

Smith, though, missed badly on Zach Hamill, the club’s first-round pick, No. 8 overall, in the 2007 draft. With the No. 9 pick, the Sharks selected Logan Couture, who has gone on to score 89 goals and 167 points in 232 games.

Later in the first round, the Canadiens took Ryan McDonagh and also Max Pacioretty, just two of the players later in the first round who have become NHL regulars.

Hamill was traded to the Capitals in 2012 for Chris Bourque, then later dished to the Panthers.

Boston Globe LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714371 Boston Bruins

Bruins fire Director of Amateur Scouting

Monday, July 15, 2013

Steve Conroy

Two weeks after the NHL amateur draft, the Bruins have fired Director of Amateur Scouting Wayne Smith. Smith as one of GM Peter Chiarelli's first hires in 2006 and became head scout in 2007.

“Wayne was a really good scout for us and he helped our organization a lot,” said Chiarelli on Monday. “But right now we're looking to take our staff in a different direction.”

Considered an excellent regional scout who knows the fertile ground of the Ontario Hockey League, Smith may have been miscast as an administrator of a department. He will not remain in the organization. The move was originally reported by The Hockey News. There was also an early whiff in 2007 when the B's took Zach Hamill wth the eight overall pick. Logan Couture, Brandon Sutter and Ryan McDonagh were just a few of the NHLers taken after him.

No player from the 2007-09 drafts has established himself yet as an NHL player yet, though Joe Colborne, the first rounder from 2008 who was traded in the Tomas Kaberle deal, could work out in Toronto and Jordan Caron, the B's first rounder in 2009, still has a chance to make it with the B's. Lane MacDermid, a fourth rounder on 2009 who was part of the Jaromir Jagr deal, has a good shot to make it as a four line/fighter.

There could still be some hits from the later years that could blossom, such as Ryan Spooner (2011), Jared Knight (2011) and Malcolm Subban (2012) while the top end picks fronm the Phil Kessel deal, Dougie Hamilton (2011) and the recently traded Tyler Seguin (2012), should be in the NHL for years to come. In the 2013 draft in which the B's did not have a first rounder, the B's took three Europeans, two Americans and one OHL player in the final round.

Chiarelli said he does not have a replacement but does have candidates in mind, including an in-house one.

Boston Herald LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714372 Boston Bruins

Bruins dismiss director of scouting

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Steve Conroy

Two weeks after the NHL draft, the Bruins have fired director of amateur scouting Wayne Smith. He was one of general manager Peter Chiarelli’s first hires in 2006 and became head scout in 2007.

“Wayne was a really good scout for us and he helped our organization a lot,” Chiarelli said yesterday. “But right now we’re looking to take our staff in a different direction.”

Considered an excellent regional scout who knows the fertile ground of the Ontario Hockey League, Smith may have been miscast as head of a department. He will not remain in the organization. The move was originally reported by The Hockey News.

There was an early whiff in the 2007 draft when the B’s took Zach Hamill with the eighth overall pick. Logan Couture, Brandon Sutter and Ryan McDonagh were just a few of the NHLers taken after him.

No one from the 2007-09 drafts has established himself yet as an NHL player, though Joe Colborne, the first-rounder from 2008 who was traded in the Tomas Kaberle deal, could work out in Toronto, and Jordan Caron, the B’s first-rounder in 2009, still has a chance here. Lane MacDermid, a fourth-rounder in 2009 who was part of the Jaromir Jagr deal, has a shot as a fourth-liner.

There could still be some hits from the later years, such as Ryan Spooner (2010), Jared Knight (2010) and Malcolm Subban (2012), while top-end picks from the Phil Kessel deal, Dougie Hamilton (2011) and the traded Tyler Seguin (2010), should be in the NHL for years to come.

In the 2013 draft, in which the Bruins did not have a first-rounder due to the Jagr trade, the B’s took three Europeans, two Americans and one OHL player.

Chiarelli does not have a replacement, but has candidates in mind, including an in-house one.

Boston Herald LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714373 Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames prospect Tyler Wotherspoon could crack roster

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Monday, July 15, 2013 06:43 PM MDT | Updated: Monday, July 15, 2013 07:26 PM MDT

Wotherspoon Calgary Flames prospect Tyler Wotherspoon could make the jump to the NHL team this year.

Two seasons back, he was a key contributor to a team that lost out in Game 7 of the WHL championship final.

This past season, he was on Canada’s world junior team, was a key part of a WHL title and reached the Memorial Cup final.

If Tyler Wotherspoon was a forward, Calgary Flames fans would be abuzz about him turning pro this coming season.

Instead, even with those elements on his resume, he’s almost forgotten when people delve into the club’s much improved prospects pool, down the list while the likes of Sven Baertschi, Johnny Gaudreau, Jonathan Gillies, Sean Monahan and the other first-round draft picks this year — Emile Poirier and Morgan Klimchuk — receive big billing.

Wotherspoon doesn’t mind going without the attention and scrutiny that so many of his young colleagues have to deal with.

“I’ve always kinda been an under-the-radar guy,” Wotherspoon said after Monday’s scrimmage during the Flames summer prospects camp.

“I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me at all.

“My one goal is to make the NHL and that’s all that matters to me.

“Other guys can have the spotlight, but that’s not my game.

“I’m not flashy offensively, but I’m a steady d-man who takes care of business and that’s what I like to do.

“I know the management can see that, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Wotherspoon may be closer to being a full-time NHLer than many of the club’s more well-known skaters.

The 20-year-old defenceman, who skated for the Portland Winterhawks, will turn pro in the fall.

The Flames have six blueliners signed to one-way contracts, with TJ Brodie likely to join that group when he has a new deal in place.

That leaves Wotherspoon near the top of the next level of defencemen, at least for now.

Rest assured, though, the Flames have high hopes for the 6-foot-2, 210-lb. product of Surrey, B.C., who was drafted 57th overall in 2011.

“If you’re not a flashy, flashy, defenceman, it’s not the cool thing compared to a forward or a goalie,” said Craig Conroy, the club’s special assistant to the GM who will be taking a more hands-on approach with the AHL Abbotsford Heat this coming season.

“If you’re a stay-at-home defenceman that can join the rush, make the good first pass, doesn’t get beat one-on-one, very sound, it doesn’t stand out.

“Guys don’t say, ‘He’s unbelievable,’ but he’s a solid, good player.

“He’ll be in there night in and night out.

“He does everything well.

“He doesn’t do anything where you say, ‘Wow,’ but he’s good at everything and he knows the game.

“He’s played for good teams.

“He’s hard to beat.

“I don’t see him being an big offensive guy, but he’ll be a guy who has a chance to play in the NHL.”

Wotherspoon will likely start his pro career with the AHL Abbotsford Heat, although don’t discount the possibility of him grabbing hold of a NHL roster spot with a strong training camp in the fall.

Regardless, he knows he has a golden opportunity to climb the club’s depth chart in the coming months.

“I’ve glanced at it once or twice and I know the situation,” Wotherspoon said of the Flames’ defence corps.

“They’ve talked to me and told me they believe in me. And I believe in myself.

“I know if I play my game and play the right way, I’m going to get every opportunity that I can.

“The last couple years have been great, but I know turning pro isn’t easy.

“It’s a different lifestyle and a different animal.

“It’s men out there now and I’ve got to become accustomed to it.

“I’ll take what I can from the coaches and put it into my game, but after this camp, I feel strong and more comfortable going into (main) camp.

“I’m excited about this year.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714374 Calgary Flames

Pavlo Padakin skating at Calgary Flames prospect camp

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Monday, July 15, 2013 06:28 PM MDT | Updated: Monday, July 15, 2013 06:38 PM MDT

Padakin Calgary Hitmen winger Pavlo Padakin skating at the Calgary Flames' prospects camp.

The invitation to partake in the Calgary Flames summer prospects camp was a dream come true for Pavlo Padakin.

The only problem for the Calgary Hitmen winger was that when he received the call he hadn’t been on the blades in the time since his WHL campaign ended in frustration due to a knee injury suffered in the playoffs.

“My first skate was three days before this camp,” Padakin said.

“I had workouts every day from the start of May but couldn’t skate.

“When they told me I was invited, I went to public skating two days to move my legs.”

Padakin, 19, collected 22 goals and 38 points in 70 games last season for the WHL squad.

The undrafted product of Kiev, Ukraine, has spent all but one week in Calgary, originally thinking it was just to recover from the knee injury and prepare for the 2013-14 Hitmen season.

Instead, he received a big bonus.

“I think all players from Ukraine wish to skate in the NHL,” Padakin said.

“My first time I saw the NHL was last season and it’s a dream to play there.

“ It’s a dream to just practice with NHL guys.”

The camp experience has been something of an eye-opener for the 6-foot, 190-lb. right winger, but he’s game to do all he can to continue playing hockey past his WHL days.

“I’m finding out the next level after Western Hockey League,” he said.

“I need to work super hard, not hard, but super hard, to get there.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714375 Calgary Flames

Sven Baertschi gets physical at Calgary Flames prospect camp

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Monday, July 15, 2013 06:17 PM MDT | Updated: Monday, July 15, 2013 07:26 PM MDT

Baertschi The Flames' Sven Baertschi didn't take kindly to a couple of high hits at prospects camp.

No shocker Sven Baertschi was noticeable during a prospects camp scrimmage.

The surprise was why he caught everybody’s eye.

Baertschi, whose offensive gifts should see him past being a prospect to full-time NHLer next season, took some physical matters into his own hands during Monday’s session at Winsport Canada’s Markin MacPhail Centre.

Baertschi, who was crunched early in the scrimmage by Trey Lewis, saw red after he took a high hit from Tim Harrison, and responded with a cross check to the face of the 2013 sixth-round draft choice.

“He was kind of running around out, hitting a lot of guys. For me, I don’t like to see that and I definitely don’t want anyone from my team to get hurt,” Baertschi said. “One thing for me, for sure, was that I was trying to stick up for my teammates. He hit me really hard and then he goes to the next guy and hits the next guy really hard. His stick was up high in my face and the next guy’s his stick was up high.

“You don’t want that to happen so you stick up for your teammates. I kind of hit him hard there, but afterwards I apologized and we’re still friends.”

For his part, Harrison didn’t appear too concerned about being ostracized for his actions, even if he upset one of the club’s prized prospects.

“I’d get under people’s skin but I wouldn’t say I try to do that,” Harrison said. “I wouldn’t say I try to wear that reputation. I just try to be a hard worker and go out and use my big body to hit. If that’s going to get guys riled up and rattled, then so be it, but I’m just going to keep playing my game in order to make an impact on the game as much as I can.

“Obviously, some of the guys want my head at this point, but I don’t know what to say about that. It’s good because everyone’s competing, it’s just part of the game.”

Team Red won the game 5-3, with Harrison, Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, John Ramage and Michael Ferland scoring goals for the winning side.

Markus Granlund, Dan O’Donoghue and Turner Elson scored for Team Black.

Baertschi didn’t play in the final period after feeling a twinge in his groin muscle. He didn’t play the final Flames game last season due to a groin injury, which also cost him playing for Switzerland at the world championships.

“If I look forward, there’s a lot more to come for me and lot more summer training I have to do,” said the winger who skated in 20 NHL games last season and ended the year with a seven-game points streak. “For me, the most important thing is main camp.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714376 Carolina Hurricanes

Lindholm signed, says he's ready for NHL

Submitted by chipalexander on 07/15/2013 - 13:42

The Carolina Hurricanes apparently have Swedish forward Elias Lindholm on the fast track to the NHL.

Lindholm, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Canes on Monday. Lindholm, who called the signing a "dream come true" during a press conference at PNC Arena, will receive $832,500 on the NHL level -- or $70,000 at the AHL level -- in each of the three years. He received a signing bonus of $277,500.

General manager Jim Rutherford said Monday he would be "shocked" if Lindholm was not on the Canes' roster next season. He said Lindholm, who played for Brynas of the Swedish Elite League last season, preferred to play center but could be used at any of the three forward positions.

"We all realize that he's an experienced player, because he played in the men's Swedish league last year, and not many players of his age are capable of doing that and certainly not putting up the points he did," Rutherford said.

Lindholm, 18, was the the league's top scorer among junior-aged players last season with 30 (11 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games. He was a finalist for rookie-of-the-year honors.

Asked about his chances of playing at the NHL level next season, Lindholm said, "I think I'm ready."

Lindholm was the top scorer among the league's junior-aged players with 11 goals and 19 assists (30 points) in 48 games, and a finalist for rookie-of-the-year honors.

Lindholm said he needs to continue to work on his strength and skating, noting, "It's another step to the NHL." But Rutherford said the transition to the NHL could be relatively seamless for the 6-1, 192-pound Lindholm, a native of Boden, Sweden.

"The biggest thing I see is that he plays the game at a high tempo," Rutherford said. "To come into the National Hockey League and play at the pace these guys play at, that's very important and makes it that much easier. The opportunity is there to start with the Hurricanes. I would be shocked if he doesn't based on all the reports and what I've seen.

"We do have to be careful. We do have to recognize how old he is and the fact he's going to move to a new country and there's going to be an adjustment. But he doesn't have to light it up from day one. We all know that with a healthy team, we have a good team going into (training) camp and he can just be a part of that and go at his own pace."

Canes coach Kirk Muller sat in on the final prospect interviews in New York before the June 30 draft in New Jersey and liked what he saw and heard from Lindholm.

"He's a very mature kid for his age," Muller said. "To be 18 and go into a room with six or seven men to be interviewed is not an easy process, but I was impressed by his maturity."

Former Canes forward Robert Kron heads up the team's European scouting and saw Lindholm play numerous times, for Brynas and on Swedish junior teams.

"He has the vision and playmaking ability (but) I was most impressed with his work ethic," Kron said. "He plays hard every shift and never gives up on any play. He's a two-way player all over the ice. He plays physical, finishes his checks.

"He's pretty much the model, complete hockey player for me."

Lindholm said balance was a strong point of his game but that he needed to improve his strength and skating.

"It's another step to play in the NHL," he said.

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714377 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes expect top draft pick Elias Lindholm to make team

Published: July 15, 2013 Updated 6 hours ago

By Chip Alexander

RALEIGH — There is no guarantee that Swedish forward Elias Lindholm will be playing for the Carolina Hurricanes next season.

But general manager Jim Rutherford said Monday he would be “shocked” if Lindholm doesn’t make the team. He also noted Lindholm was being shown about Raleigh this week “looking for a place to live in October.”

Lindholm, 18, was the Hurricanes’ first-round pick and the fifth overall selection at the NHL Entry Draft last month. On Monday, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canes during a press conference at PNC Arena.

Lindholm, who called the signing a “dream come true,” will receive $832,500 at the NHL level or $70,000 at the American Hockey League level each of the three years. He received a signing bonus of $277,500.

From all indications, Lindholm is on the fast track to the NHL and said Monday, “I think I’m ready.” He prefers to play center but also can be used on either wing, and is said to have the kind of competitiveness the Canes and coach Kirk Muller are seeking.

Lindholm spent last season with Brynas in the Swedish Elite League, competing against players in their 20s and 30s. He was the top scorer among the league’s junior-aged players with 11 goals and 19 assists (30 points) in 48 games, and a finalist for rookie of the year.

“Not many players of his age are capable of doing that and certainly not putting up the points he did,” Rutherford said.

Lindholm said he needs to continue to work on his strength and skating, noting, “It’s another step to the NHL.” But Rutherford said the transition to the NHL could be relatively seamless for the 6-1, 192-pound Lindholm, a native of Boden, Sweden.

“The biggest thing I see is that he plays the game at a high tempo,” Rutherford said. “To come into the National Hockey League and play at the pace these guys play at, that’s very important and makes it that much easier. The opportunity is there to start with the Hurricanes. I would be shocked if he doesn’t based on all the reports and what I’ve seen.

“We do have to be careful. We do have to recognize how old he is and the fact he’s going to move to a new country and there’s going to be an adjustment. But he doesn’t have to light it up from day one. We all know that with a healthy team, we have a good team going into (training) camp and he can just be a part of that and go at his own pace.”

The rinks are bigger in Europe, which works to the advantage of smart, skilled skaters. Lindholm said he believes he will quickly adjust to the smaller ice surfaces of the NHL.

“But the fact he played against the men in a men’s league is an important factor,” Muller said. “From the (video) I’ve seen of him, he’s obviously got acceleration on his skates. Sweden has been known to produce smart players, plus he has a little bite and edge to his game.”

Muller sat in on the final prospect interviews in New York before the June 30 draft in New Jersey and liked what he saw and heard from Lindholm.

“He’s a very mature kid for his age,” Muller said. “To be 18 and go into a room with six or seven men to be interviewed is not an easy process, but I was impressed by his maturity.”

Former Canes forward Robert Kron heads up the team’s European scouting and saw Lindholm play numerous times, for Brynas and on Swedish junior national teams.

“He has the vision and playmaking ability (but) I was most impressed with his work ethic,” Kron said. “He plays hard every shift and never gives up on any play. He’s a two-way player all over the ice. He plays physical, finishes his checks.

“He’s pretty much the model, complete hockey player for me.”

Kron said Lindholm reminds him of Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, another Swede, but with more physicality.

Lindholm is attending the Canes’ development and skills camp for prospects this week at PNC Arena. The on-ice sessions are open to the public and will be held Tuesday through Friday. The fans’ Summerfest – including a scrimmage – is Saturday.

Following the draft, Lindholm and his family took off for South Beach near Miami for a vacation. This week he’s by himself, ready for hockey and the next step.

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714378 Chicago Blackhawks

Re-air on CSN: Hawks-Kings Western Conference Final

July 15, 2013, 7:15 pm

Tracey Myers

The Blackhawks opened their regular season in Los Angeles, watching the Kings unfurl and raise their Stanley Cup banner. More than four months later, they denied the Kings another Cup opportunity.

What was deemed their toughest test on paper turned out to be a five-game triumph, as the Blackhawks eliminated the defending champs quicker than expected. Watch the Western Conference Final Game 1, 2, 4 and 5 victories again, beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

The Kings were considered the Blackhawks’ biggest adversary entering the postseason. They were bigger, they were physical and goaltender Jonathan Quick was once again proving tough to get pucks past. But after their emotionally charged, seven-game series victory over Detroit, the Blackhawks weren’t messing around with the Kings.

Granted, the Kings had taken their lumps in their previous two series against St. Louis and San Jose, both equally physical groups. They had struggled to score, managing just two goals a game entering the series vs. Chicago. Still, Quick was the wildcard, the guy who had provided the Kings with the defensive lift they needed. But in this series, the Blackhawks got to Quick, even chasing him in the middle of their Game 2 victory.

The Blackhawks also cleared their biggest hurdle to date when they played Game 4 without Duncan Keith, who was suspended for high-sticking Jeff Carter in the face in Game 3. The Blackhawks improvised, tinkered with their back lines – Michal Rozsival played about 10 more minutes than usual -- and overcame two one-goal deficits to take a 3-2 victory in Game 4 and a 3-1 series lead back to Chicago. It was the first time the Kings lost on home ice in the postseason.

[Hat-Trick Hero: Kane sends Hawks back to Cup Final]

This was also the series in which coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks “want more” from right wing Patrick Kane, who struggled through the Detroit series and most of the L.A. one. The message was received, as Kane scored one in Game 4, then recorded his hat-trick in Game 5 to propel the Blackhawks to their second Stanley Cup Final in four seasons.

“It's nice to win, first and foremost. To contribute the last couple games, I think any player would be lying to you if they said it isn't nice,” Kane said after that Game 5 victory. “You know what, big two wins the last couple games, especially tonight after they came back and tied it up with nine seconds. For us to hang in there in the first overtime and pull it out in the second overtime was huge. It was just a huge win to get us to the Final.”

Here's the complete CSN Replay schedule:

GAME OPPONENT RESULT CSN REPLAY AIR DATE

Game 1 vs. Kings Hawks 2, Kings 1 Tue., 7/16 10:00 a.m.

Game 2 vs. Kings Hawks 4, Kings 2 Tue., 7/16 12:30 p.m.

Game 4 @ Kings Hawks 3, Kings 2 Tue., 7/16 3:00 p.m.

Game 5 vs. Kings Hawks 4, Kings 3 (2OT) Tue., 7/16 7:00 p.m.

Game 1 vs. Bruins Hawks 4, Bruins 3 (3OT) Wed., 7/17 9:00 a.m.

Game 2 vs. Bruins Bruins 2, Hawks 1 (OT) Wed., 7/17 12:50 p.m.

Game 3 @ Bruins Bruins 2, Hawks 0 Wed., 7/17 3:30 p.m.

Game 4 @ Bruins Hawks 6, Bruins 5 (OT) Wed., 7/17 7:00 p.m.

Game 5 vs. Bruins Hawks 3, Bruins 1 Thu., 7/18 3:30 p.m.

Game 6 @ Bruins Hawks 3, Bruins 2 Thu., 7/18 7:00 p.m.

Blackhawks Parade and Rally Thu., 7/18 10:30 p.m.

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714379 Columbus Blue Jackets

Michael Arace commentary: Jackets not rushing into new contract for Gaborik

Michael Arace

Blue Jackets right winger Marian Gaborik, who will turn 32 on Feb. 14, is entering the final year of a contract that carries a $7.5 million cap hit. He has reached a point in his career where he might have just one more shot at a massive contract. Will he get such a deal in Columbus?

Maybe — but not yet.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen last week told The Dispatch: “We want to get more familiar with him, get to know him better. Sure, we’re thinking about it already, but we’re going to let it go into the season, hope to see him score a lot of goals for us and then talk about getting him extended.”

Kekalainen has been bold. He signed Nathan Horton, one of the top free agents available, earlier this month. He made a blockbuster deal to get Gaborik, the best player available before the trade deadline in April.

In each case, the talent acquired is elite-level, and it carries risk. Horton has a history of concussions and, after he signed his Jackets contract, he was immediately prepped for shoulder surgery. He might not pull on a CBJ sweater until January. As for Gaborik, well, the contract is the thing.

The day Kekalainen made the deal with the Rangers, he said: “We’re looking at this as a long-term solution, not a rental. He’s under contract through next season, and we’d like to see the relationship continue beyond that.”

Gaborik has 336 goals in 769 games in a career that started in 2000-01, when he landed in the lap of the Minnesota Wild after the Jackets lost a coin flip. Only seven players have more goals in that span. By comparison, Rick Nash has 310 goals in 718 games since 2002-03.

Gaborik is an elite skater. He remains a potent finisher; he has scored 40 goals in three of the past four 82-game seasons. On the other side of the ledger, he has missed 181 games in 12 seasons because of injuries; he sometimes has been criticized for playing on the periphery and he has already left at least one team in the lurch.

Gaborik took the Wild for a ride in 2008-09, his last contract year. He turned down Minnesota’s 10-year, $80-million offer and went on the trading block. Injuries — a groin injury early in the season and hip surgery in January — suppressed the market. He did not get back into the lineup until after the trade deadline, and he lit it up with 23 points in the last 17 games.

The Wild missed the playoffs, GM Doug Risebrough was fired and the team got nothing in return for Gaborik, who walked off into free agency. They still are angry in the Twin Cities.

Gaborik was limited to three goals and five assists in 12 games with the Jackets. He played through an abdominal injury that required a surgical fix at the end of the season. He will be motivated in a contract year and, if healthy, he could score 50.

But is he a Blue Jacket? That is a fair question, the same asked of Sergei Bobrovsky and Horton. Small-market teams that spend to the cap ceiling must have players who are bought into the program. Does he want to be here?

Considering Gaborik is on the back side of a goal-scorer’s prime, what is he worth, and for how long? Would he be willing to take a lesser cap hit in exchange for longer term? Or, does he look to cash his last big check in the free-agent market?

If it is the former, the Jackets can retain a rare talent. If it is the latter, Gaborik must be moved, even at a salvage price.

Kekalainen’s decision to wait and see is smart. He has $12.8 million committed to Gaborik and Horton next season, and that is a huge sum to lade on the right wing.

He has made it known that he will not be hasty in judging its worth.

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714380 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Brendan Smith to 2-year contract

6:15 PM, July 15, 2013

By George Sipple

The Detroit Red Wings have avoided salary arbitration with defenseman Brendan Smith by signing him to a 2-year contract. Smith will make $1.25 million next season and $1.275 million in 2014-2015.

There was discussion about a three-year deal. “To be fair to the player and the club, we could feel comfortable putting together a two-year contract,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said.

Smith, 24, scored no goals and eight assists in 34 games last season for the Red Wings. He added two goals and three assists for five points in 14 playoff games.

“I thought it was a good rookie year for him,” Holland said. “Unfortunately he got hurt early.”

Smith suffered a shoulder injury in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 2 and was out for almost a month.

“Obviously, coach (Mike) Babcock has a lot of confidence in him,” Holland said.

Smith, a first-round pick in 2007, was an offensive defensemen out of the University of Wisconsin and scored 27 goals in 152 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League.

“We think there’s some offense to come,” Holland said of Smith at the NHL level. “Mike Babcock hasn’t really put him on the power play yet. I think down the road he’ll get some opportunities.”

■ Helm update: Veteran forward Darren Helm, who missed all but one game last season due to a back injury, made it through increased activity the final two days of the Wings prospect development camp in Traverse City, which concluded Monday.

“The news was as positive as we could want without having physical contact,” Holland said. “The past two or three days, he did a full on-ice workout and a full off-ice workout. Came back the next day, did it all over again.”

Holland said Helm didn’t report any back issues.

“He’s going to be around Detroit for the rest of this week with our training staff,” Holland said. “As long as we don’t get any negative reports from the summertime, the next big test is the middle of August when he hits the ice with his teammates and goes out there and practices every day.”

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714381 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings to host NHL prospects tournament in Traverse City

11:27 AM, July 15, 2013

By George Sipple

The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they will host the 2013 NHL Prospect Tournament, beginning Sept. 5 at Centre ICE Arena in Traverse City.

Tickets for the tournament are $10 per day (four games each day) and are on sale exclusively at Centre ICE Arena.

The eight-team field will be divided into two four-team divisions. The Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues will be in the Gordie Howe Division.

The Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers will be in the Ted Lindsay Division.

The tournament will feature a round-robin format. Teams will play each of their division foes Sept. 5-7. The final day of the tournament will feature crossover games, with the division winners playing in the championship game at 7:30 p.m.

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714382 Detroit Red Wings

Report: Red Wings' Damien Brunner close to signing with Devils

The Detroit News

Red Wings free-agent forward Damien Brunner reportedly is close to signing with the Devils.

Neue Luzerner Zeitung in Switzerland is reporting that the Devils stepped up their efforts to land Brunner after losing Ilya Kovalchuk to Russian team SKA St. Petersburg.

Tom Gulitti of NorthJersey.com wote that he talked to Brunner’s agent, Neil Sheehy, who said that there was “nothing imminent” regarding Brunner. Sheehy would not identify the teams with which he’s negotiating.

Brunner, who earned $1.35 million with the Wings in 2012-13, is seeking an annual salary of about $4 million.

Brunner had 12 goals and 14 assists in 44 games last season with the Wings, who decided not to pursue him in free agency.

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714383 Detroit Red Wings

Brendan Smith, Red Wings avoid arbitration with two-year deal

Staff

Defenseman Brendan Smith and the Red Wings have avoided salary arbitration, signing a two-year contract worth $2.525 million, according to multiple reports.

Smith, 24, drafted in the first round in 2007, had eight assists in 34 games last season. It was his first season of full-time duty with the Wings, though he missed most of February with a shoulder injury. He played for Grand Rapids before joining the Wings after the lockout.

Smith had been a restricted free agent.

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714384 Detroit Red Wings

Brendan Smith experienced growing pains as rookie, but Red Wings believe in his potential

Ansar Khan on July 15, 2013 at 7:30 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 7:49 PM

DETROIT – Brendan Smith experienced his share of growing pains as a rookie transitioning from puck-rushing, offensive-minded defenseman to stay-at-home NHL defender.

But, the Detroit Red Wings still believe the former top prospect will develop into a solid, top-four defenseman.

Smith agreed to a two-year, $2.525 million contract Monday, avoiding salary arbitration.

“I thought he had a pretty good year,'' Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “With all young players it's a little bit of a roller coaster, trying to figure out the league and how to play defense in the NHL. On a team trying to compete for the playoffs, sometimes the mistakes are magnified. All in all he had a good year.''

Smith, 24, will earn $1.25 million next season and $1.275 million in 2014-15, for a salary-cap hit of $1.2625 million. He will be a restricted free agent once again when this deal expires in 2015.

Smith had no goals, eight assists and a plus-1 rating in 34 regular season games (he had one goal and six assists in 14 games in 2012-13). He struggled at times in his own zone during the playoffs, when he had two goals, three assists and a minus-3 rating in 14 games.

“In pro hockey, you have to play safe; young players need to learn that,'' Holland said. “He plays physical, plays with an edge, can fight. Sometimes when you compete, it backfires and the other team has a chance to score. We think he can develop into a top-four defenseman. He can be a minute-muncher. The coach has a lot of confidence in him.''

The Red Wings hope the former Wisconsin star, selected in the first round of the 2007 draft (27th overall), will quarterback their power play one day.

“Somewhere down the road Mike Babcock will give him time on the power play,'' Holland said. “For now, Mike wants him to do more things on the defensive side of the puck.''

The club felt some urgency to sign Smith because he filed for arbitration last Wednesday and both sides wanted to avoid the hearing, which would have taken place between July 22 and Aug. 6.

This leaves the Red Wings with two more restricted free agents to sign -- forwards Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson, neither of whom filed for arbitration. Holland is confident both will be signed before September.

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714385 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings announce schedule, ticket information for 2013 NHL Prospects Tournament

Ansar Khan on July 15, 2013 at 3:45 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 4:25 PM

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings announced the schedule and ticket information for their 2013 NHL Prospects Tournament at Centre I.C.E. In Traverse City.

Eight teams will be divided into two groups. The Gordie Howe Division will include the Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. The Ted Lindsay Division features the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers.

Teams will practice on Sept. 5 before starting a round-robin format against each team within their division from Sept. 6-8. The event concludes on Sept. 9 with crossover games.

Tickets for the tournament are $10 per day (four games each day) and currently are on sale exclusively at Centre I.C.E. Arena. For more information on tickets, visit www.centreice.org.

The Red Wings will be on the ice for training camp from Sept. 12-18.

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714386 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings, Brendan Smith agree to two-year contract extension, avoid arbitration

Ansar Khan on July 15, 2013 at 3:46 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 4:19 PM

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Brendan Smith have agreed to a two-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.

The deal has a salary cap hit of $1.2625 million ($1.25 million next season, $1.275 million in 2014-15).

Smith, 24, had no goals, eight assists and a plus-1 rating in 34 regular season games as a rookie (he appeared in 14 games in 2012-13).

He struggled at times in the playoffs, when he had two goals, three assists and a minus-3 rating in 14 games.

The Red Wings selected Smith in the first round of the 2007 entry draft (27th overall).

This leaves the Red Wings with two more restricted free agents to sign -- forwards Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson, neither of whom filed for arbitration.

More details shortly.

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714387 Detroit Red Wings

Injured forward Darren Helm pleased with progress he saw at Detroit Red Wings Development Camp

Brendan Savage on July 15, 2013 at 11:05 AM, updated July 15, 2013 at 11:06 AM

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Veteran forward Darren Helm called his visit to the Detroit Red Wings Development Camp a success.

Now, it's a matter of seeing how well Helm does moving forward as he attempts to recover from a back injury that limited him to one game last season.

But Helm had no complaints about how things went during five on-ice workouts in the last six days after not skating for roughly two months.

It felt good. I'm optimistic. Heading on the right path. It's a good start to summer training. It's encouraging -- Darren Helm

"They went really well," he said Monday on the final day of the Development Camp at Centre Ice Arena. "I wasn't too sure how it was going to go. It felt good. I'm optimistic. Heading on the right path.

"It's a good start to summer training. I'm getting closer to the end of rehab so I can get closer to actually pushing it. I'm looking forward to getting on the ice a little more and working harder."

Helm said any discomfort he experienced in the last week had nothing do with the back injury. It was more of a case of reintroducing his body to the rigors of professional hockey.

"It's muscles I haven't worked in a long time," he said. "It's just muscle pain. It's not pain I haven't felt before. I felt it a little bit at night. Every time I got out on the ice, it worked out. I felt good.

"It's encouraging."

Now, Helm will return to Detroit and complete his rehab before stepping up his workout regime in preparation for training camp in September.

"It's all kind of rehab now," he said. "Strength, getting stronger, quicker and faster, being able to move it in a different way.

"It's not something that will happen in a week, a weekend. It's going to take a month, six weeks, seven-eight weeks."

So the camp was a success?

"I hope so," Helm said. "I believe so. It was good."

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714388 Detroit Red Wings

Chris Chelios helps prank his son, birthday boy Dean, at Detroit Red Wings Development Camp

Brendan Savage on July 15, 2013 at 7:00 AM, updated July 15, 2013 at 9:25 AM

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – He might be headed for the Hall of Fame but that doesn't mean Chris Chelios still isn't one of the boys.

Chelios, the Detroit Red Wings adviser to hockey operations, is at the club's Development Camp this week as an instructor and he helped play a practical joke on one of the players Sunday morning.

The victim?

Chelios' son, Dean, who plays for Michigan State.

Dean was celebrating his 24th birthday and figured something might be in the works but he didn't know exactly what.

We'll let Dean take the story from here.

"I was on my guard before practice because I knew a few people knew about" the birthday, Dean Chelios said. "Afterwards my dad said something about my helmet and kind of distracted me and they got me."

With a pie to the face, courtesy of fellow camper Ryan Sproul.

"It was right after the first skate," Chelios said. "I was all tired and wasn't expecting anything and my dad distracted me and Sproul got me."

Like a good sport, Dean Chelios posed for a picture with his face covered in cream. Standing next to Chelios with a big grin on his face, of course, was his proud papa.

• Nobody at the Development Camp stands out more than defenseman Ildar Telyakov. The camp invite from Russia is the tallest player on hand at 6-foot-8. He's one of eight players who stand at least 6-4.

Defenseman Marc McNulty, one of this year's draft picks, and forward Rasmus Bodin, a 2012 draft pick, both stand 6-6.

Anthony Mantha, Mitchell Wheaton, James De Haas, Richard Nedomlel, Sproul and goaltender Jared Coreau all check in at 6-4.

Mantha and Wheaton were selected in this year's draft, DeHaas was a 2012 draft pick, Sproul and Nedomlel were acquired in the 2011 draft and Coreau signed as a free agent. Mantha is a forward, Coreau is a goaltender and the others are defensemen.

• The players were supposed to visit nearby Camp Grayling on their off-day Saturday but when that fell through they played paintball instead. Each year, the Red Wings attempt to plan a fun activity that will make the camp about more than just hockey.

• General manager Ken Holland headed back to Detroit after Friday's scrimmage and coach Mike Babcock departed for home Saturday.

• The camp ends today after on-ice workouts in the morning and off-ice sessions in the afternoon.

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714389 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings would like to make another move or two, but that's not likely to happen before training camp

Ansar Khan

on July 15, 2013 at 11:30 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 11:31 PM

DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland ideally would like to trim a couple of players and maybe sign another unrestricted free agent.

But, he concedes that's probably not going to happen. And that's fine with him.

“We’re comfortable where we’re at right now,'' Holland said Monday, after signing defenseman Brendan Smith to a two-year, $2.52 million contract. “Before we do anything we’d have to move somebody. It's pretty quiet in the industry right now. Everybody probably is into a bit of a summer mode.''

The Red Wings will sign restricted free agent forwards Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson by September, at the latest, Holland said. That would give the club 25 players, two over the roster limit. If everyone is healthy by the start of the season, they would need to trade or waive a couple of players.

With a payroll of $66.2 million, the club already is over the salary-cap limit of $64.3 million, but has some flexibility in being able to apply Daniel Alfredsson's potential $2 million in bonuses to the 2014-15 cap, which is expected to rise.

This is why Holland has not signed Daniel Cleary, who is among about a half-dozen notable free agent forwards still available (the list includes Damien Brunner, Mikhail Grabovski, Jaromir Jagr, Brenden Morrow and Mason Raymond).

“We’d like to do a move or two, but I’m not sure we can,'' Holland said. “If we can’t make a move I’m OK with our team and we'll go to camp. If we can make a move and free up some money then certainly re-signing Dan Cleary is a possibility. But, unless we move somebody, we aren’t signing anybody.''

Samuelsson recovering

Right wing Mikael Samuelsson is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

“I believe he's on the road to recovery,'' Holland said. “There was talk at the end of the year he might need surgery (for a torn pectoral muscle). The doctors looked at him and said no surgery, just needs time to heal. He was feeling better every day. We expect him to be ready for the start of camp.''

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.16.2013

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714390 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings re-sign Brendan Smith

By CHUCK PLEINESS

Monday, July 15,2013

DETROIT – The Wings view Brendan Smith as a top-four defenseman on their team.

On Monday, they gave him two more years to prove it.

The Wings re-signed Smith to a two-year deal worth $2.525 million, thus avoiding arbitration. Smith’s arbitration hearing was scheduled for a week from Tuesday, according to general manager Ken Holland.

Smith’s play was inconsistent throughout the year and a few of his mistakes were magnified more in the playoffs which prompted captain Henrik Zetterberg to take a little jab at him after a win in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“He creates a lot of stuff, sometimes for both teams,” Zetterberg said after the Wings’ 4-1 win. “He’s young, he’s still learning. He learns every game. It’s nice to see he had a bounce back game.”

Holland all but agreed.

“I thought he had a pretty good year,” Holland said. “With all young players it’s a little bit of a roller coaster, trying to figure out the league and how to play defense in the NHL. On a team trying to compete for the playoffs, sometimes the mistakes are magnified. All in all he had a good year.”

Despite his two goals and three assists in the playoffs, Smith, who had no goals and eight assists in 34 games during the regular season, was a minus-3 in 14 games.

“In college, he was playing to win,” Holland continued. “In pro hockey, you have to play safe. Young players need to learn that. He plays physical, plays with an edge and can fight. Sometimes when you compete, it backfires and the other team has a chance to score. We think he can develop into a top-four defenseman. The coach has a lot of confidence in him. He can be a minute-muncher.”

Late in the regular season Smith, who missed almost a month with a shoulder injury early in the season, found himself a healthy scratch for two straight games after Wings coach Mike Babcock wanted him to look after the puck better. Prior to his benching he had gone five consecutive games by registering a minus-1 rating.

The Wings eventually want Smith, 24, to make his way on a power play unit.

“Somewhere down the road Mike Babcock will give him time on the power play,” Holland said. “For now, Mike wants him to do more things on the defensive side of the puck.”

Smith, who was called on to play a huge role this season after the Wings lost Nicklas Lidstrom (retirement) and Brad Stuart (trade), was the Wings’ first round pick, 27th overall, in the 2007 draft.

The Wings’ other two restricted free agents – Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson – remained unsigned.

“They’ll be done by camp,” Holland said.

Prospects tournament

The Wings will host the 2013 NHL Prospect Tournament, starting Sept. 5 in Traverse City.

The two four-team divisions are broken down like this: Gordie Howe (Detroit, Dallas, Minnesota and St. Louis) and Ted Lindsay (Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus and New York Rangers).

There will be four games each day and tickets cost $10 per day and can only be bought at Centre ICE Arena.

For more information, visit centreice.org.

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714391 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers GM Craig MacTavish is “reasonably comfortable” with depth on Oilers now

July 14, 2013. 10:14 pm •

David Staples

MacTavish: “I’m ready to turn this group over to coaches and see how good we are.”

Brad Bartko of Bradcast Sports, a sports radio podcast out of Spruce Grove, Alberta, had Craig MacTavish as a guest Sunday night and the Oilers GM dropped a bombshell on fans hoping that the team is still going to add some more players, including a big name or two.

Co-host Vic Michaels asked what MacTavish was looking at to do at this point to improve the team, what priorities he had left, and if he was looking to fill any specific positions still.

“Not really at this point,” MacTavish said. “We are going to be active and open to business and listening to any and all offers that could potentially help our team, but at this point right now, when I sit down and look at our roster, I’m reasonably comfortable that we’ve made some progress and reasonably comfortable with the depth of our line-up.”

The Oilers talked about improving their depth in the Bottom 6 forwards, improving their defence, and improving their goaltending, and MacTavish said he thought they had made strides in all those areas.

“I’m ready to turn this group over to the coaches and see how good we are and I’m reasonably optimistic that we’re going to be a real good hockey team.”

Michaels also asked MacTavish about NHL teams being leery of perhaps drafting Russian players because they might want to go back to the KHL, as Ilya Kovalchuk is doing.

“I think it’s relative to all the Russian born players. It’s more difficult for players born outside of Russia to make that commitment and go and play in the KHL, but Russian players, there is an allure for the Russian players to play at home. Albeit that the NHL is definitely the best and most professional league in the world, but there is that allure to Russian born players that could really cash in on lucrative KHL deals, so it’s something that you have to consider.”

In the draft, the Oilers try to get the player who will have the most significant impact over time on their NHL team. “That’s the reason we took Nail Yakupov with the first pick overall last year. You try and do your homework and see ask the player and ask the agent through the interview process, and try and determine what the likelyhood is that the player would in fact consider going back to the KHL.”

This year, the Oilers had such discussions with Valeri Nichushkin and were comfortable he wanted to play in the NHL. “But over time you see the difficulty that the Columbus Blue Jackets had re-signing (goalie Sergei) Bobrovsky after he won the Vezina. It’s a threat…. It drives up costs, there’s no question about that.”

As for perhaps trading Ales Hemsky, MacTavish said he wouldn’t talk about it. “It’s really not my practice to discuss too much about potential deals.”

But MacTavish did say that Hemsky had gone through what Shawn Horcoff went through, seven years of losing. “That can at times really pick away at a player’s spirit and his passion, and really his ability to believe that our team is going to get ourselves out of it, because it’s been seven years really of some negative reinforcement. So it can be difficult. It’s certainly not something that cannot be overcome by the player or our organization. But when you haven’t won you’re going to try to make some changes and whether Ales will be part of that remains to be seen.”

My take?

Well, first off, good for MacTavish to go on this internet podcast.

As for his declaration that his team is pretty much set for next year, this isn’t a great surprise, as much as it’s going to dismay many Oilers fans.

MacTavish set the bar high for himself with his proclamation that he was looking to make some bold moves. In the end, he wasn’t able to do so, though the trade of Magnus Paajarvi for David Perron was plenty gutsy, in that Paajarvi’s ceiling as a player hasn’t yet been reached.

Some of the Oilers moves — the Perron trade, the Boyd Gordon and Jason LaBarbera signings — were strong.

Some moves — such as the length of the Andrew Ference contract — weren’t so great.

Frankly, I’m hearing this podcast news late at night after a weekend away, and I’m going to have to digest it a bit more before I can determine what chance this roster, as it is, stands of making the playoffs.

It also strikes me that MacTavish, after talking so boldly at first, might be going in the other, calmer, wiser direction right now, playing it cool, not sounding overly keen, seeing how things develop and if a few more smart pick ups, maybe even a big one, will fall his way as other teams struggle with the cap and filling out their own rosters.

At this point, it looks like there’s going to be room for a few young players, such as Anton Lander, Mark Arcobello and Taylor Fedun, to challenge for roster spots, especially Lander and Arcobello. The fourth line centre spot is wide open.

Unlike many Oilers fans, I’m good with Lander or Arcobello getting the job. They were both strong in the American Hockey League. They are both experienced AHL vets now. They’ve done their time in the minors. They are ready to grab hold of an NHL job, and it should come as no surprise if one or both of them seize a roster spot and hold their own, as both have played strong two-way hockey against tough playoff competition in the AHL. Ryan Smyth can also fill in as a fourth line centre.

Of course, it would be wise for the Oilers to pick up more veteran forward depth on the wings, namely a checker who can play with Gordon and Ryan Jones on a third line unit. Perhaps Hemsky will be moved and that will be done.

As for acquiring a top defenceman, well, I’ve already addressed that. It’s no easy matter to acquire such a player, as MacTavish no doubt found. Perhaps something will still blow up on another team and the Oilers can pounce, but I’m not counting on it, and never really was. My own take is it’s still best to target a top younger defenceman, one with one or two or three years of pro experience who hasn’t yet developed into that top job, and go after him.

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714392 Edmonton Oilers

Belanger signs one-year deal in KHL

By Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Journal July 15, 2013 11:04 PM

EDMONTON - Centre Eric Belanger, whose contract was recently bought out by the Edmonton Oilers after two seasons with the NHL team, has signed a one-year contract to play in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Belanger scored four goals and 19 points in 104 games with the Oilers.

He had one year left at a salary of $1.25 million, which the Oilers are paying over two years. His $1.75 million salary-cap hit won’t count against the Oilers as he was an amnesty buyout.

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714393 Edmonton Oilers

Eric Belanger moving to KHL after Edmonton Oilers buyout

July 15, 2013. 8:07 pm • Section: Oil Spills

Jim Matheson

Eric Belanger, who struggled in his two years as an Edmonton Oilers’ centre to put up any meaningful stats except in the face-off circle, has signed a one-year contract to play in Yekaterinburg in the KHL.

Yekaterinberg used to be called Sverdlovsk and it’s the hometown of former Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and onetime NHL centre Alexei Yashin, in case you’re wondering . It’s the fourth largest city in Russia with 1.4 million people. Toronto Maple Leafs’ winger Joffrey Lupul played there during the lockout.

Belanger had four goals in 104 Oiler games and 19 points. He was a 55 percent face-off guy but injuries (broken foot, gr0in) hurt him last year during the lockout and the Oilers chose after the season not to bring him back for a third year. They bought him out at 3/rds of his $1.25 million salary over two years and his cap number of $1.75 million won’t count against the cap becauase he was an amnesty buyout.

The Oilers signed former Phoenix centre Boyd Gordon to a three-year $9 million deal July 5 and he’ll either be the third or fourth-line centre this season. Belanger was signed as a third-liner but with Shawn Horcoff moving back in the pecking order to third-line duty, Belanger was ostensibly the fourth-line pivot.

ON THE BENCH–It’s expected Oilers’ winger Nail Yakupov will turn in his No. 64 for his favoured No. 10, the number Horcoff wore before he was traded to Dallas…Newcomer forward David Perron has said he’ll wear 57 here with Anton Lander now wearing 51…Magnus Paajarvi, traded to St. Louis for Perron, says he’ll wear 56. That was the year his dad Gunnar Svensson was born. He was 91 here but Vlad Tarasenko has that number in St. Louis.

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714394 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers sign Barkov, Markstrom

By George Richards

Moments after being taken by the Panthers with the second pick in the NHL Draft last month, Aleksander “Sasha’’ Barkov said his plan was to play in Florida this season.

Barkov took a step toward that on Monday by signing his first contract with the team, a three-year entry-level deal.

The Panthers also ended any sort of contentious negotiations it may have had with goalie Jacob Markstrom as he signed a two-year deal with the team on Monday as well.

“This is the deal that works for both sides,’’ assistant general manager Mike Santos said after announcing the Markstrom signing.

“Jacob is, obviously, still a top prospect. As a goaltender sometimes it takes a little longer to develop. I think this was the right deal for him and for us. He’s by no means the complete goaltender we hope he will be someday. But, again, he’s young.’’

Markstrom, a second-round pick in 2008, became the Panthers starting goalie last season after Scott Clemmensen struggled and Jose Theodore tore his groin March 2 in Carolina.

Markstrom went 8-14-1 in his 23 starts for the Panthers last season.

The 23-year-old goalie will have a two-way provision — allowing him to be sent back to the minors — in the first year of his contract. Markstrom gets a one-way deal in the second year.

“We were forced into that situation last year because of the injury,’’ Santos said. “He was thrown into a tough situation. Given the time he came up and all the injuries we had in the short season, I think it was difficult to expect him to come in and play to the best of his abilities.”

Santos said he expects a starting goalie to emerge during training camp and that Markstrom won’t be handed the job. That said, the Panthers apparently aren’t actively looking for another goalie to come in, although Santos said that could change.

Santos said he hasn’t spoken to Theodore, a free agent, since the end of last season. Theodore said he wanted to come back to the Panthers, but that doesn’t appear to be a likelihood. Clemmensen is signed for another season.

Markstrom wrote he was excited to sign and “can’t wait for the season to start!’’ on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon, moments after Santos broke the news of the signing.

With Barkov in the fold, the Panthers will be younger than they were at the start of last season.

Barkov is expected to not only join recent top draft picks Jonathan Huberdeau (20) and Erik Gudbranson (21) in the Panthers’ lineup, but Alex Petrovic (21) and Nick Bjugstad (20) as well.

Veterans Ed Jovanovski (hip) and Kris Versteeg (knee) are coming off surgery and are expected to miss at least the beginning of the season. Those injuries could open the door for the likes of Vincent Trocheck and Colby Robak.

After scoring 21 goals with 27 assists in 53 games in the Finnish elite league over the past two seasons, there really was nothing left for Barkov to prove in Europe. He’s going to get his chance in the NHL in a few months.

Barkov is back in his native Finland after attending the Panthers’ developmental camp last week.

Although he couldn’t participate in on-ice drills after having shoulder surgery last March, Barkov was able to assimilate himself a little better within South Florida and the organization.

Rookie camp, which Barkov is expected to participate in, will be held Sept. 4. Training camp begins Sept. 11 in Coral Springs.

“There was no sense of putting [the signing of Barkov] off,’’ Santos said. “One reason why we took him with the second overall pick is we thought he was going to have the ability to step right in. He’s played in a men’s league for the past two years.

“It’s a different situation than other top picks we’ve had recently. We thought they needed another year. We drafted [Barkov] because we feel he’s ready and able to play.”

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714395 Florida Panthers

MARKSTROM RESIGNS: Panthers Goalie Gets Two-Year Deal

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

The Panthers negotiations with goalie Jacob Markstrom weren't as contentious as some were led to believe as he was signed to a two-year deal on Monday.

Markstrom, 23, will be under a two-way provision in the first year of the contract. His second season will be a one-way deal.

"This is the deal that works for both sides,'' assistant general manager Mike Santos said. "Jacob is, obviously, still a top prospect. As a goaltender sometimes it takes a little longer to develop. I think this was the right deal for him and for us. He's by no means the complete goaltender we hope he will be someday. But, again, he's young.''

Markstrom, a second round pick in 2008, became the Panthers starting goalie last season after Scott Clemmensen struggled and Jose Theodore tore his groin March 2 in Carolina.

"We were forced into that situation last year because of the injury,'' Santos said. "He was thrown into a tough situation. Given the time he came up and all the injuries we had in the short season, I think it was difficult to expect him to come in and play to the best of his abilities.''

Santos said he expects a starting goalie to emerge during training camp and that Markstrom won't be handed the job. That said, the Panthers likely aren't looking for another goalie to come in although that could change.

Santos said he hasn't spoken to Theodore, a free agent, since the end of last season. Theodore said he wanted to come back to the Panthers although that doesn't appear to be a likelihood.

Markstrom wrote he was excited to sign and "can't wait for the season to start!" on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon moments after Santos officially broke the news of the signing.

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714396 Florida Panthers

BARKOV SIGNS: Panthers Rookie Aleksander Barkov Signs ELC

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

Moments after being taken by the Panthers with the second pick in the NHL draft last month, Aleksander 'Sasha' Barkov said his plan was to play in Florida this season.

Barkov took a step toward that on Monday by signing his first contract with the team, a three-year entry level deal.

After scoring 21 goals with 27 assists in 53 games in the Finnish elite league over the past two seasons, there really is nothing left for Barkov to prove in Europe. He's going to get his chance with the Panthers in a few months.

Rookie camp, which Barkov is expected to participate in, will be held Sept. 4. Training camp begins Sept. 11 in Coral Springs.

With Barkov in the fold, the Panthers will be younger than they were at the start of last season.

Barkov is expected to not only join recent top draft picks Jonathan Huberdeau (20-years-old) and Erik Gudbranson (21) in the Panthers' lineup, but Alex Petrovic (21) and Nick Bjugstad (20) as well.

Veterans Ed Jovanovski (hip) and Kris Versteeg (knee) are coming off surgery and expected to miss at least the beginning of the season. Those injuries could open the door for the likes of Vincent Trocheck and Colby Robak.

Barkov is back in his native Finland after attending Florida's developmental camp last week. Although he couldn't participate in on-ice drills after having shoulder surgery last March, Barkov was able to assimilate himself a little better within South Florida and the organization.

Before coming to Panthers camp, Barkov had never visited Florida.

When asked what he had heard about Florida, Barkov mentioned "much sun, good beaches and warm weather.''

Come training camp, Barkov is going to be asked to help a Florida team that ranked tied for last in the league in goals and last in penalty kill percentage. A big forward who is good in the faceoff circle, Barkov is expected to play alongside Huberdeau at least from the start.

Huberdeau was the league's rookie of the year last season despite playing on a last-place team.

Barkov being on the roster will also help Florida's bottom line as his base salary with his signing bonus will be just over $1 million. Because various performance bonuses, however, his cap hit is worth $3.575 million.

With three former top-end draft picks on the roster, Florida will get over $10 million counting against the cap but could pay out as little as $3.025 million. That inflated number would help keep the Panthers above the mandated salary cap floor if veteran players were to be moved in the future.

After signing Barkov, the Panthers' salary cap number is close to $55 million -- including the rookie contracts signed by Barkov, Huberdeau and Gudbranson. Florida's estimated maximum performance bonus number is close to $8 million.

Triggers for performance bonuses include goals scored (20 for forwards, 10 for defensemen) as well as assists (35/25) and ice time averages.

The Panthers, actually, think Barkov is good enough to hit at least some of those bonus numbers. If he does, it will be worth the money.

"We're going to have a big, fast team,'' general manager Dale Tallon said at the draft.

"[Barkov] feels he is ready. He has a quiet confidence. He has size and skill and makes players around him better. He's extremely smart and sees the ice very well. That's what you need.''

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714397 Florida Panthers

Panthers re-sign goalie Jacob Markstrom for two years and sign top pick Aleksander Barkov

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

8:06 p.m. EDT, July 15, 2013

The Panthers got younger in the front and back end Monday by signing Finnish center Aleksander Barkov, the overall second pick of last month's draft, and by re-signing restricted free agent goalie Jacob Markstrom to a two-year contract.

Although Markstrom has been projected as the franchise's starting netminder since he was drafted in the second round in 2008, his fledgling NHL career has gotten off to an inconsistent start with the 6-foot-6 Swede mixing in periods of poised excellence with early-game jitters.

That explains why the Panthers insisted the first year of the deal be a two-way proposition, which gives them the leverage of sending him to San Antonio of the AHL where he would collect minor-league pay. That was reportedly a sticking point in the two-month negotiation process.

"We talked for a couple of months, so I guess you could say he turned down the first offer,'' Panthers Assistant General Manager Mike Santos said. "Jacob is obviously a top prospect, but as a goaltender, sometimes it takes a little longer.

"Although he played well at times, there's been other times where his inexperience showed as well. He hasn't played a lot of games in the NHL. … There's a lot of goalies at or approaching 40; he's 23.''

Markstrom, who had an affinity for giving up early goals in the first period last season, played 23 games, going 8-14-3 with a 3.22 goals-against-average and a mundane .901 save percentage. His NHL career numbers are 10-19-2 with a .906 save percentage.

Santos admitted that Markstrom was forced into the starting role earlier than expected last season because of Jose Theodore's knee issues. With Theodore, a 36-year-old free agent out of the picture, and backup Scott Clemmensen turning 36 this month while coming off a sub-par season, it appears Markstrom will be the starter on opening night.

"I'm looking for a goaltender to emerge in training camp,'' Santos said.

The Panthers may still sign a free-agent goalie like a Chris Mason if the price is right.

The 6-foot-3 Barkov, who's 17 and recuperating from shoulder surgery, signed a three-year, entry-level deal worth a potential $10.7 million, according to capgeek.com. While the team has the option of sending him to the AHL where he would make $70,000 instead of $925,000 plus bonuses, they drafted him instead of blue-chip defenseman Seth Jones because they felt he was more NHL-ready.

"I like his desire to be here," Tallon said after last week's development camp. "He really wants to be a star and he wants to play right away.''

Barkov has played the last two seasons in the SM-liiga, Finland's top professional league, in which he has excelled against grown men. Last season he notched 48 points, including 21 goals for Tappara, before sustaining a shoulder injury.

With Stephen Weiss in Detroit and the Panthers not actively talking to free-agent center Peter Mueller, Santos said Barkov will have a good opportunity to center the Panthers' top line this season.

"I'd love to break him in slowly, but I don't know if we could,'' Santos said.

Barkov didn't participate in last week's practices, but skated for three straight days, and is confident he will make the Panthers if his shoulder heals.

"I'm very excited about signing my first NHL contract with Florida,'' Barkov said.

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714398 Los Angeles Kings

Kings executive Ron Hextall returns to Flyers

Staff and wire reports

10:00 PM PDT, July 15, 2013

Ron Hextall, the legendary Philadelphia Flyers goaltender who has been the Kings' vice president/assistant general manager for seven years, is returning to Philadelphia as the team's assistant GM/director of hockey operations.

Although the move might appear to be lateral, there is speculation that Hextall, 49, could ultimately replace Flyers GM Paul Holmgren.

Under Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Hextall was highly thought of as an executive, serving as a liaison to the club's top minor league team, the Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs.

The Kings announced they have retained defenseman Alec Martinez, agreeing on a two-year contract with the player, who turns 26 this month, and avoiding arbitration.

—Lance Pugmire

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714399 Los Angeles Kings

L.A. Kings, defenseman Alec Martinez agree to $2.2M, 2-year contract

By Elliott Teaford Staff Writer

Posted: 07/15/2013 08:42:41 AM PDT

Updated: 07/15/2013 10:04:04 AM PDT

The Kings and defenseman Alec Martinez agreed to a new two-season, $2.2-million contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing later this month, the team announced Monday morning. The website for the Canadian sports network TSN first reported the deal late Sunday night. | BLOG: Inside the Kings

Martinez, 25, played in 27 of 48 games during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. He dropped out of the lineup for the final 12 regular-season games when Kings coach Darryl Sutter shuffled his defense pairs after the team acquired Robyn Regehr in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

Martinez was one of four Kings to file for salary arbitration, which results in a binding decision. He and fellow defenseman Jake Muzzin avoided going to arbitration by agreeing to new deals before their hearings were scheduled for later this month or early next month in Toronto.

Muzzin agreed with the Kings on a two-season, $2-million contract last week.

Kings forwards Trevor Lewis and Jordan Nolan also filed for arbitration.

The Kings appear unlikely to re-sign unrestricted left wing Dustin Penner.

Left wing Kyle Clifford is their lone remaining restricted free agent.

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714400 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild shore up defense with Keith Ballard, Jared Spurgeon

By Chad Graff

Posted: 07/05/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: 10 days ago

Zach Parise gave Keith Ballard a call Thursday afternoon.

The Wild forward knew what Ballard was going through. A year ago to the day, Parise decided to come home to Minnesota to play for the Wild. A year later, Ballard was contemplating the same move.

They spoke for a while, Minnesotan to Minnesotan. Ballard didn't have major concerns, but it was nice to hear from a fellow local about what it was like playing for the Wild.

"He said it was fun," Ballard said. "He said he really enjoys it. You can get wrapped up in all your buddies and all your friends and getting pulled in every direction, but I understand this is an important year for me."

A few hours later, Ballard, a 30-year-old defenseman from Baudette, Minn., who lives in Edina, agreed to terms with the Wild on a two-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million per year.

That deal was finalized late Friday morning. A couple hours later, the Wild re-signed restricted free-agent defenseman Jared Spurgeon to a three-year deal worth $8 million.

And just like that, a few hours into the first day of NHL free agency, the Wild shored up their blue line.

"First and foremost, the decision was a hockey decision," Ballard said during a Friday news conference. "I was looking for a fresh start and a new opportunity. I weighed some different options and this was a good fit. It's a bonus that I'm from here and my wife's from here."

News of Ballard's signing broke Thursday night, but the deal wasn't official until Friday morning.

The Wild's top priority in free agency was signing a proven defenseman -- and keeping Spurgeon. Ballard is expected to fill a hole on the Wild's third defensive pairing.

The Wild entered free agency squeezed by the salary cap and feared they wouldn't be able to find a quality player with their available funds.

"Many of those options might be players that would slot into a No. 6 or No. 7 hole," general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "But with Keith, we feel

he's a player who could slot higher than that. So we feel there's upside potential with the signing. And clearly he could outperform his contract by a wide margin. So we thought it was a low risk/high reward type of signing. And Keith was looking for an opportunity to re-energize his career."

That's because Ballard's time with the Vancouver Canucks didn't go as planned. He came to Vancouver as a player averaging nearly 30 points a season. But in three seasons with the Canucks, he had just 16 points and was a healthy scratch multiple times in the playoffs.

Part of that, Ballard said, stems from his first season with the Canucks in 2010, when he joined the team slowed by offseason hip surgery. He struggled in camp and never seemed to increase ice time as his health improved.

"I think there was probably a time in Vancouver where it almost didn't matter what I did or didn't do," Ballard said. "It was to the point where a small mistake would end up being very costly for me. However it got to that, I don't really know. I've kind of moved on from that part. That being said, I'm glad I went through it. I learned a lot and grew a lot as a person."

Now he's looking forward to a clean slate in his home state. And he'll be doing it with a young defensive core. Ballard is the oldest of the seven defenders on the Wild roster.

It's a role he's looking forward to.

He served as a mentor to younger players in Vancouver, and said that's one of the most rewarding parts of the job. During a hectic week -- he was

bought out by Vancouver and then courted by six other teams before deciding on the Wild -- one of the most memorable parts, he said, were the text messages of thanks he received from the younger players he mentored.

He was treated well coming into the league, Ballard said, and now he wants to pay that back to younger players.

"Look at our lineup," Ballard said. "We need our young players to do well. And it's going to be a lot easier for them to do that if they're comfortable. If they have questions, they should feel OK to come and talk to you."

One of those young guys expected to play a big role next season is Spurgeon. The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder is projected to be a top-4 defender for the Wild, alongside fellow 23-year-old Marco Scandella.

Spurgeon played major minutes for the Wild last season.

"He's clearly one of the better young defensemen in the league," Fletcher said. "He's always going to have to battle that perception that he's too small. But when you really take away the optics and look at the stats, he's a good hockey player. So to sign him for three years, it's great."

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714401 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild: Matt Cullen, sorry to leave, headed to Nashville

By Chad Graff

Posted: 07/05/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: 10 days ago

The Wild did not re-sign Matt Cullen, but they'll still see plenty of the center from Moorhead, Minn.

That's because Cullen signed a two-year, $7 million deal Friday with the Nashville Predators, who will be in the Wild's division when NHL realignment debuts during the 2013-14 season.

That means the Wild will face Cullen's Predators at least four times next season.

What will it be like for Cullen to play at the Xcel Energy Center in a non-Wild sweater after three seasons here?

"That'll be interesting," he said. "It's always interesting going back. It'll be fun, but it will be strange being on the other side. Being in Minnesota was very special. I'll miss it a lot."

The Wild said they would have liked to re-sign Cullen, who, at 36, had his best season with the team in 2013. But with the salary cap decreasing, there was no room for Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher to make a reasonable offer.

He called Cullen on Thursday night and told him the Wild wouldn't be offering him a contract.

"He played very well for us last year," Fletcher said. "There were times when he was arguably our best forward. Certainly, we're going to miss his production and performance on the ice. ... He's just a terrific person and somebody we all have respect for. So it's just not easy, but that's the nature of pro sports."

"I understand, and appreciate Chuck for trying," Cullen said. "It's just a fact of life in the salary-cap era.

"It's never easy to leave. I loved it here. I was really disappointed when I found out that it wasn't going to work. It's hard to leave a place that you call home. ... This organization has some good things ahead of them."

Cullen wasn't the only member of the 2013 Wild who signed elsewhere on the first day of free agency.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who spent his first 10 NHL seasons in Minnesota, signed a one-year deal worth $2 million with the New York Islanders.

"I had a good conversation with Pierre-Marc this morning, and he was excited," Fletcher said. "It's a good situation for him, and he's healthy. And I have no doubt that he'll be a good hockey player. He was a really good hockey player for us."

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714402 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild celebrate the day after the Fourth with some fireworks of their own

By Chad Graff

Posted: 07/05/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: 10 days ago

After a busy start to the month, it's shaping up to be a quiet July around Kellogg Boulevard.

"I hope so," Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said with a laugh.

He said that a couple of hours before the Wild finished off a busy Friday.

The team accomplished its biggest offseason priorities early on the first day of free agency and then made a splash in the evening by trading Devin Setoguchi to new division rival Winnipeg for a second-round draft pick. The Wild then used the money freed up by that move to sign agitator Matt Cooke to a three-year deal with an annual average value of $2.5 million.

"We're not looking to do anything now," Fletcher said.

This time he's probably right.

After defenseman Keith Ballard's signing was finalized, Minnesota re-signed restricted free agent Jared Spurgeon. And it seemed as if the Wild addressed its major roster moves of the summer, filling in its holes on defense.

But the Wild were just getting warmed up.

"It was kind of a crazy afternoon," Fletcher said. "Things came together incredibly quickly."

After meeting with the media and seemingly wrapping up the major parts of free agency, the fireworks got started.

Fletcher said interest in Setoguchi peaked to an offseason high Friday afternoon.

The team saw the opportunity to unload Setoguchi, who is entering the final year of his contract, for maximum value and use the cap space to go after a player they felt could fill a needed role.

After trading Cal Clutterbuck for young Nino Niederreiter, the Wild felt they were too heavy with wingers with a shot-first mentality.

That's why they used the Setoguchi money to sign Cooke to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million per year -- $500,000 less than what Setoguchi will earn next season.

"We felt there was an opportunity to get some value for (Setoguchi) and get Matt Cooke, who we felt would really complement our team well," Fletcher said.

There was some concern within the Wild organzation

that they had a group of offensive-minded players vying for spots on the third line, traditionally a checking, defensive trio. The team felt it had too many players playing the same role.

"What we're focusing on is the identity of the third line," Fletcher said. "When playing goal scorers on the third line, it's hard to have that identity that I think this will have."

Cooke certainly changes that.

He's developed a reputation as a dirty player after a few hard, high hits. But in recent years, he's worked to clean up his act.

"By changing my approach and not always going for biggest hit, I enable myself to make the right decision on a play," he said. "There are still times to get a big, clean hit, but it was the other ones I wanted to get rid of."

Cooke, who projects to about 15 goals in a full season, said his reputation seems to overshadow his ability.

But the two biggest reasons for the trade were the value for Setoguchi and the opportunity to add a physical defensive player to the third line.

"We have a lot of wingers that should be on second line," Fletcher said. "And with Matt Cooke, we're getting a guy that should play on third line."

The biggest benefactor in the trade could be Dany Heatley, who was projected to be in the type of situation the Wild wanted to avoid. With Setoguchi at right wing on the second line, Heatley would have been stuck on the third line.

Now, the 32-year-old who missed most of April and all of the playoffs with a shoulder injury, appears in line for top-six minutes up front.

"After he was hurt, I felt our net-front presence was not as good and I thought our power play was not quite as good," Fletcher said. "If you project out what he does in 82 games, it's about 25 goals. If we get 25 goals out of Heatley, we'll be in good shape. We're happy to have him -- his shot and size are two elements we sorely missed when he was hurt."

The reshuffling of lines after the trade and signing of Cooke overshadowed the moves of the earlier day, which filled the need on the blue line that the Wild had.

Coupled with the other moves, the Wild appear pretty set heading toward training camp, which opens Sept. 11.

What's left now is adding depth by signing an experienced forward and defender or two to a two-way contract, filling out the roster for the American Hockey League Iowa Wild, and manning the phones to make sure a good trade isn't available.

"There's been a lot of activity in the last six weeks and it's probably not a bad thing for everybody to take a bit of a break around here," Fletcher said.

The Wild aren't completely done making moves. They still have to sign some players to two-way contracts to add depth and flexibility.

But as for the big moves that will impact them for next season? Those already have been made.

"We have some time to sort that through," Fletcher said. "And I think we're comfortable going in with what we have now."

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714403 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens’ Blake Geoffrion retires from hockey at age 25

MONTREAL — The Canadian Press

Published Monday, Jul. 15 2013, 3:58 PM EDT

Last updated Monday, Jul. 15 2013, 4:02 PM EDT

Montreal Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion announced his retirement on Monday.

The 25-year-old had been considering stepping away from hockey due to lingering effects of a skull fracture and concussion suffered during an American Hockey League game in November.

Geoffrion, the grandson of Canadiens legend Bernie Geoffrion and great-grandson of superstar Howie Morenz, notified general manager Marc Bergevin in March that he might retire.

“After suffering an injury in November and taking time to recover and reflect, I have decided to step away from the game of hockey for the time being,” Geoffrion said in a statement Monday.

The six-foot-one centre was skating for the Hamilton Bulldogs when he suffered a depressed skull fracture from a hit by defenceman Jean-Philippe Cote of the Syracuse Crunch during a Nov. 9 American Hockey League game at the Bell Centre.

The Plantation, Fla., native underwent surgery a day later to repair damage that his father Dan Geoffrion, who also played briefly for the Canadiens, said could have been life-threatening or caused brain damage.

The Canadiens acquired Geoffrion on Feb. 25, 2012 as part of a trade that sent defenceman Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators. He had two goals in 13 games for Montreal last season.

Geoffrion won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award in 2010 as the top player in U.S. university hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers. He was selected in the second round of the 2006 NHL draft by Nashville.

He has eight goals and five assists in 55 career NHL games.

“A young player appreciated by everyone within our organization, Blake has shown a lot of courage since suffering a serious injury,” said Bergevin. “He made the decision to end his professional hockey career and we wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

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714404 Montreal Canadiens

Geoffrion calls it quits‘for the time being’

The Canadian PressJuly 16, 2013 12:04 AM

Montreal Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion has shelved his plans to return to professional hockey “for the time being.”

There’s little surprise the 25-year-old Geoffrion is stepping away from the game after suffering a serious head injury during an American Hockey League game at the Bell Centre on Nov. 9.

The 6-foot-1 centre was skating for the Hamilton Bulldogs during the lockout when he was hit by Syracuse Crunch defenceman Jean-Philippe Côté. Geoffrion was flipped into the air and his head struck Côté’s skate as he fell. He suffered a depressed skull fracture.

The Florida native underwent surgery a day later to repair damage that his father, Dan Geoffrion, who also played briefly for the Canadiens, said could have been life-threatening or caused brain damage. He had a metal plate inserted in his skull.

“After suffering an injury in November and taking time to recover and reflect, I have decided to step away from the game of hockey for the time being,” Geoffrion said in a statement released Monday by the Canadiens and Geoffrion’s Twitter account.

The Canadiens acquired Geoffrion on Feb. 25, 2012, as part of a trade that sent defenceman Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators, and he became a fourth-generation Canadien.

His great-grandfather Howie Morenz and grandfather Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion are both Hockey Hall of Famers whose numbers have been retired by the Canadiens.

Blake Geoffrion had two goals in 13 games for Montreal in the 2011-12 season.

He officially became an unrestricted free agent last month when the Canadiens failed to give him a qualifying offer.

Geoffrion won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award in 2010 as the top player in U.S. university hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers. He was selected in the second round of the 2006 NHL draft by Nashville. He has eight goals and five assists in 55 career NHL games.

“A young player appreciated by everyone within our organization, Blake has shown a lot of courage since suffering a serious injury,” said general manager Marc Bergevin.

“He made the decision to end his professional hockey career, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

In other news, the Canadiens announced the signing of forward Sven Andrighetto to a three-year entry level contract.

Andrighetto, who has played the past two seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, was drafted by the Canadiens in the third round (86th overall) last month. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder finished sixth in the QMJHL scoring race with 98 points and a plus-25 rating. He also represented Switzerland in the past two world junior championships.

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714405 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion retires

By QMI Agency

Montreal Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion, who fractured his skull during an AHL game last season, retired Monday rather than risk further injury.

While playing for Hamilton of the AHL, Geoffrion, the grandson of Canadiens’ great Bernie ‘Boom-Boom’ Geoffrion, suffered a depressed skull fracture Nov. 9 during a game against Syracuse and required emergency surgery. He was off skates for seven months and didn’t play again after the injury.

“After suffering an injury in November and taking time to recover and reflect, I have decided to step away from the game of hockey for the time being,” Geoffrion said in a statement on the Canadiens’ website.”I would like to thank Geoff Molson, Marc Bergevin, the entire Montreal Canadiens organization as well as the Hamilton Bulldogs organization for everything they have done for me. They have been unwavering in their support, professionalism and kindness. I cannot thank them enough.”

Geoffrion, 25, played just 55 games in the NHL, recording eight goals and five assists.

The Canadiens also signed forward Sven Andrighetto to a three-year, entry-level contract Monday. The 20-year-old from Switzerland was a third-round pick of the Canadiens in the 2013 draft.

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714406 Nashville Predators

Brentwood's Blake Geoffrion, former Nashville Predators forward, retires from hockey

Jul. 15, 2013 6:05 PM

Josh Cooper

The Nashville Predators drafted forward Blake Geoffrion in 2006. / The Tennessean

BLAKE GEOFFRION

• Age: 25

• Position: Forward

• Birthplace: Plantation, Fla.

• Grew up: Brentwood

• Drafted: Second round, 56th overall, by Nashville Predators in 2006

• College: University of Wisconsin. In 2010 he won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player.

• Nashville career: Posted 11 points in 42 games with the Predators between the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons

• Shining moment: Scored hat trick for the Predators against the Buffalo Sabres on March 20, 2011

• Traded: Dealt to the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 17, 2012 as part of a package for defenseman Hal Gill

• Montreal career: Had two goals in 13 games with the Canadiens during the 2011-12 season

• Injury: Suffered a depressed skull fracture on Nov. 9, 2012 at Montreal’s Bell Centre while playing for the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs during the NHL lockout

• Lineage: Blake’s great grandfather (Howie Morenz), grandfather (Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion) and father (Danny Geoffrion) all played in the NHL. Morenz and Bernie are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Blake’s brother Sebastian was recently participated in Predators prospect camp as an invitee.

Blake Geoffrion didn’t want to go into details about why doctors advised him to quit playing hockey.

The former Predators forward who grew up in Brentwood was guided by a simple logic as he came to the decision to announce his retirement on Monday at age 25.

“It was the brain trauma,” he said. “After suffering a skull fracture, it’s probably not safe to … the complications of something happening again are too high.”

Playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League on Nov. 9, 2012, Geoffrion was hit by Syracuse Crunch defenseman Jean-Philippe Côté. As they fell to the ice, Côté’s skate landed two inches above Geoffrion’s left ear, causing a depressed skull fracture that required emergency surgery.

He has not skated in a competitive manner since the injury.

“Blake has always had a major love of the game. It has been his whole life,” said Danny Geoffrion, Blake’s father and a former NHL player. “But I think he just realized … he did every precaution — he talked to the doctors, he talked to the psychologist, he talked to everybody. And after weighing everything, I think he came to the decision that, ‘oh my gosh, this is trauma to the brain, it’s probably worse than a concussion.’ ”

Asked if Blake is still feeling symptoms, Danny said: “He’ll get a little headache here, aspirin gets rid of that, he gets a little dizzy here and dizzy there, where sometimes if you haven’t exercised in a long time.”

Blake had a strong hockey lineage to draw from — grandfather Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and great grandfather Howie Morenz are in the

Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Montreal Canadiens retired both their numbers — but his rise to the NHL became a feel-good story locally.

He grew up in Brentwood then went to the University of Wisconsin, where he capped his senior season with the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player.

The Predators picked Geoffrion in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft and he made his NHL debut on Feb. 26, 2011, becoming the first player who learned hockey in Nashville to play in the league.

He saw action in 42 games for Nashville during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. His highlight was a hat trick in Buffalo against the Sabres — with Danny in the stands — on March 20, 2011. He also played in all 12 of Nashville’s postseason games as a rookie, notching two assists.

Geoffrion started 2011-12 on the Predators’ opening night roster, but fell out of favor midway through the year after picking up just three assists in 22 games. He was sent to the AHL affiliate in Milwaukee and on Feb. 17, 2012, the Predators traded him to the Canadiens as part of a deal for defenseman Hal Gill.

The move provided a fresh start for Geoffrion in familiar confines, with an organization he knew through his bloodline. Unfortunately, he would only play 13 NHL games in a Montreal jersey before he was forced to retire.

“He has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. He has won the Hobey Baker, he has made the NHL, he has scored a hat trick, it’s all good stuff,” Danny said. “At the end of the day it’s a sad day. It’s unbelievable. At 25, he was just hitting his peak time, but it is what it is. God has a reason for everything.”

In 55 NHL games with the Predators and Canadiens, Geoffrion posted 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists).

“Obviously tough for me to do, but it is what it is,” Blake said. “And I’m ready for the next challenge and next chapter of my life to begin.”

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714407 New Jersey Devils

Kovalchuk Signs With SKA St. Petersburg of K.H.L.

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

Published: July 15, 2013

Ilya Kovalchuk walked away from $77 million when he retired from the Devils last week at age 30, citing a desire to return to Russia with his family. On Monday, he signed a four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League.

SKA did not disclose the terms of the deal in announcing Kovalchuk’s signing. Alexander Medvedev, the former president of SKA, told the Russian daily Sport-Express that Kovalchuk’s earnings would be “absolutely comparable” to what he would have made in four years with the Devils.

Kovalchuk’s salary with the Devils averaged $6.67 million a year over 15 years. But the deal was structured so that he would have received $11.3 million the next two seasons, $11.6 million in 2015-16 and $11.8 million in 2016-17. That contract was rendered void when Kovalchuk signed his N.H.L. voluntary retirement papers.

Even if Kovalchuk does not make as much in St. Petersburg in raw dollar terms as he would have made in Newark, he will retain much more of it. Taxes are far lower in Russia than they are in North America, an incentive that has in the past helped induce Eastern European players like Jaromir Jagr and Alexander Radulov to jump to the K.H.L. from the N.H.L.

Kovalchuk, who scored more goals in his 11 N.H.L. seasons than any player during that span (417), played for SKA during the N.H.L. lockout, and Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello said Kovalchuk had told him during the lockout of his wish to return to Russia.Reactions to his return to Russia varied on both sides of the ocean over the weekend. In North America, the provocative commentator Don Cherry saw the move as a betrayal.

“That’s why a lot of people are afraid to draft Russians — they do what they want to do and we cater to them,” Cherry said. “Kovalchuk is just laughing all the way to the bank.”

CSKA Moscow forward Alexei Morozov, who played seven seasons in the N.H.L. before returning to Russia in 2004, suggested that Kovalchuk’s return might lead to the eventual repatriation of other Russian stars, like Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin. All three recently re-signed with their N.H.L. clubs. But as Kovalchuk’s retirement maneuver showed, there is a way for them to leave.

“Ilya is a pioneer,” Morozov said. “Before this, everyone was eager to go ‘over there.’ But against all odds, he came back. Now many young guys will look at this and think about it.”

Kovalchuk’s K.H.L. contract will expire when he is 35. Under N.H.L. rules, at that age Kovalchuk could come off the voluntary retirement list and become a free agent, theoretically allowing him to sign with any league club. However, the Devils could delay his return to the N.H.L. by a full calendar year under another league regulation.

SKA, founded in 1946 and affiliated with the Army during the Soviet era, has never won the Russian championship. But in the post-Soviet period it was bought by the state energy company Gazprom, which has spent freely on the club. SKA’s current chairman is Gennady Timchenko, listed by Forbes as the world’s 62nd richest person, with a fortune estimated at $14.1 billion.

On the club’s Web site, Timchenko cited Kovalchuk’s arrival as important to Russia’s hopes of winning the men’s hockey tournament at the Sochi Olympics next February. “Do not forget that we are waiting for the Olympic season, and on our team Ilya Kovalchuk, one of the leaders of the Russian national team, will be able to better prepare for this important tournament,” Timchenko said. “It will be much more convenient for the coaches of the national team to watch him play — not just on TV, but live.”

The K.H.L. has been growing steadily since its founding in 2008. Last month one of Finland’s biggest clubs, Jokerit Helsinki, announced that it would become the K.H.L.’s 27th member in 2014-15, making it the league’s first team from outside the former Eastern bloc. The league already has

clubs in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

A version of this article appeared in print on July 16, 2013,

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714408 New Jersey Devils

When the Stanley Cup Missed its Connection

By PHIL PRITCHARD

Published: July 15, 2013

I STARTED with the Hockey Hall of Fame back in 1988, and I’ve traveled extensively both as curator of the Hall of Fame and one of the “Keepers” of the Stanley Cup. Hockey is played in 75 countries, and I’ve been taking the Stanley Cup to a lot of events for a lot of years.

Enlarge This Image

Phil Pritchard, curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame and Keeper of the Stanley Cup, on Prince Edward Island on Hockey Day.

Q. and A.

Q. How often do you fly for business?

A. About 150 to 180 days a year, on average.

Q. What’s your least favorite airport?

A. O’Hare. I dislike connections, and I always have connections at O’Hare.

Q. Of all the places you’ve been, what’s the best?

A. Helsinki, Finland. What can I say? I love saunas, and everyone has them in their homes.

Q. What’s your secret airport vice?

A. I hate paying for food on the airplane, so I take some free snacks out of the lounges for the flight. I’m not sure that’s a vice. I think it’s economical.

Back in 1995, the Keeper of the Cup position was formalized and we started visiting the hometowns of winning team players. Then we decided to include managers, coaches and staff. Basically, everyone involved with the winning team gets to spend some time with the trophy.

That’s a lot of travel. Now with the Chicago Blackhawks’ win this year, I’ve already been to two small towns in Ontario, made a stop in Minnesota, and then in early August, I’ll be headed to Europe to take the Cup to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Sweden, among other places.

Traveling with the Stanley Cup is an exercise in logistics. Fortunately, we have travel experts who take care of that. I go where I’m told.

Whenever I travel with the Cup and have to go through customs, I arrive at the airport early. As soon as I’m asked where I’m going and why, agents don’t believe that I’m traveling with the Cup and I have to open the customized trunk I carry it in. Once they see it, I spend about the next 30 minutes waiting while people take pictures.

Fortunately, photos haven’t made me miss a flight. But like baggage, the Cup has to make connections. Most of the time, I don’t have any problems. Sometimes, I do.

I was headed from Toronto to Frankfurt with my final destination being Prague. The Cup was going to be showcased at a news conference in Prague and then we were going to drive to a small town called Strakonice, the hometown of hockey player Roman Turek, who played for the Cup winners the Dallas Stars.

When we landed in Frankfurt, we had to change terminals for our Prague flight. When we got to Prague, the gentleman meeting us told us the Cup missed its connection. We couldn’t cancel the news conference. All I kept thinking was “Where’s the Cup?” About five hours later it arrived, no worse for the wear. I think it was in better shape than me.

I’ve also had some near misses.

The Cup was in France with a player. I had no problems getting it into the country, but I didn’t think I was going to get it out. I was leaving Paris for Finland when an agent at Charles de Gaulle told me that the Cup wasn’t going to be able to get on the plane. I had documentation, but I couldn’t get my point across. I was saved by two hockey fans from Minnesota who happened to be walking by. They recognized me from presentations and

they saw the Cup’s carrying case. There is no one quite like a Minnesota hockey fan. They created a bit of a scene and wanted their pictures taken with the Cup, which I guess was enough to convince the agent that the Cup and I should be allowed to go to Finland.

Maybe I’m a little biased when I say the Cup is always recognized by people, since I do recall an instance in Reno, Nev., when it wasn’t.

I saw an older woman approaching me and I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it was that this lady loved hockey and how fun it would be to take a picture. Instead, she just asked me where the cups were. I told her I didn’t understand what she was asking. She thought I was carrying a coffee urn and she wanted some coffee.

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714409 New Jersey Devils

Devils emerge as winners in Ilya Kovalchuk retirement, according to Grantland

Charles Curtis/NJ.com

on July 15, 2013 at 8:10 PM

Ilya Kovalchuk's retirement left Devils fans feeling jilted and wondering what's next.

But the move could turn out to be beneficial.

That's at least what Sean McIndoe of Grantland thought. "Losing your franchise player for nothing seems like it should be a bad thing, but when you step back and look at the bigger picture, the Devils have to be thrilled with Kovalchuk's decision. Given the contract that they handed him to in 2010, all this couldn't have worked out any better," he wrote.

He went on to say New Jersey would have been hit with much worse cap recapture penalties had he played longer. "In the end, the Devils got three years of Kovalchuk in his late 20s, at both a reasonable salary and cap hit. And they were let off the hook for the remaining years, when they would have been paying much more and (presumably) getting much less," he wrote.

McIndoe also added that while Devils fans were in the loser's column in the short term, they have to look beyond this season. "Yes, they may be awful next year, and yes, the farm system isn't especially great (i.e., it's god-awful). Let's face it, this is a team that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. ... The bottom line is that if you're a Devils fan who was hoping to see the team win the Cup sometime in the next decade, your chances just got better, not worse."

Perhaps that will help ease some of the sting of Kovalchuk's sudden move back to Russia.

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714410 New Jersey Devils

Devils prospects camp opens with Anthony Brodeur, Stefan Matteau

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on July 15, 2013 at 8:37 AM, updated July 15, 2013 at 11:25 AM

Devils prospects camp opened today with goalie Anthony Brodeur and defenseman Steven Santini among those skating in the AmeriHealth Pavilion in Newark.

Former Devils forward Sergei Brylin was one of the coaches on the ice.

Brodeur, the son of Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, was a seventh round draft pick on June 30. He wore No, 50 and was among four goalies in camp, including Scott Wedgewood (60), Brandon Hope (65) and Jake Hildebrand (70).

The defensemen: Seth Helgeson (33), Eric Gelinas (37), Brandon Burlon (38), Santini (39), Curtis Gedig (42), Reece Scarlett (44), Matt Killian (51), Damon Severson (54), Zach Tolkinen (56), Oleg Yevenko (61)and Jon Merrill (34).

Forwards: Stefan Matteau (52), Derek Rodwell (36), Riley Boychuk (41), Artur Gavrus (43), Myles Bell (45), David Wohlberg (46), Alexander Kerfoot (47), Graham Black (48), Blake Pietila (49), Ryan Kujawinski (53), Miles Wood (55), Ben Thomson (57), Frank DiChiara (58), Reid Boucher (59), Cody Wydo (62), Ben Johnson (63), Blake Coleman (64), Ryan Misiak (66), Michael Ambrosia (67), Conor Sheary (68), Kyle Gibbons (71), Dmitry Antipin (72) and Nick Saracino (73).

Along with Brylin, the coaches were Pete DeBoer, Scott Stevens, Dave Barr and Chris Terreri.

Ambrosia is a 5-10, 180-pound forward from Chatham who attended Princeton (ECAC).

Killian is a 6-1, 200-pound defenseman from Basking Ridge, who is attending Yale.

Hope is a 6-0, 195-pound goalie from Canton, Mich., who played at Owen Sound (OHL), where he was 12-6-0 with a 2.61 goals-against average.

The Devils are reportedly close to signing unrestricted free agent left winger Damien Brunner, according to the Swiss newspaper Neue Luzerner, but nothing has been finalized.

A 27-year-old native of Switzerland, Brunner scored 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 44 games for the Red Wings last season. He had 25-32-57 in 33 games for EV Zug.

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714411 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Jon Merrill sets sights on playing in the NHL next season

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on July 15, 2013 at 5:55 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 7:12 PM

Jon Merrill is one of the young Devils defenseman with a legitimate shot at winning a spot on the team in training camp.

After taking part in the first day of prospects camp, Merrill said he was looking forward to September to show he can play in the NHL.

“Absolutely. One thing that is different this year from last year is mentally I feel I’m in a good place. I think I’m ready going forward into training camp. I’m excited,” he said.

Can he make it?

“That’s not up to me. That’s up to the coaches. I’m just going to come, bring my game and play the best I can. Hopefully make the team,” Merrill noted.

Merrill, 6-4, 205 pounds, suffered a serious injury last season while playing for the University of Michigan. On Oct. 9, he was checked head-first into the boards and suffered a cracked vertebrae.

“I really had no idea what was going on. I was a little bit out of it. I had a concussion, too,” he recalled. “A day or two after, it kind of started to sink in when I was sitting around in my neck brace. I was very fortunate and thankful it wasn’t more serious.

“I feel great.”

This prospects camp feels different.

“I think it’s a little different. I’m just starting to feel a little more comfortable being around the organization a little bit longer,” Merrill said. “I am 100 percent part of the organization now. I’m not going back to school, so it is a little bit better to get a better relationship with the coaching staff.”

Playing in Albany (AHL) at the end of last season also helped.

“I think it was great. It was awesome. I was glad to go up there,” he said. “I got 12 games in. Just to see what it’s like to be a pro and be around some guys who’ve been pros for a while. I think it was really beneficial.”

Merrill, 21, was the Devils' first pick (38th overall in the second round) in 2010. He was asked what he believes are the qualities needed in an NHL defenseman.

“I think everyone is different. I think there is no exact mold for an NHL defenseman these days,” he answered. “I think everyone gets the job done differently. I think if you can bring something to the team, that’s what they’re looking for.”

Coach Pete DeBoer said of Merrill: “The best way I can put it is I think the organization is excited about not just him but the quality of the young defensemen we have here. I think by far it’s the most depth we have at a position in the organization and he’s definitely one of those guys.”

Eric Gelinas, who appeared in his first NHL game last season as well as 57 games for Albany, is also a candidate to stick with the Devils next season.

"I don't want to think about it. I just want to be here and do my thing," Gelinas said. "If it works out, I'm going to be happy about it. I don't want to set my bar so high. I want to keep everything simple and prove that I can play here on a regular basis.

"I think last year with the injury and the lockout, with NHL players in the AHL, I grew up as a player. I'm more mature now and I worked on some defensive stuff. Last year I think I proved a lot."

He overcame a serious injury last season when he was struck in the mouth and jaw by a puck.

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714412 New Jersey Devils

Devils' prospect Anthony Brodeur begins quest to follow in dad's footsteps

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on July 15, 2013 at 4:52 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 5:30 PM

On his first day of Devils’ prospects camp, Anthony Brodeur was given his father’s locker stall.

“I got the same one as him. All of his stuff was under my seat,” Martin Brodeur’s 18-year old son said with a smile.

He did not, of course, get No. 30. Instead, he wore No. 50.

“It was special,” the younger Brodeur said. “I was thinking to myself: ‘I’ve put this jersey on a lot of times.’ I had No. 50, so it was a little different, but still it was a pretty special feeling to actually be stepping on the ice with a Brodeur No. 50 with that Devils logo on the front. It was pretty cool.”

Interestingly, the first person to greet Brodeur on the ice was his father’s former road roommate, Devils goalie coach Chris Terreri.

Anthony couldn’t recall the first time he met Terreri.

“I’ve seen him a couple of times over the years. The first time I don’t remember. That was a long time ago,” he said. “It’s not weird. A coach is a coach, no matter what. I’m going to listen to him regardless of whether I met him when I was one or I just met him now.”

Coach Pete DeBoer admitted it was a little strange to see the seventh-round draft pick on the ice because their mannerisms are so similar. That is more by genetics than by design.

“I think it’s genetics. Him being my dad, I pretty much act the same way he does and do everything the same way. I don’t do it because I see him do it,” Brodeur said.

What advice did his dad give him?

“He just told me to have fun with it and play your game. Don’t do anything you’re not used to,” Anthony said. “I played out there like I’ve played all my life and I’m going to continue to do that.

“I thought I had a good day. It was good to get back on the ice and get a feel for it and get a feel for some harder shots than I’m used to. It’s a lot different. These guys are a lot bigger and stronger. The big defensemen all have hard shots. (Eric) Gelinas has a pretty hard shot and that (Derek) Rodwell from North Dakota has a pretty hard shot. A few guys out there. I enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun. I’ve gotten to know some of these guys pretty well already.”

He stopped every shot he faced when the session went to shootout practice.

Brodeur will play for the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL next season.

“I think they’re going to work me in. Right now they have three goalies, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen. That’s my goal, to be the starter. I’ll do anything I can to work towards that,” he said.

What can he get from this week in Newark?

“Just to get experience, being around an NHL environment and people who will end up playing in the NHL,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll get there one day. I just want to see what it’s going to be like and get ready for the future when I have to try out for the team.”

Then the comparisons to his father will really begin, which is okay with him.

“How can you get tired of it? He’s the best goalie in the world,” Anthony said. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that. He’s my dad. Usually people are compared to their parents. For me it’s a little different. It’s Martin Brodeur. It’s awesome. My dad has done a lot of things in his life. People look up to him.”

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said goalie Keith Kinkaid is not attending prospects camp because he is an unsigned restricted free agent.

Lamoriello said a new contract is forthcoming and should be completed shortly. He also said Kinkaid was willing to come without a deal being completed.

Alex Urbom is not in camp, Lamoriello indicated, because some of the organization's European players were not asked to come over.

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714413 New Jersey Devils

Martin Brodeur not angry about Devils losing best friend David Clarkson

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on July 15, 2013 at 2:31 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 3:20 PM

Martin Brodeur, said he wasn't angry that his pal, David Clarkson, signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Personally I’m disappointed that he left. He was the best friend I had in hockey, even though he was younger than me," Brodeur said. "We got along and our families got along. At the end of the day he went for the money for sure. But he went somewhere where he always dreamed about playing. It’s a valued franchise in Toronto.”

Brodeur knows what it means for Clarkson to be a member of the Maple Leafs.

“I didn’t get ticked off at him. He’s my buddy," Brodeur said. "I’m disappointed, but I understand what he went through. He had a press conference with Wendel Clark. He must’ve been in heaven. He grew up being Wendel Clark. Now he’s part of the same organization.

“I talked to him a lot before he (signed). This was the last chance for him to play there. This contract was probably going to bring him to retirement. The window to be able to play in Toronto was probably going to close for him. But it was difficult for him to make the decision. It took everything for him to make that move.”

Goalie Johan Hedberg, whose contract was bought out by the Devils after the acquisition of Cory Schneider, said there was some interest from NHL clubs at the start of free agency but nothing that worked out ideally for him.

So Hedberg is sitting tight to see if an NHL club approaches him with something that was more appealing.

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714414 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Pete DeBoer doesn't feel Ilya Kovalchuk double-crossed team

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on July 15, 2013 at 12:46 PM, updated July 15, 2013 at 5:22 PM

The loss of Ilya Kovalchuk changes everything for the Devils.

And it changes nothing.

“It doesn’t change anything here. You know the expectations. You know my boss,” coach Pete DeBoer said today, referring to GM Lou Lamoriello’s high standards.

“There is no taking your foot off the gas because some of these things happened. This organization has dealt with this type of thing for the last decade, back to (Brian) Rafalski and (Scott) Niedermayer and on and on. You have to find a way.”

Nevertheless, it will be a noticeably different Devils team.

“Sure it’s different,” DeBoer acknowledged. “You take out a (Zach) Parise and you take out a Kovalchuk. Those are players who single handedly can do some things that only a handful of players in the world can do. We’re going to have to be a different team.

“We’re going to have to play more of a team game. Our five-man units and our systems are going to have to be air tight. Our special teams are going to have to be better. Goaltending is going to have to be top notch like it has been. There is going to be an emphasis on all those areas because you’re taking out a couple game-breaking players.”

DeBoer said he hasn’t spoken to Kovalchuk since he announced he was retiring to go back to Russia. The coach said he was aware that the winger thought about staying in Russia after the lockout, but did not see an unhappy Kovalchuk last season.

“I never sensed that,” DeBoer said. “To his credit, from what I’ve read after the lockout, he came back with a little bit of the mindset that he wanted to go back. It was in the back of his head. But I never saw it at our level at ground zero on a day to day basis.

“I thought he worked and was a good teammate. I didn’t see any of that.”

When the bombshell hit, DeBoer didn’t see it coming.

“I had a couple conversations with Lou leading up to it, but I never felt it was imminent until the day Lou let me know that it was happening,” DeBoer said.

“Of course (I was) disappointed. It’s tough to express, but when something comes at you like that out of left field it’s obviously not something you even consider from where I stand. When it does hit you it’s obviously disappointing. You catch your breath for a day and you get ready to move forward.”

The imminent demise of the Devils, he said, is exaggerated.

“I think so. I know as a staff we’re excited about the group we have coming back,” DeBoer suggested. “We’re excited about the free agents we’ve signed. Obviously we have a lot of prove and there is going to be a lot of doubters out there. I think we’re all prepared for that and excited about the opportunity to prove people wrong.”

But how do the Devils replace Kovalchuk?

“We have to. That’s the bottom line. There is no ‘what can you do?’ We’re going to have to find a way. That’s going to be the mantra,” DeBoer said. “No one is going to feel sorry for the New Jersey Devils. When the puck drops in October we have to be ready to compete with the guys we’ve got. We’ve got a good group of people here.”

He has already begun thinking about new line combinations.

“Sure you do. There is no hiding the fact it’s a big hole. It’s a big ice-time hole, specialty teams, five on five he’s one of the best players in the world. There’s a hole there and we have to find a way as a group to fill it,” he said.

In addition to free agent signings Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder and Rostislav Olesz, there is rookie Reid Boucher perhaps to step in.

“It’s real premature to start talking about that with any of these guys,” DeBoer warned. “You’re always hoping for surprises. You’re always hoping that there is a young guy that can step in and grab a job and contribute all year. It’s also a big jump and there is no rushing that development.

“I think we’re all taking that approach with these guys that there is opportunity on this team with Kovy’s departure and some of the turnover. We’re going to see who steps forward.”

DeBoer said he doesn’t feel Kovalchuk double-crossed the Devils by just leaving.

“I don’t feel that way. Maybe I should, but I don’t,” he said. “I enjoyed working with him. He was a good pro, a good teammate in the dressing room and he’ll be missed. That’s my feelings on it. I don’t go any deeper than that.

“Everybody has a personal life and personal decisions regarding their career. It’s not place to be stepping into those.”

DeBoer was asked about the importance of re-signing Patrik Elias.

“Critical. Patty is a lifetime Devil and I hope this means he’ll finish his career with the organization, as he should," the coach said. "The consistent leadership in the dressing room from the Eliases and the Brodeurs is critical to the new guys coming in.”

One of those new guys is LW Rostislav Olesz.

“I think it’s a second chance for Rusty. This is a chance for him to start fresh and get back in the league I think he belongs in,” said DeBoer, who coached Olesz in Florida.

DeBoer said it was odd to see a goalie named Brodeur on the ice in prospects camp.

“It was. There are some similarities there. You see him handling the puck and some of his body language. It was nice. He’s a good kid.”

Anthony Brodeur, Marty's son, wore No. 50.

DeBoer on defenseman Jon Merrill: “The best way I can put it is I think the organization is excited about not just him but the quality of the young defensemen we have here. I think by far it’s the most depth we have at a position in the organization and he’s definitely one of those guys.”

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714415 New Jersey Devils

Gulitti: Pete DeBoer takes high road on star leaving

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

The Record

No one would blame Devils coach Pete DeBoer if he was angry with Ilya Kovalchuk.

As expected, Kovalchuk signed a four-year contract Monday to play with SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League, just four days after announcing his "retirement" from the NHL and playing for the Devils.

DeBoer acknowledged that losing Kovalchuk creates "a big hole" on a team already starved for offense. That Kovalchuk never bothered to call DeBoer to talk about his decision might have annoyed some coaches as well.

DeBoer claimed not to have any of those feelings, though.

"Maybe I should, but I don't," he said. "I enjoyed working with him. He was a good pro. He was a good teammate in the dressing room and he'll be missed."

DeBoer, like general manager Lou Lamoriello, is taking the high road here. It's the way Lamoriello has always conducted his business.

Lamoriello never publicly challenged the NHL three summers ago when the league rejected the 17-year, $102 million contract Kovalchuk initially signed with the team. Eventually, the NHL approved a 15-year, $100 million contract, but the Devils were still ruled guilty of salary-cap circumvention and still have to give up their 2014 first-round draft pick to complete their punishment.

That was a sign that things would rarely be easy with Kovalchuk as a Devil. Another harbinger came when he talked of possibly staying in Russia following last season's NHL owners' lockout before Lamoriello was able to talk him out of it.

DeBoer claimed he "didn't see any" signs that Kovalchuk's heart wasn't in playing for the Devils while he scored just three 5-on-5 goals for them in 2012-13. Still, one source said Kovalchuk frustrated the club when he was cleared medically to return from a shoulder injury in April, but took another week before he played.

The Devils were falling out of the playoff race without him and were mathematically eliminated the day after he returned.

Now Kovalchuk is gone to Russia and the Devils must find a way to avoid missing the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.

"There's going to be a lot of doubters out there, and I think we're all prepared for that and excited about the opportunity of proving people wrong," DeBoer said.

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714416 New Jersey Devils

Devils' prospect Anthony Brodeur reminds team of his father

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

BY TOM GULITTI

NEWARK – There was something familiar about that goaltender wearing the No. 50 jersey in the opening practice of the Devils prospect development camp Monday at Prudential Center.

It was more than the name "Brodeur" on the back of the jersey that made you think of future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, who has played his entire NHL career for the Devils and plans to be back for at least one more season. Perhaps it was the way Anthony Brodeur snapped his catching glove up to make a save or how he leaned back on the crossbar when the puck was at the other end of the ice.

Or the way he stopped all nine shooters he faced in the shootout at the end of the afternoon practice.

"The way he drops down to one knee [between drills], the way he puts the helmet up on his head, the way he leans on the net, all that stuff," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello noted. "We all saw that."

Anthony Brodeur, Martin’s oldest son, isn’t nearly as accomplished as his father was coming out of juniors as the Devils’ 1990 first-round draft pick. The Devils selected Anthony in the seventh round, 208th overall, in this year’s draft with his father making the announcement from the draft floor at Prudential Center.

Anthony just completed his senior year at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep in Faribault, Minn., where he went 21-5-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average with five shutouts. He’ll play major junior for the first time next season with Gatineau of the QMJHL.

Anthony is noticeably smaller than Martin – he’s listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds while Dad is 6-2, 220 – but everyone who watches Anthony on the ice can’t help but see his father in his mannerisms.

Anthony attributes it to "genetics.

"Just him being my dad, I pretty much act the same way he does and do everything he does," Anthony said. "I don’t do it because I see him do it."

After watching his dad play for the Devils – they won the first of their three Stanley Cups a few weeks after he was born in 1995 – Anthony recognized the significance of the moment when he put on the Devils’ jersey Monday morning and stepped on that practice ice – even if it was No. 50 instead of his dad’s No. 30.

"It was special," Anthony Brodeur said. "I was thinking to myself I’ve put this jersey on a lot of times. I had No. 50, so it was a little different, but still it was a pretty special feeling to actually be stepping on the ice with a Brodeur [No. 50] with a Devils’ logo on the front. It was pretty cool."

That Anthony dressed in the same stall in the practice locker room his father usually uses added to that special feeling. Still, this week is about Anthony being his own man and taking his first steps toward possibly becoming a professional some day.

That’s part of the reason why Martin Brodeur isn’t planning to stop by this week.

"I’m going to stay away, let him be for a while, let him do his own thing out there," Martin said.

Anthony said his father’s advice to him for the week was "to pretty much have fun with it and just play your game. Don’t do anything you’re not used to and make sure you’re doing everything the way you’re used to doing it."

Anthony believes he did that Monday.

"Like I played out there, I’ve played like that all my life and I’m going to continue to do that," he said.

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714417 New Jersey Devils

Anthony Brodeur on the ice at Devils’ prospects development camp

Monday July 15, 2013, 11:28 AM

BY TOM GULITTI

Anthony Brodeur, son of Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, is on the ice for the start of the team’s prospects development camp this morning at Prudential Center.

The Devils drafted Anthony Brodeur in the seventh round of this year’s NHL Entry Draft. Anthony, 18, will play for Gatineau of the QMJHL in 2013-14.

Martin Brodeur said he plans to stay away from the camp to give Anthony room to enjoy the week.

Anthony Brodeur and Brandon Hope, an undrafted, unsigned goaltender who played in Owen Sound (OHL) were on the ice working with goalie coach Chris Terreri before the start of the first practice session, which was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer is on the ice this year with the prospects. He did not go on the ice for last year’s camp. He’s joined by assistants Dave Barr, Scott Stevens and Terreri as well as Sergei Brylin, who is helping out again this year. The Devils have yet to name an assistant to replace Matt Shaw, who departed this summer to become the head coach of Dubuque in the USHL.

Among the notable players missing from the development camp roster are defenseman Alex Urbom and goaltenders Keith Kinkaid and Maxime Clermont. Urbom and Clermont are under contract. Kinkaid is an unsigned restricted free agent.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, players are not required to participate in more than three development camps. Urbom has already attended at least three development camps. Clermont has attended exactly three.

Forward Alexander Kerfoot (2012 sixth-round pick) is here (not in the first practice group). He played just 16 games for Coquitlam of the BCHL (Junior A) in 2012-13 before needing season-ending shoulder surgery on Dec. 20. He’s headed to Harvard in the fall.

Forward Ben Johnson (2012 third round pick) is also on the roster. He was arrested in March and charged with two counts of alleged sexual assault.

The goaltenders on the camp roster are Brodeur, Hope, Scott Wedgewood and Jake Hildebrand, who played last season at Michigan State and is from Butler, Pa. He also is an undrafted player.

Other undrafted unsigned players on the roster included forward Michael Abrosia (Delbarton/Princeton), forward Dmitry Antipin (UMass-Dartmouth), forward Frank DiChiara (Dubuque, USHL), forward Kyle Gibbons (Canisius), forward Ryan Misiak (Mercyhurst), forward Nick Saracino (Providence), forward Conor Sheary (UMass-Amherst), defenseman Zach Tolkinen (Quinnipiac), forward Cody Wydo (Robert Morris) and defenseman Oleg Yevenko (UMass-Amherst)

There are 38 total players on the roster—four goalies, 11 defensemen and 23 forwards.

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714418 New Jersey Devils

Former Devil Ilya Kovalchuk signs four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg

Monday July 15, 2013, 11:21 AM

BY TOM GULITTI

Russia's Ilya Kovalchuk celebrates his goal during the 2013 Ice Hockey IIHF World Championships Group B preliminary round match Austria vs Russia in Helsinki, Monday, May 13, 2013.

As expected, SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL announced today that it has signed former Devil Ilya Kovalchuk to a four-year contract.

According to the Associated Press story out of Moscow, no financial terms on the contract were released.

Kovalchuk, 30, announced his retirement from the NHL on Thursday after signing his voluntary retirement papers. The Devils opted not to fight to move and the 12 years and $77 million remaining on his NHL contract were voided, freeing him to play in Russia,

Kovalchuk played for SKA St. Petersburg and served as its captain during the NHL owners’ lockout that delayed the start of the 2012-13 season until Jan. 19.

Kovalchuk had 11 goals and 20 assists in 37 games for the Devils in 2012-13 after putting up 18 goals and 24 assists in 36 games with SKA St. Petersburg during the lockout. He had 417 goals and 399 assists for 816 points in 816 career NHL regular season games.

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714419 New Jersey Devils

DeBoer shocked that Kovalchuk left Devils for KHL

By BRETT CYRGALIS

Last Updated: 1:19 PM, July 15, 2013

Posted: 11:38 AM, July 15, 2013

Maybe Devils coach Pete DeBoer had an inkling, but the departure of his best player was still a tough blow.

During Monday’s opening of the team’s prospect camp in Newark, DeBoer lamented the defection of Ilya Kovalchuk to the Russia-based KHL, where he officially signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Peterburg worth a reported $15-20 million per season. DeBoer said he had had conversations with Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello about the possibility of Kovalchuck leaving, but the announcement still shocked him.

“Of course disappointing,” DeBoer said. “It’s tough to express, but when something comes at you like that from left field, it’s something you don’t even consider as an option. When it hits you, it’s obviously disappointing, but you catch your breath for a day and then get ready to move forward.”

Kovalchuck was the Devils’ ice-time leader, and spent more time on the ice than any other forward in the league over the past three seasons. He still had 12 years and $77 million left on his contract when he decided to sign his voluntary retirement papers on Thursday. His retirement will void his $6.67 million annual salary cap hit.

Part of DeBoer’s shock came from the fact that he never sensed this decision coming while dealing with Kovalchuk last season – even after he showed up to training camp three days late so he could participate in the KHL’s All-Star weekend.

“I never sensed that,” DeBoer said. “He came back with a little bit of a mindset that he wanted to go back, according to what I’ve read. After the lockout, this was in the back of his head. But I never saw it at ground zero, on a day-to-day basis I thought he came and worked and was a good teammate.”

The Islanders avoided arbitration with restricted free-agent forward Josh Bailey as he signed a five-year, $16.5 million contract on Monday. Bailey, 23, had filed for an arbitration hearing that would have been scheduled for late-July or early-August, but now he and the team can rest easy.

The contract will carry a $3.3 million salary cap hit and will take Bailey to unrestricted free agency at the age of 28.

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714420 New Jersey Devils

DeBoer’s Devils move on

By BRETT CYRGALIS

Last Updated: 3:25 AM, July 16, 2013

Posted: 12:23 AM, July 16, 2013

First came the shock, then the disappointment, and then Pete DeBoer decided to move on.

The Devils coach was dealt one of the cruelest of blows last Thursday when his best player, Ilya Kovalchuk, decided to leave in the prime of his career to play in his native Russia. Signing his voluntary retirement papers, the 30-year-old right wing burned $77 million and 12 years of contract with the Devils, leaving a sour taste in everyone’s mouth but his own.

Yesterday, at the first day of the Devils’ prospect camp in Newark, DeBoer was as candid as always in addressing the situation publicly for the first time.

KOV-ER TIME: Coach Pete DeBoer and the Devils have to get used to life without Ilya Kovalchuk, who bolted the team last week.

“Of course [it is] disappointing,” DeBoer said about losing the player who led all NHL forwards in ice time over the past three years. “It’s tough to express, but when something comes at you like that from left field, it’s something you don’t even consider as an option. When it hits you, it’s obviously disappointing, but you catch your breath for a day and then get ready to move forward.”

It was announced yesterday Kovalchuk signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg for what has been reported as between $15 million and $20 million per year. For the Devils organization and their fans, betrayal is a word not too far from their lips, although DeBoer won’t go quite that far.

“I don’t feel that way,” DeBoer said. “Maybe I should, but I don’t. I enjoyed working with him, he was a good pro, he was a good teammate in the dressing room and he’ll be missed. That’s my feelings on it.

“I don’t go any deeper than that. Everybody has a personal life and personal decisions regarding their career and it’s not my place to be stepping into those.”

DeBoer said he had some discussion with president and general manager Lou Lamoriello about the possibility of Kovalchuk returning to Russia, where he played during the lockout and where he stayed during the first three days of the Devils’ abbreviated training camp, participating in the KHL’s All-Star game.

Yet when Kovalchuk returned, DeBoer said he didn’t get any sense the veteran right wing was still thinking about it going home, or that he wasn’t giving it his all for the Devils.

“From what I’ve read, after the lockout, this was in the back of his head,” DeBoer said. “But I never saw it at ground zero. On a day-to-day basis I thought he came and worked and was a good teammate.”

Now DeBoer has a very different team on his hands than the one that made it to the Stanley Cup finals just two years ago. He no longer has Kovalchuk or Zach Parise, but has added recent free-agent signings Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder and Rostislav Olesz.

“There’s no hiding the fact it’s a big hole,” DeBoer said of losing Kovalchuk. “It’s a big ice-time hole, specialty teams, five-on-five. He’s one of the best players in the world, so there’s a hole there and we have to find a way as a group to fill it.”

Yet DeBoer is wise enough to know expectations around the organization haven’t changed.

“You know my boss,” he said, referring to Lamoriello. “There’s no taking your foot off the gas, because some of these things happen.”

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714421 New York Islanders

Islanders and Bailey Agree to Five-Year Deal

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 16, 2013

The Islanders agreed to terms with the restricted free agent forward Josh Bailey on a five-year, $16.5 million deal. (AP)

■ Montreal Canadiens forward Blake Geoffrion, 25, said he was retiring from the N.H.L. The grandson of the former Canadiens star Bernie Geoffrion had considered leaving hockey because of the lingering effects of a skull fracture and a concussion that he sustained during an American Hockey League game in November. (AP)

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714422 New York Islanders

Islanders re-sign Bailey

By BRETT CYRGALIS

Last Updated: 3:25 AM, July 16, 2013

Posted: 12:18 AM, July 16, 2013

Islanders general manager Garth Snow is continuing to try to take the “young” out of “young core.”

Yesterday, he locked up restricted free-agent forward Josh Bailey to a five-year, $16.5 million contract, one that will carry an annual salary-cap hit of $3.3 million. Bailey, 23, had filed for arbitration, but got the deal done before a hearing was set. He will now presumably miss out on two full years of unrestricted free agency.

By putting up 11 goals and 19 points in 38 games, Bailey is coming off the most consistent season of his career, establishing himself as a top-six forward with the Islanders. He added three assists in the six-game, first-round playoff loss to the Penguins, the Isles’ first postseason appearance since 2007.

“Josh has become an important member of the young core of the players we have in our dressing room,” Snow said in a statement, just 10 days after signing 22-year-old defenseman Travis Hamonic to a seven-year, $27 million deal. “We’re excited to come to terms with him on a deal that will ensure he is a member of this team as we solidify ourselves as consistent playoff contenders.”

Bailey was the team’s first-round pick (No. 9 overall) in 2008, and since then has played almost exclusively at the NHL level.

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714423 New York Islanders

Islanders, Bailey agree on five-year deal

Originally published: July 15, 2013 12:28 PM

Updated: July 15, 2013 9:05 PM

By ARTHUR STAPLE

Josh Bailey was part of the first phase of the Islanders' major rebuilding project, spending the last five years with the team. With the Islanders on the upswing, he's hoping for five years of prosperity.

Bailey agreed to terms on a five-year, $16.5-million deal Monday, just the latest homegrown Islander to lock in on a long-term contract.

He joins Travis Hamonic (seven years, $27 million) and recently acquired Cal Clutterbuck (four years, $11 million) as restricted free agents who have signed in the past 10 days to multiyear deals; they add to John Tavares, Michael Grabner, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, who are signed well beyond this season.

"We're all such good friends, it's a tight group . . . It's something I want to be a part of," Bailey told Newsday. "I want to see it through. We all want to keep getting better and want to find ourselves where Chicago was last month, raising the Cup with the same guys who were here when we were struggling a bit."

Bailey, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft, came on at the end of last season, finishing with 11 goals and eight assists in 38 games, then three assists in the playoffs, playing primarily on the left side with Tavares.

Isles general manager Garth Snow, as he'd done with several of the other Isles signed long term, bought up three years of potential unrestricted free agency in the Bailey deal, seeking to keep the core of this Islanders team together for as long as possible.

"I'm obviously very thankful to Charles [Wang] and Garth, as well as Cappy [Jack Capuano], Doug [Weight] and Tommer [Brent Thompson], the whole coaching staff for continuing to believe in me," Bailey said. "We made a good step last year. I'm excited to get started as soon as we can."

The Islanders have 20 players on one-way contracts for this coming season, seemingly indicating that the bulk of their offseason moves have been made. The only unsigned restricted free agent is defenseman Thomas Hickey, who certainly will be back.

There are still some unsigned veterans who could interest the Isles, but only on Snow's terms, so the only additions to the current group likely will come closer to the start of training camp, which opens Sept. 11.

There are also prospects such as Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome who could vie for spots, and that would make the Isles even younger. Of the 20 players on one-way deals, only four are over 30, and that includes enforcer Eric Boulton, who won't play a regular role.

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714424 Philadelphia Flyers

Hextall returning to Flyers

POSTED: Monday, July 15, 2013, 4:59 PM

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Ron Hextall, the one-time star goalie with a flair for the dramatic, is returning to the Flyers.

Hextall, 49, was named an assistant GM and director of hockey operations, the Flyers announced Monday. He will start with the team on Aug. 1.

"I'm going with my gut," Hextall said of his decision.

Chris Pryor, who had been the team's director of hockey operations, will remain in the same capacity, but his title will change to director of scouting.

As a goalie, Hextall spent 11 seasons with the Flyers. He later spent seven years with the team as a scout and director of pro hockey personnel before becoming vice president and assistant GM with the Los Angeles Kings in 2006-07.

The Kings, with many ex-Flyers in the lineup, won the Stanley Cup in 2012.

“He’s probably the most highly thought-of guy who is not a general manager," GM Paul Holmgren said. "To add him to our staff is huge.”

Holmgren said he “absolutely” sees Hextall as a future GM. He said Hextall's "knowledge of building teams from the ground up….the things he learned in L.A. will be helpful to us.”

In a conference call, Hextall made it clear he wants to be a GM some day.

"If that were to work out at some point when Homer’s had enough, that’s great," he said, referring to Holmgren by nickname. "It could happen at 29 other places, too."

Hextall’s family wanted to move back to the East Coast, and Philly is home to them, Holmgren said. Holmgren added that he and Hextall have been close over the years and “the timing seemed right.”

Hextall’s contract with LA expired at the end of June, Holmgren said, adding that he talked with Hextall after the NHL draft in Newark “and things evolved from there.”

Holmgren said Hextall was given a multi-year pact, but he would not be specific when asked about the length.

In 2008, Hextall became the 19th member inducted into the Flyers' Hall of Fame.

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714425 Philadelphia Flyers

Ron Hextall back as Flyers asst. GM

POSTED: Monday, July 15, 2013, 5:55 PM

Frank Seravalli

As far as Ron Hextall could tell, the Flyers’ hierarchy was set in 2006.

Bob Clarke, the Flyers’ general manager, was just 56 years old. The Flyers were two years and one lockout removed from an Eastern Conference final appearance.

Hextall, then 43, was the team’s director of player personnel. Paul Holmgren was above him as Clarke’s assistant general manager, the heir apparent should Clarke ever decide to leave his post.

Hextall’s blood may be more orange than red, but it was clear than any path for him to rise to the top of the organization’s front office was clogged.

Plus, Hextall needed more experience.

So, when Dean Lombardi left the Flyers’ scouting staff on April 21, 2006 to become the eighth president and general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, he offered Hextall an opportunity to re-build a franchise and cut his teeth with a serious promotion.

Hextall traded South Jersey for Mahattan Beach, Calif.

On Monday, Hextall returned home - with a Stanley Cup ring on his finger and a boatload of experience.

This time, it appears Hextall has positioned himself as the new heir apparent to the Flyers’ throne.

Hextall was surprisingly hired as the Flyers’ assistant general manager and director of hockey operations, effective on Aug. 1. He had been with Los Angeles as their vice president / assistant general manager since being hired by Lombardi in 2006. Lombardi signed three-year extension in January to remain with the Kings through 2016-17.

“We are very pleased to welcome back Ron Hextall to our management team,” Holmgren said in a statement. “Ron has a wealth of experience in the front office in various capacities which will be a valuable addition to our staff.”

The Flyers now have three assistant general managers under Holmgren, including John Paddock, Barry Hanrahan and Hextall. Chris Pryor previously held the title of director of hockey operations, though his job will not be changing.

Some believe the re-hiring of Hextall is the Flyers' biggest coup of the offseason to date, even more so than Vincent Lecavalier or Ray Emery.

Hextall, 49, was an integral part in helping push the Kings toward their first Stanley Cup championship in 2012. In addition to aiding in contract negotiations, Hextall oversaw the Kings’ entire minor league operation, presiding over a Manchester AHL franchise that twice reached the Eastern Conference final (2010, 2007) under his watch. Many of those minor league players ultimately helped the Kings reach hockey’s pinnacle.

While there has been no official announcement from the Flyers as to Hextall’s plans, it appears he will be tasked with getting the club’s minor league system back on track. The Phantoms, one of the most talent-depleted rosters in the AHL, have not made the playoffs since moving to Glens Falls, N.Y., in 2009.

The Phantoms are 131-153-12-16 since the closing of the Spectrum. The organization is repeatedly ranked 30th and dead last among NHL teams in prospect rankings, counting only Erik Gustafsson (an undrafted free agent) and Zac Rinaldo as full-time NHL graduates over the last four seasons.

Paddock, a dedicated hockey man, attempted to help revive the Phantoms, but was never given the proper resources. After the last two drafts, the Flyers appear to have restocked their system, and Hextall will likely be the boss of his former coach, Terry Murray, who will remain on the Phantoms' bench. Murray was the Kings' head coach in Los Angeles from 2008-12.

Earleir this year, Hextall was named as a finalist to be the new GM in Columbus, a position which ultimately went to Jarmo Kekalainen. In addition to hiring a rising star in the league’s front office ranks, the Flyers also brought back one of the most popular players in team history.

Hextall was the 19th member inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame on Feb. 6, 2008. He appeared in 489 games during his 11-year Flyers career, posting a record of 240-172-58 and his 45 playoff wins at the most in franchise history.

Hextall won the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies in 1987, when the Flyers fell to the dynastic Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of what many believe to be the best Stanley Cup final in NHL history. He was the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal by shooting the puck in an opponents’ net - and the first to do it in a playoff game. Hextall also still holds the Flyers’ record for penalty minutes by a goaltender (113 in 1988-89) and points by a goaltender (8 in 1988-89).

Hextall raised his family in the Philadelphia area. His son, Brett, played for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers before heading off to the Univ. of North Dakota. His daughter, Kristin, played soccer at La Salle University. Brett Hextall, drafted by Phoenix in the 6th round in 2008, plays for the AHL’s Portland Pirates. If he can make it to the NHL, Brett Hextall would become just the second, fourth-generation player to do so - Ron's father, Bryan, and grandfather, Bryan Sr., both played in the league. Bryan Hextall Sr. is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

When we last caught up with Ron Hextall in 2012, he was contemplating standing in goal for the Winter Classic alumni game at the Rangers - even though he was still recovering from back surgery. That’s how badly Hextall wanted to put on his Flyers sweater again.

This time around, Hextall may be wearing a suit, but home is still home.

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714426 Philadelphia Flyers

Hextall returns to Flyers as assistant GM

Zach Helfand, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: Tuesday, July 16, 2013, 1:08 AM

Ron Hextall called leaving the Flyers organization seven years ago the hardest decision he's made in his life. Ultimately, the former Flyers goaltender turned rising front-office star thought joining the Los Angeles Kings would give him the best opportunity to someday become a general manager.

The dream is still the same for Hextall, who says he still wants to become a general manager. Now the location is right, too.

On Monday, the Flyers announced that they have hired Hextall, 49, as their assistant general manager and director of hockey operations. Hextall will begin with the Flyers on Aug. 1.

The current director of hockey operations, Chris Pryor, will move to director of scouting to make room for Hextall.

In Hextall, the Flyers add a promising hockey mind to the front office. General manager Paul Holmgren said he sees Hextall as a future GM in the league.

"He's probably the most highly thought-of guy who is not a general manager," Holmgren said. "To add him to our staff is huge."

Hextall played 11 seasons with the Flyers and immediately moved to the front office after retirement, where he stayed for seven years. He began as a scout and later became the director of pro hockey personnel before leaving for Los Angeles.

With the Kings, Hextall served as the vice president and assistant GM.

Hextall talked with Holmgren after the NHL draft on June 30 about making what Hextall regarded as a lateral move. "Since then," Hextall said, "it's just kind of steamrolled towards resolution."

Hextall owns the Flyers' records for wins, saves and games played by a goaltender.

In his rookie season of 1986-87, Hextall led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals and earned both the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies. Since he retired in 1999, the Flyers have gone through 18 goaltenders but have been unable to find a long-term replacement.

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714427 Philadelphia Flyers

Hextall named Flyers assistant GM

Posted: Monday, July 15, 2013 7:28 pm

Wayne Fish Staff writer

Just hours after naming Ron Hextall as his new assistant on Monday, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren asserted that the former goaltending great will make an excellent GM of his own someday.

With some other team.

But there are some in the hockey community who see this hire as the beginning of a grooming process that will one day land Hextall (who received a multi-year contract from the Flyers) in the driver’s seat. . .right here in Philadelphia.

No telling when that day might be. Holmgren is only 57, he’s had the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals once in his seven-year tenure and last year was the first time they’ve missed the playoffs since 2006.

Hextall, who was also named director of hockey operations on Monday, spent time in the Flyers’ front office before bolting for California seven years ago to become assistant GM to Dean Lombardi with the Los Angeles Kings.

Two seasons ago, Hextall’s stock shot up when the Kings won the Cup. Reports indicate Hextall had a significant role in the trades which brought ex-Flyers Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to Los Angeles.

Maybe he can repeat some of that magic with the Flyers – for now, as Holmgren’s No. 2 man.

Holmgren was asked during a Monday night conference call if Hextall, whose contract with the Kings ran out this year, had mentioned possible aspirations to be a GM someday and whether Holmgren thought he would make a good decision-maker.

“Absolutely,’’ Holmgren said. “It (a full GM) could happen very soon with a number of teams, you never know.

“It’s a funny business these days. You never know what’s going to happen. I’m looking forward to working with him. All the guys are excited he’s going to be part of our staff.’’

Those “guys’’ include Chris Pryor, former director of hockey operations, who is now director of scouting; Dave Brown, now head pro scout and John Paddock remains as an assistant coach.

“He (Hextall) was a player here for a long time, he was part of our management for seven years and obviously the success he’s had in L.A. (gives him credibility),’’ Holmgren said. “His family is basically on the East Coast now, his kids are scattered around the East Coast.

“Just coming back made sense for him, too. I’m very pleased. To me, he’s probably the most highly thought of guy in the league who’s not a general manager. To add him to our staff is huge.’’

Hextall will begin working for the Flyers on Aug. 1.

“This (negotiation) came up after the draft,’’ Holmgren explained. “Hexy and I have always remained close over the years. The timing of his contract expiring (when he became available), I jumped at it.

“Certainly he’s got a lot of different ideas, more different ideas than when he left here. I think it’s a real big deal for the Flyers.’’

In addition to his work with the Kings’ parent club, Hextall also served as the club's general manager of the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary affiliate.

At the helm of the Monarchs, Hextall helped the team to an overall record of 290-205-24-32 in seven seasons and an appearance in the Calder Cup playoffs in each season, including twice in the conference finals.

Prior to joining the Kings, Hextall spent the previous seven seasons with the Flyers, including 2002 through 2006 as director of pro hockey personnel. After his retirement from the NHL in 1999, he joined the team as a pro scout.

Hextall appeared in 489 regular season games during his 11-year Flyers career (1986-87 through 1991-92 and 1994-95 through 1998-99 seasons), posting a 240-172-58 record and 2.91 goals-against average.

His 489 games played and 240 wins as a Flyer rank him first all-time in Flyers history. In 84 playoff games for the Flyers, Hextall registered a 45-36 record and 2.95 GAA. His 45 playoff wins are the most in Flyers history.

He became the 19th member of the team to be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame on Feb. 6, 2008.

Holmgren sounds like he will be leaning on Hextall for a number of decisions.

“I’ve known him a long time, I respect his opinion,’’ Holmgren said. “I respect his knowledge of the game. I’m really looking forward to working with him closely.’’

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714428 Philadelphia Flyers

'Gut feeling' brings Ron Hextall back to Flyers' front office

By ROB PARENT

As always, Ron Hextall isn’t pulling any punches. The former goonie goalie has put as much energy into his management career as he did into his impressive playing career. That’s why the Flyers welcomed him back Monday as part of their front office.

Hextall used to win fans as easily as he made enemies in the heat of competition with his aggressive style. Now he takes a more button-up approach to the business of hockey, though that doesn’t mean he won’t rely on honest instincts when necessary.

“With this decision, I’m sure you’re going to ask what it’s all about,” said Hextall, a Flyers Hall of Famer who spent the past seven years in the Los Angeles Kings front office. “I don’t have anything earth shattering other than it’s a gut feeling and that’s what I went with.”

For a 49-year-old executive, Hextall looks like he’d still make a pretty good goalie. But the two-tenured Flyer will start his second go-round in the club’s front office Aug. 1 as assistant general manager and director of hockey operations.

Considering the Flyers abruptly moved John Paddock from the assistant GM’s role to that of an assistant coach in mid-January, this move could have been predicted then. When the Kings let Hextall’s contract as assistant GM expire last month, it seemed a formality. Yet both Flyers GM Paul Holmgren and Hextall said this move came about after the NHL Draft at the end of June.

“It was a quick decision,” Hextall said. “It was a matter of two weeks.”

To make it all the more stressful, Hextall noted, it is a lateral move for him. But it’s also one he feels he has to make.

“The hardest decision I ever made in my life was a little over seven years ago when I left Philadelphia to pursue a steppingstone that I felt was giving me the best chance possible to be a GM,” Hextall said. “That’s been my goal ever since I stepped off the ice.

“We built a very good team out here in LA. I’m proud of what we’ve done. But there’s something telling me this is the right move. I’m going with it and not looking back.”

Hextall began scouting for the Flyers after his career ended in 1999. He would be promoted to director of player personnel, and in 2006 made the move to LA when then-Flyers scout Dean Lombardi was hired as the Kings’ GM.

“He’s the most highly thought of guy in the league that’s not a general manager,” Holmgren said of Hextall. “We’re really happy to be able to do this. We’ve always remained very close, and the timing seemed right. His contract expired this past end of June and this opportunity came up. I jumped at it.

“It’s great to add a person of that quality and knowledge, and the fact that he was in the Los Angeles organization the last couple of years, I’m certain he’s got different ideas than when he left here a number of years ago.”

During the fast hiring process, Hextall made sure Holmgren knew that he was taking this job with one ultimate goal in mind — his dream of becoming a general manager someday.

“I still don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Hextall said. “It doesn’t come true for everybody. This one may or may not come true at some point. I’m not sure I put myself in a better position with this, because I’m in the same position I was. But there’s something dragging me here that tells me that at this time it’s the right move.

“Dean told me if you want to make a lateral move you can make one — that’s back to Philly.”

Holmgren said it’s a matter of time before Hextall takes a top job somewhere. If and when that comes about, he said, “certainly nobody here is going to hold him back.

“It could happen fairly soon with a number of teams,” Holmgren said. “Ron is qualified to be a GM. I’m looking forward to working with him and leaning on him heavily.”

Lombardi did just that with Hextall in Los Angeles. The two built the Kings from a lower-run team to contender to Stanley Cup champion by 2012. Hextall also oversaw the Kings’ AHL affiliate in Manchester as its GM.

It stands to reason he could assume those duties here with the Phantoms, who in 2014 will be moving from Adirondack to Allentown.

“When Hexy gets in we’ll talk about lots of things,” Holmgren said. “His knowledge of building teams from the ground up, and the things he learned in LA and was part of in LA can be helpful to us moving forward.”

With Hextall moving in, Holmgren will move Chris Pryor out of the assistant GM role he had him in since Paddock’s reassignment to that of director of scouting, which Pryor was previously overseeing. Paddock will remain an assistant coach, Dave Brown will stay as head pro scout.

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714429 Philadelphia Flyers

Ron Hextall returns to Flyers as assistant GM

July 15, 2013, 4:30 pm

Staff

For those keeping track at home, Ron Hextall is the third former Flyers goalie to return to the organization this summer.

In a surprising move, the Flyers announced late Monday that Hextall would be rejoining the organization as assistant general manager and director of hockey operations.

“We are very pleased to welcome back Ron Hextall to our management team,” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “Ron has a wealth of experience in the front office in various capacities which will be a valuable addition to our staff.”

His return obviously makes him Holmgren’s successor at some point. Hextall has made it no secret his goal is to someday be an NHL general manager.

One league source called Hextall "the GM in waiting."

"To me, he's the most highly thought of guy in the league that's not a GM," Holmgren said. "And to add him to our staff is huge."

For Hextall, the move is a lateral one. His contract with the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he also served as assistant general manager, ended in late June. Some shuffling around in the Flyers' front office led to a vacancy here, and Holmgren approached Hextall shortly after the June 30 NHL draft. The timing and destination simply made sense for both sides.

"Obviously I'm excited about it," Hextall said. "Quite frankly, it came together in a very short period of time here. I had a brief conversation with Homer at the draft and then it just kind of steamrolled toward the resolution that happened today. It's obviously a little bittersweet for me, I had a great time in L.A. ... In this decision, I'm sure you guys were going to ask what it was all about. I don't have anything earth shattering except to say it was a gut feeling."

"There were a lot of little things," he added, "... but in the end, I'm following my gut here to what I think is the right move."

Hextall was last with the Flyers from 1999-2006, when he worked first as a scout and later as the team's director of pro hockey personnel. He left for Los Angeles after the 2005-06 season, where he became the vice president and assistant general manager of the Kings. He helped lead that team to the Stanley Cup in 2012.

As a player, Hextall was a fan favorite. He appeared in 489 regular-season games with the Flyers during two separate stints with the team (1986-92; 1994-99), posting a 240-172-58 record and 2.91 goals-against average. He was inducted into the Flyers hall of fame in 2008.

But back when Hextall was in the Flyers' front office, Holmgren had been seen as the next in line to get Bob Clarke’s job as GM with Hextall a distant third. When Holmgren took over for the 2006-07 season, Hextall knew he would have to go elsewhere to advance.

He returns now having helped build a Stanley Cup champion team from the bottom up, with "a lot more different ideas than when he left here," Holmgren said.

"They say the more people you work for, the smarter you become," Hextall said. "And I think it's absolutely true."

Obviously, Hextall will be charged with improving the club's mediocre performance in the annual NHL draft. Outside of the first round,the Flyers have been woefully deficient in drafting and developing their own players. On defense alone, they don't have a single drafted blueliner playing regular minutes for them over the past 13 drafts.

Aside from that, Holmgren said, Hextall will have his hands "in everything that's going on, from the minors to scouting to the Flyers."

Hextall expects his responsibilities will be very similar to those he had in L.A.

Along with Hextall's addition, the Flyers moved around some other front-office titles. John Paddock, who had been an assistant GM and then an assistant coach, will become the team's director of player personnel. Chris Pryor, who had been the director of hockey operations, is now the director of scouting. Dave Brown, the former director of pro scouting, becomes the team's head scout.

The title and role of assistant general manager Barry Hanrahan, who manages cap and financial issues, remains unchanged.

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714430 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' draft pick Morin like Pronger? Not yet

July 15, 2013, 3:30 pm

Staff

VOORHEES, N.J. – Moments after the Flyers selected Sam Morin with their 11th-overall pick in last month’s NHL draft, the comparisons began.

Morin, a 6-foot-7 defenseman, is reminiscent of Chris Pronger. He’s big, he plays with an edge, and he’s far from afraid to be physical.

He even looks like Pronger – who, it should be noted, was his favorite player growing up.

But Flyers director of player development Ian Laperriere says it’s time to back off those assessments. At least for now.

“The big guy moves really well for a big guy,” Laperriere said. “It’s impressive. He’s got a great shot and his feet are pretty great for a 6-foot-7 guy. But everything I read, people throw [Chris] Pronger in there. People have to relax a little bit. The kid is [18].

“If he does become Chris Pronger-like in the future, we’ll be very happy. But he’s a long way from that.”

Morin took part in last week’s Flyers development camp at Skate Zone, his first taste of the organization. The five-day camp, led by Laperriere, took 25 skaters and six goalies through a host of on- and off-ice sessions focused on everything from skating to cooking (see story).

For Morin, who turned 18 the day after camp concluded, the experience was even better than he expected.

“It was amazing,” Morin said Thursday, a few hours before his parents came to pick him up and take him back to Lac-Beauport, Quebec. “Just learning with [Laperriere]. There were great coaches. It was very fun to be here.”

There were no scrimmages held during this year’s development camp, a deliberate decision by Laperriere. Because of that, he has yet to see Morin actually compete in game action. He won’t get to see him – or the Flyers’ second-round pick, Robert Hagg – play until August.

That said, Laperriere was pleased with what he did see of Morin during the handful of on-ice sessions held during development camp.

“He does have all the [Pronger-like] qualities,” Laperriere said. “And his biggest quality, he wears it all week with a smile on his face and wants to learn. For me, it’s Christmas. When I see a kid come in like that, and they’re like, ‘We just drafted that kid, take care of him,’ it’s so easy. He wants to learn. He’s like a sponge.”

Pronger was a part of the team the Flyers took to the draft in New Jersey, and he was on stage to shake Morin’s hand and pose for photographs with him after he’d been selected. It was a different defenseman, however, who Morin learned from while he was here last week.

“I think all the guys here are great, but there are some great D-men,” Morin said. “I played with Marc-Andre Bourdon, he was there for the camp (rehabbing from post-concussion syndrome). A French guy, too, so he helped me. He impressed me. Good guy.”

Morin will return in two weeks to train at Skate Zone with Flyers players who are remaining in town for the summer. Though he isn't sure yet, he'll likely get a call to participate in the team's rookie camp in early September. Until then, he knows what he needs to work on most.

"My skating," he said. "I have to improve that. But I think I showed good things here."

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714431 Philadelphia Flyers

Hextall says 'gut feeling' told him to return to Flyers

Jul. 16, 2013

Dave Isaac

With his hands in his suit pockets, former Flyers star goalie Ron Hextall paced the floor of Prudential Center in Newark at last month’s NHL Entry Draft.

His contract as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Kings was about to expire and Flyers GM Paul Holmgren was looking to make a move. A day prior, Holmgren met with Vinny Lecavalier, the former Tampa Bay Lightning center, whom he eventually signed.

That weekend, there was another acquisition he had in mind.

After a quick chat with the Flyers’ GM at the draft and a couple weeks to think about it, Hextall, 49, agreed to join the Flyers again.

He will become an assistant general manager, along with salary-cap guru Barry Hanrahan, effective August 1. He also will be the director of hockey operations, a title previously held by Chris Pryor, whose duties will remain the same, but title will change to director of scouting.

“I don’t have anything earth-shattering other than to say it was a gut feeling and that’s what I went with,” Hextall said in a conference call Monday night. “My family is out East. I have a history with the Flyers. There were a lot of things that factored into my decision.”

In Holmgren’s eyes, it may have been his best move of the offseason to get the former goalie back in Philadelphia on what he would only call a “multi-year deal.”

“He's probably the most highly-thought-of guy who is not a GM,” Holmgren said in a conference call Monday night.

“To add him to our staff is huge.”

Upon his retirement as a player in 1999, Hextall was hired by the Flyers as a professional scout and three years later was named director of player personnel.

Hextall comes back to Philadelphia by way of Los Angeles, where he has served as vice president and assistant general manager since 2006. He won a Stanley Cup in 2012 with the Kings with former Flyers Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Justin Williams on the roster.

Former Flyers scout Dean Lombardi is the general manager in L.A. and former head coaches John Stevens and Terry Murray were on the coaching staff that season.

“The one thing you say is, ‘The more people you work for, the smarter you become,’” Hextall said of his time with Los Angeles. “It’s absolutely true.

“When I came to L.A. I came here all in. I wasn’t looking over my shoulder looking to go back to Philadelphia.”

Yet he returns to the city where he had 11 seasons in orange and black and is in the Flyers Hall of Fame. Hextall had a 240-172-58 record in his time with the Flyers and 2.91 goals-against average. He became the first NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opposing net in both the regular season and playoffs.

In a phenomenal rookie season, Hextall posted a 37-21-6 record, 3.00 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in the regular season.

In the playoffs, he stood tall with a 2.77 goals-against average and .908 save percentage and brought the Flyers to within one game of winning the Stanley Cup. Still, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs, Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie and was named to the rookie and NHL All-Star teams.

Hextall still holds Flyers records for most penalty minutes by a goalie (113 in 1988-89) and most points by a goalie in one season (8 in 1988-89).

It was in his playing days that he realized he wanted to be a general manager. He idolized what Bob Clarke did with the Flyers as a GM,

although he hated Clarke as a player when he grew up watching the Broad St. Bullies beat on his father, Bryan Jr., and uncle, Dennis.

With the addition of yet another former Flyer joining the front office that includes Clarke, John Paddock and Dave Brown, and with a handful more on the scouting staff, there are whispers that Hextall could someday replace Holmgren as GM of the Flyers. Although that’s the title Hextall wants to have with an NHL team one day, he isn’t banking on it just yet.

“If that were to work out at some point when Homer’s had enough, that’s great,” Hextall said. “That can happen in 29 other places, as well. I want to be a general manager and I talked to Homer about this job. If something else becomes available, I at least want to look at it. He was absolutely fine with that. My goal still hasn’t changed … If it’s (in Philadelphia), great. If it’s elsewhere, I don’t have a crystal ball.”

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714432 Phoenix Coyotes

Coyotes happy with center position despite losing Gordon

Staff

Perhaps somewhat overshadowed by the Coyotes’ acquisition of center Mike Ribeiro was the departure of another center, Boyd Gordon.

As their roster stands now, the Coyotes depth chart up the middle reads Ribeiro, Martin Hanzal, Antoine Vermette and Kyle Chipchura, who signed a three-year contract July 5. And General Manager Don Maloney is just fine with that look.

“I like our center now,” he said. “Obviously we lose a Boyd Gordon, but we signed Kyle Chipchura. He’ll fill a role. We’re still looking. I feel we could still use a scoring winger. I think that’s more our focus right now, but I like where we’re at. We still have all our options in regards to our current players, and I like the look of our draft picks. So we have different things we can do moving forward. It may be training camp before you see the next move.”

Chipchura has rotated between the wing and center during his time with the Coyotes and while he isn’t as proficient at faceoffs or shot blocking as Gordon, he could be a strong fourth-line center.

It’s more likely the Coyotes overcome Gordon’s loss by committee, especially on the penalty kill where Gordon’s value was at its peak. He’ll have the same responsibilities for the Oilers for the foreseeable future after signing a three-year, $9 million deal.

0424131038sm Coyotes

“It’s a good fit,” Gordon said. “I think I can bring something different to the table. I think I’m a player that they need, and obviously they have tons of skill and speed and youth up front. Hopefully just bring that little bit different dimension, just be reliable and sturdy up the middle. So hopefully I can fit in the same role I did in Phoenix.”

The Coyotes were seriously interested in bringing Gordon back, and that was clear months ago when they decided not to move him at the trade deadline even though his skill set was in demand. Negotiations were ongoing in the week leading up to July 5, the first day of free agency, but once Gordon got a feel for the market, an offer like the one he received from the Oilers was too good to pass up.

“It’s a new challenge for me, exciting,” he said. “It is mixed emotions, obviously. I really enjoyed Phoenix and everything about it. The relationships I made and a great group of guys, the coaching staff and the training staff and everything — you get pretty close, especially when you had that one real long run in the playoffs. So for me, it was probably the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make leaving there. It’s one of those things it was an opportunity for me, and it was a chance I had to take.”

Before coming to Phoenix, Gordon spent parts of seven seasons in Washington with the Capitals but it’s safe to say his career jettisoned to a new level with the Coyotes.

“Honestly, it was two of the best years I’ve had as a professional and playing hockey, definitely,” Gordon said. “I got very close with a lot of guys and the team. It’s an awesome place to play. It’s hard for me to leave. I think I was a great fit there with (coach Dave Tippett) and the way they play and everything. For me, I’ll always look back on it, especially my first season there. That was probably one of my favorite pro hockey memories. It’s going to be tough leaving, a hard decision, but sometimes opportunities arise and you have to take them.”

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714433 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins’ prospect camp continues evolution

By Josh Yohe

Updated 18 minutes ago

Tom Fitzgerald laughs when recalling what life was like for hockey's top prospects when he entered the NHL.

Things have changed quite a bit, sophistication replacing the barbarism.

Fitzgerald, the Penguins assistant to the general manager, has become one of the key figures in mentoring the organization's prospects. The annual progress report will take place this week at Consol Energy Center, beginning Tuesday.

“Things have gotten so much better,” Fitzgerald said of the annual summer gathering. “When I was a rookie in 1988, I went to Islanders training camp. We had games against the Rangers and Devils rookies. Those were wars. Survival of the fittest. Put the foil on. It was scary. There were literally fights on every shift. Just scary stuff.”

The game has evolved, and so, too, has the development of players.

Scuffles always will be a part of hockey — they even break out occasionally in practices and scrimmages — but the Penguins, like the rest of the NHL, favor a different approach in this generation.

Fitzgerald believes prospect camp is of significant importance to the entire organization, the grooming of young talent something that can't be underestimated.

“This camp is huge, a big deal,” Fitzgerald said. “It's an introduction to what the Pittsburgh Penguins are all about. This is how we work. This is how we prepare our guys. This is where they find out how important video is. This is how they learn. And that, to me, is so important.”

On-ice performance is crucial, but isn't the only tutorial the NHL prospects will receive this week.

“It's all about learning to prepare for all kinds of different things,” Fitzgerald said. “We help these kids with their nutrition. We help them with social media, which gets more important all the time. We use sports psychologists. The mind is so important in hockey. They need to learn about all kinds of different things, and they will.”

The camp serves as preparation for September's training camp. Learning coach Dan Bylsma's up-tempo system often takes time, particularly for defensemen, who must deal with a puck retrieval system that is different than in most junior and NCAA systems.

“That's a big thing for me,” said defenseman Scott Harrington, the team's 2011 second-round draft pick who figures to start the season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL.

“The system in Pittsburgh is so much different than what I was used to playing in London (OHL). The pace in the Penguins' system is so much faster. It's difficult to get accustomed to, so this rookie camp is a really good thing.”

Harrington will be one of the blue-chip prospects on display this week. He will be joined by fellow defensemen Derrick Pouliot and Olli Maatta — both were first-round picks in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft — in a meeting of three blueliners expected to make it to the NHL over the next few seasons.

Other top-tier prospects, such as goaltender Tristan Jarry, the team's second-round pick last month, will also garner plenty of attention.

“We look forward to rookie camp as an organization,” Fitzgerald said. “Pittsburgh's system is demanding, and it's good for these kids to get an early start.”

Note: Penguins assistant equipment manager Paul DeFazio will become the head equipment manager in Wilkes-Barre this season. Former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton equipment manager Teddy Richard is the Penguins' new assistant equipment manager and will work with head equipment manager Dana Heinze.

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714434 St Louis Blues

Blues release 2013-14 preseason schedule

9 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford [email protected] 314-444-7135

The Blues will play their first exhibition game in two years on Sept. 15 in Dallas.

The preseason schedule was erased last season by the NHL lockout. But following a shortened regular-season, everything will be back to normal in 2013-14.

The Blues will play six preseason games — three at home, two on the road and one at a "neutral" site.

Here's the schedule

Sept. 15: at Dallas, 6 p.m.

Sept. 18: vs. Tampa Bay (in Orlando*), 6 p.m.

Sept. 20: vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21: vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25: at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27: vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.

*Blues are listed as home team

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714435 St Louis Blues

Blues announce preseason schedule

Published: July 15, 2013 Updated 6 hours ago

News-Democrat

The St. Louis Blues on Monday announced their 2013-14 preseason schedule and they will open at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 with a road game against the Dallas Stars.

The schedules also includes 6 p.m. Sept. 18 vs. Tampa Bay at Orlando, Fla., 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at home vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at home against Dallas, 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at Minnesota and 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at home against Minnesota.

The regular season schedule is expected to be announced in the near future. To purchase season tickets, call 314-622-2583 or visit www.blues.nhl.com.

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714436 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning re-sign forward J.T. Brown

Tribune staff

Published: July 15, 2013

TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed forward J.T. Brown to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced Monday.

Brown skated in 51 games last season with the Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse, recording 10 goals and 28 points along with 27 penalty minutes. He also played in 18 playoff games, with four goals and nine points.

Brown, 23, appeared in five games with Tampa Bay in the 2011-12 season after signing as a free agent in March 2012.

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714437 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs making strides with Barbara Underhill: Feschuk

By: Dave Feschuk Hockey, Published on Mon Jul 15 2013

If you’ve spent any time watching the Maple Leafs partake in one of coach Randy Carlyle’s practice-capping, puke-bucket-optional conditioning skates, you can get a general idea of how the players feel about the exercise.

One look at Phil Kessel’s eyes, frequently rolling to the rafters as he brings up the rear of the group, is a consistent bellwether.

But in the throes of those workouts, Barbara Underhill suggests the Leafs focus on something other than outward expressions of disgruntlement. Once a world-champion figure skater, Underhill has been the team’s skating consultant since last year. It’s her job to take Toronto’s collection of skaters — already highly paid pros or highly touted prospects — and make them even more accomplished on their blades. To her mind, there are few better places to improve one’s stride than during one of Carlyle’s sweat fests. Thinking about mechanics during full-contact practices and games, after all, can be a recipe for concussion by misplaced attention.

“I want them to focus on their technique during bag skates, because that’s when they can think about it,” Underhill says.

If bag skates are a great time to ponder one’s methods, she says a few weeks of concentrated summer work are even better, which is why the NHL offseason is prime season for Underhill, who spent last week working with Toronto prospects at the club’s development camp. Having logged most of seven years analyzing and attempting to improve the technique of NHLers and would-be pros, there are more than a few things she’s learned. If a stride is too upright, she explains, a player’s weight is generally on the heels and too much of the work is being done by his quadriceps muscles — the big movers on the front of the thighs.

“During a bag skate, his quads will be burning,” Underhill said.

If a stride leans too far forward, on the other hand, the leg push is abbreviated and heels kick up. Power is sapped.

“(Someone who skates like that) is not going to go anywhere,” Underhill said.

There are no absolutes, of course. Every stride is different. And while Underhill’s background is in figure skating, her template for steel-borne excellence isn’t, say, Patrick Chan. It’s Mike Gartner, the ex-Maple Leaf renowned for his seemingly effortless speed.

Underhill began pondering the intricacies of hockey-specific movement at the urging of her husband, Rick Gaetz, who coached their children and was also a partner in the OHL’s Guelph Storm. But after Gaetz, an avid golfer, underwent a video analysis that juxtaposed his golf swing with that of career-prime Tiger Woods, Underhill was won over to the power of video coaching. She enlisted Gartner, whom she had videotaped in full flight from various angles, to act as her equivalent of the golf legend.

“I looked at all the elements of Mike’s stride — his recovery, his extension, where his weight is, where his shoulders are,” Underhill says. “And then I just worked on pulling everything apart. The bend of his knees, the angle of his body. I wanted to figure out, ‘Why is he so good? Why is he known as one of the best skaters ever?’”

She found, for instance, that Gartner bent his lead knee by an average of about 83.5 degrees, this while tilting his torso forward about 45 degrees. Those measurements aren’t far off from those of the man Underhill names as the best pure skater of more recent Leafs vintage, Matthew Lombardi.

“His skating is unbelievable,” Underhill says of Lombardi. “Everything is like a machine. There’s no extra movement anywhere.”

She’s not attempting to completely reinvent the way the Leafs move about the NHL playing surface — her job amounts to tweaking more than restructuring — and she’s not doing her work alone. She collaborates closely with Anthony Belza, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, to identify key physical deficiencies that can rob players of speed. Tight hip flexors, for instance, are a hockey-specific occupational hazard that, if not addressed, can inhibit full extension of the leg while increasing risk of injury.

“She looks at players and she says, ‘I can make this guy 2 per cent better.’ Or, ‘I can make this guy 10 per cent better.’ But whatever that number is, she’s relentless in trying to reach that number,” says Dave Nonis, the Leafs general manager. “She feels even the best skater can improve. And I think you look at the results she’s had — not just with our players, but with other players around the league — and I think she’s right.”

Says Underhill, 50, who also works with the Tampa Bay Lightning and retains a list of clients from other teams: “Sometimes it’s the smallest detail, the smallest thing. Even the greatest skaters can be better in some way.”

Underhill has been lauded by more than a few Maple Leafs, among them Colton Orr and Joffrey Lupul, for her role in their on-ice refinement. Ditto Nazem Kadri, the Leafs forward whose breakout 2013 season was abetted by an Underhill-inspired re-think of his stride. Prior to the lockout-truncated campaign Underhill’s video analysis of Kadri revealed a key shortcoming: While his initial push was strong and athletic — and while flat-out speed was one of his key assets — the rate at which he returned his knee to the loaded position was, by Underhill’s estimation, about twice as slow as a typical pro.

“Before I started working with her, I would kind of coast my leg out when I pushed on the stride, and my leg would stay there for a split second,” Kadri explains. “That’s the kind of stuff that’s hard to see at full speed, but it’s amazing what you can learn with video. But by working on snapping my leg back to normal position ... I’ve become one or 2 ½ strides quicker skating (the full length of) the ice. It makes a difference.”

Nonis says there has been occasional reluctance among some pros to change the methods that landed them their rich contracts. But even if they can’t be seen at full speed, the success stories get around fast.

“At this level, it’s about getting there a millionth of a second before the other guy,” Underhill says. “It’s getting into the really fine details and finding that little extra, whether it’s the way they turn, the way they stop, the way they start. Whatever it is, it’s pulling apart their game and making it more efficient. What most players find after working over several sessions over the summer is that the game gets easier. When I hear that word — ‘easier’ — I know I’ve got ’em.”

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714438 Toronto Maple Leafs

New Maple Leafs boss has parade route mapped out, wants old pics taken down

By Joe Warmington ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Monday, July 15, 2013 11:07 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:11 AM EDT

TORONTO - The new boss has got the parade route already mapped out and is planning to clear some wall space for new Maple Leafs memories to be hung, too.

Cocky? Arrogant? In some sort of fantasy dreamland?

Or is Tim Leiweke the big-dreams thinker and out-of-the-box genius long-suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fans have been yearning for for decades?

Whatever you think, an already planned “Stanley Cup parade” and an elimination of traditions from the past are just two of the gems coming out of the new Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president and CEO in his first interview.

“I have it planned out and it’s going to be fantastic,” Leiweke said Monday in an interview with Bloomberg’s Hugo Miller and Eric LamJul. “If you can all dream about that and get that in your mind, we’ll have something we’re all driven toward.”

They are certainly lofty heights.

Lord knows it has been a very long time without a Stanley Cup parade around here.

Is it time for a change in how things are run?

It appears change is coming.

Long-suffering Leaf fans certainly won’t mind at all if it means there is a Stanley Cup attached to it.

And it’s exciting to be talking hockey in July.

But he may draw the ire of traditionalists with his controversial comment about, as Bloomberg called it, “sacrificing a few sacred cows.”

“I don’t want the players walking in the hallways of the Air Canada Centre and seeing pictures from 1962,” Leiweke told Bloomberg. “Get rid of those pictures and tell them, this is your legacy.”

Sacrilegious?

It’s certainly a new way of thinking.

It’s not sitting well with

everybody.

“They can’t eliminate that stuff,” said the oldest-living Maple Leaf Wally Stanowski, 94. “It’s in the books.”

He would know, since he was on four Stanley Cup teams in the 1940s and is in some of those pictures.

“We won cups in 1942, '45, '47 and 1948 and you can’t change that,” he said. “I don’t understand it.”

As for the parade declaration, a la something out of Joe Namath’s 1969 Super Bowl victory call, Stanowski said it’s not his kind of thing.

“In my day you just didn’t make statements,” he said, adding, “but in my day we made $7,000 and now they make that in one shift.”

As far as being in a parade, Stanowski said it wasn’t the big thing back then that it seems to be today.

“I think I was in one of those,” he said. “I think we went out in a car and went for a drive.”

But one thing Stanowski does agree with is a hard-headed approach to winning like old Conn Smythe took. He is not against the tough love approach that Leiweke took with this comment on the heartbreaking playoff

collapse against the Boston Bruins: “I think they need a few ass-kickings, and that’s one that will stay with them for a long time,” he said of the players. “I think it will pay huge dividends in the long term no matter how painful it was.”

Time will tell if the new boss, who came from the organization which runs the Los Angeles Kings, Lakers and Galaxy and has four championship rings, has it exactly right in how to bring success to the Leafs, Raptors, Marlies and Toronto FC.

Attempts to reach Leiweke through the Leafs were unsuccessful Monday.

But Leafs Nation reaction was mixed.

“I think it’s incredibly presumptuous of Leiweke to be planning a Stanley Cup parade route,” said Rob Del Mundo, of TMLfans.ca. “That’s like going out on a first date and asking your companion ‘So what should we name the kids?’ ”

He’s not crazy about moving on from the past either.

“I don’t see any reason to remove the old pictures from Air Canada Centre. Taking away that photo in the press box of Frank Mahovlich celebrating the Stanley Cup win at City Hall won’t make the Leafs any more competitive,” he said.

“I think it’s important to recognize the successful teams of the past. The franchise that does the best job of that is Montreal, and I’m not even a Canadiens fan.”

Super-fan Stefan Ottenbrite agrees — saying it’s “not cool to take down the pics” and he feels it might be better to “get through the first round of the playoffs before planning the parade route.”

But Jeff Veillette, who writes for TheLeafsNation.com, said why not have a new way of approaching it.

“Some will take Leiweke’s statements and actions as arrogant but part of instilling a winning culture is showing confidence in the future,” he said. “It may not come immediately, but it’s important to see success as attainable, even if recent history says otherwise. If it doesn’t work out, he looks dumb, but it’s better than the relative silence of the old upper management before him.”

Leafs Nation has seen loud, blustery and boastful bosses before with no results other than receiving a plane ticket out of town.

But if one of them ever do find a way to win here, not only will there be a parade, but a statue built too.

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714439 Toronto Maple Leafs

Doubling MLSE’s value among CEO Tim Leiweke’s big plans

National Post Staff | 13/07/15 | Last Updated: 13/07/15 11:28 PM ET

Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), speaks during an interview at the Bloomberg office in Toronto on Monday July 15 2013.

In a town with four daily newspapers, two of them distributed nationally, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke chose the Bloomberg News service for his first interview outside of a news conference setting. While Bloomberg’s story led with the tired old chestnut about planning the Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup parade route, the biggest revelation from the interview is that the 56-year-old executive has promised the board of MLSE that he will double the value of the company before the end of this decade. Below are other observations from Leiweke:

Leiweke said the moribund results of the Toronto franchises were what sold him on the challenge.

“If the teams were doing well, I wouldn’t have come. What intrigued me the most is the opportunity to have an organization here that can aspire to be much more successful and a greater brand than it currently is.”

He believes MLSE’s biggest property, the Maple Leafs, should be on the same level as other leading global sports brands.

“If you look around world, the great brands are Real Madrid, Manchester United. The Yankees, the Cowboys and the Lakers are there. We should aspire with the Maple Leafs to be there.”

Leiweke is not concerned about the shared ownership of MLSE between two telecommunications rivals Bell and Rogers. He has asked them to be patient while he turns things around with the team and told Bloomberg in return for the board’s patience he will double the value of MLSE within seven years. He said better results on the ice, the field and the court will make up a big chunk of that.

“Winning does a lot of that, 30% minimum comes just from winning.”

Leiweke is high on Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis — “I’m a big Dave Nonis fan” — but the Raptors side was a different story.

“I didn’t get along with the GM of the basketball team, so we brought in somebody who sees the world the same way I do.” (Bryan Colangelo was stripped of his basketball power when Leiweke hired Masai Ujiri as president and general manager at the end of May. Colangelo lasted about a month before he resigned as non-basketball president of the Raptors.)

He believes the Raptors should have the same level of appeal across the country as the Rogers-owned Blue Jays. But the Raptors string of recent losing seasons and dearth of playoff appearances in franchise history has hindered that appeal.

“We need to be a lot better than we are right now, because right now we’re not very good. We have 35 million people that are our audience. We own Canada, it is our home, our territory and our region and we have to act like it … I’m not even sure we deserve Toronto.”

On the Leafs, he said the Game 7 loss in the first round would ultimately be a positive thing.

“I think they need a few ass-kickings, and that’s one that will stay with them for a long time. I think it will pay huge dividends in the long term no matter how painful it was.”

And he wants MLSE and the Leafs to stop living off their past glory.

“I don’t want the players walking in the hallways of the Air Canada Centre and seeing pictures from 1962. Get rid of those pictures and tell them, this is your legacy.”

Leiweke also spoke to Bloomberg’s Market Makers show, expanding on his thoughts about an NFL team in Toronto among other topics.

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714440 Washington Capitals

What is the fair market value for Marcus Johansson?

By Neil Greenberg, Published: July 15 at 9:46 am

Now that development camp is over and Karl Alzer has been signed to a four-year contract extension worth $11.2 million, the Washington Capitals’ front office can turn its attention to its final restricted free agent not yet under contract: Marcus Johansson.

Johansson, a first-round pick (No. 24 overall) by Washington in 2009, shared most of his 2013 ice time with top-line forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, finishing the season with six goals and 16 assists over 34 games. Those numbers, a career best in assists (0.47) and points per game (0.65), plus his deployment as a top-six forward will certainly warrant a raise from Johansson’s entry-level deal of $900,000 per year, but by how much?

The draft class of 2009 was top-heavy for forwards, with the Islanders’ John Tavares being taken first overall followed by Colorado’s Matt Duchene, Winnipeg’s Evander Kane and Philadelphia’s Brayden Schenn all selected in the top five. Of the 13 forwards taken before Johansson in the first round that year, only Tavares, Duchene and Kane have played more NHL games and scored more points than Johansson. If we include the draft class of 2008, just nine of the 29 forwards selected in the first round have played more games and seven are under standard contracts (per CapGeek).

Entry Draft

Overall

Player

GP

PTS

2013-14 Cap Hit

2008

1

Steven Stamkos

373

386

$7,500,000

2009

1

John Tavares

291

249

$5,500,000

2009

3

Matt Duchene

266

193

$3,500,000

2009

4

Evander Kane

261

159

$5,250,000

2008

7

Colin Wilson

210

103

$2,000,000

2008

22

Jordan Eberle

195

156

$6,000,000

2008

26

Tyler Ennis

187

123

$2,812,500

2009

24

Marcus Johansson

183

95

RFA

At first glance Johansson doesn’t appear to be in the class of the top-five picks over those two years, but his on-ice production at even-strength is not too far off.

MJ90 ev g and pts

Johansson’s even-strength goals and points per 60 minutes over the seasons covering his entry-level deal are on par with Tavares ($5.5 million cap hit in 2013-14), Duchene ($3.5 million) and Wilson ($2 million). Had Johansson got as much time on the power play as those other three then perhaps his goal, assist and point totals look much different over that three-year span.

PP TOI

What about total statistical performance in the final year of their ELC? And while we are at it, lets add in three pending RFAs from Johansson’s draft class who also remain unsigned: Nazem Kadri from Toronto, Magnus Paajarvi from St. Louis and Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers.

Player

Final year of ELC

GP

PTS

TOI/gm

Contract after ELC

Tavares

2011-12

82

81

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20:34

6 years/$33,000,000

Duchene

2011-12

58

28

16:17

2 years/$7,000,000

Wilson

2011-12

68

35

16:08

3 years/$6,000,000

Kadri

2012-13

48

44

16:03

???

Paajarvi

2012-13

42

16

14:08

???

Kreider

2012-13

23

3

10:07

???

Johansson

2012-13

34

22

16:35

???

Taken as an 82-game pace, Johansson likely outperforms both Duchene and Wilson in points while averaging the same time on ice per game. Of the three pending RFAs, only the Leaf’s Nazem Kadri outscored Johansson this past season. Plus, the Rangers signed Carl Hagelin (sixth-round pick of the 2007 draft) to a two-year, $4.5 million contract, pushing Johansson’s fair market value into the $2.5 to $3 million range for the 2013-14 season.

greenbergNeil Greenberg, when he isn’t watching the games, analyzes advanced statistics in the NHL and prefers to be called a geek rather than a nerd. Follow him on Twitter: @ngreenberg.

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714441 Winnipeg Jets

Jets draft pick Mark Scheifele working hard to make team this season

By: Scott Edmonds, The Canadian Press

Posted: 5:26 PM Last Modified: 6:29 PM

WINNIPEG - It was almost 30 C outside but there was still hockey Monday as the Winnipeg Jets development camp got underway on the edge of the city with 43 young prospects.

Some, such as goaltender Eric Comrie, barely 18, probably have a long way to go before they lace up skates in the NHL.

But others, such as centre Mark Scheifele, 20, could have a far more immediate impact on the future of a team that is trying to get a lot better this season.

This is Scheifele's third such camp and he says he has one thing on his mind — making the team that made him their first draft pick in 2011. He was also the first draft pick of the Jets period, since the former Thrashers had just relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta.

"I'm working my hardest to be on the team full time this year," Scheifele said after the first day on the ice.

The biggest thing Scheifele suggests he needs is strength and he is certainly a little bigger and stronger looking than he was in 2011.

Scheifele and 2012 draft pick Jacob Trouba have been training with Gary Roberts. The retired NHL left-winger, who played 21 seasons in the league, runs a high-performance centre in Toronto.

"I've been there just over a month now. I've already seen huge gains in my body and my strength," said Scheifele.

He also says it's good to have someone like Trouba around. Scheifele played for Canada and Trouba, the Jets top pick last year, for the United States in the world juniors.

The U.S. won gold and Canada came home without a medal this year at the competition, something Trouba admits he brings up now and then.

"We still joke about the world juniors quite a bit but we do push each other," said Scheifele.

The Jets have tried him out twice at the beginning of the last two seasons but both times felt he needed more seasoning and sent him back to his OHL junior team, the Barrie Colts, coached by a former original Winnipeg Jet, Dale Hawerchuk.

Scheifele developed into a major offensive threat in the OHL, leading his Colts to within one game of qualifying for the Memorial Cup this year. He was injured and had to watch as they lost Game 7 and missed the tournament.

"It was honestly the hardest thing I've ever done, to watch the game from the stands and not able to be out there in game seven. . . It was the toughest feeling I've ever had to deal with, to see the guys heartbroken like that and not being able to be with them."

This is the year many expect him to graduate but he suggests the pressure is the same he has felt every year.

"I think there's always pressure. I put a lot of pressure on myself every year I've been here."

The Jets have 22 forwards, 15 defencemen and six goaltenders in camp, which lasts until Friday.

Trouba also says the competitive spirit he and possible future teammate Scheifele bring to their training with Roberts is a good thing.

"We're pretty good friends and I think the kind of people we are we're both pretty competitive people. . . I think it's good and it's healthy for our relationship," he said.

"I want this place to be home for quite a while for me and I'm working hard to get there. . . I feel better than I have my whole career."

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714442 Winnipeg Jets

Jets' Kane tests recovering foot at development camp

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 3:21 PM

WINNIPEG — Winnipeg Jets left-winger Evander Kane is on the ice today for the first time since having surgery in mid-June on his foot to relieve pressure on a nerve.

It's the first day of the week-long Jets development camp and Kane is playing the role as guest coach to give his foot a mild trial.

"I think with my specific injury, it being a nerve problem, there’s not too much you can do for that," he said this afternoon. "Rest and not aggravating it, that’s the biggest thing."

Kane said he’s four weeks into the post-surgery rehab of an injury that should take "six to eight weeks" to get over.

"As long as I don’t feel any pain I can keep going but once I do, I’ll have to get off," he said.

The left-winger said he expects to be ready for September's training camp.

"Oh yeah. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem unless, as I said, there’s a setback," he said. "These are things you’re going to have to be patient with."

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714443 Winnipeg Jets

Evander Kane a guest coach at Winnipeg Jets' development camp

By Ken Wiebe,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Monday, July 15, 2013 03:40 PM CDT | Updated: Monday, July 15, 2013 08:40 PM CDT

Evander Kane believes he’s ahead of schedule after undergoing nerve release surgery last month.

The Winnipeg Jets left-winger made a surprise appearance at the team’s development camp, sporting a track suit and a whistle as a guest “coach” for Monday’s sessions at MTS Iceplex.

Kane was in good spirits after returning to the ice for the first time since the surgery.

“I’m doing my Claude Noel impression,” Kane joked, as he pulled out his whistle. “I didn’t know how (the ankle) was going to respond, even from putting my skate on. I was pleasantly surprised by how it felt out there. But it’s still a long way to go.”

Kane said the normal recovery is roughly six to eight weeks and he’s currently at the four-week stage of his rehab.

“In my mind, we’re ahead of schedule but we’ve got to really watch how we go about these next couple of weeks. It’s a very rare injury from what I’ve been told by the doctor. They don’t see it that often, so it’s new to them, as well as it is to me,” said Kane.

“With my specific injury, being a nerve problem, there’s not much you can do for that. Just letting it rest and not aggravating it, that’s the biggest thing. If you aggravate it, you can get a setback and that’s why I was really cautious today.

“As long as I don’t feel any pain or anything, I can keep going.”

Kane brushed aside a question about whether he’d be ready for training camp in September.

“Oh yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” said Kane. “These are things you’ve just got to be patient with.”

As for the off-season additions of Devin Setoguchi and Michael Frolik, Kane gave the moves a big thumbs up.

“I don’t necessarily know if it’s a specific case for making my situation better, but with those two guys — you’ve got a guy who just won a Stanley Cup and a guy who scored 30 goals a couple years ago,” said Kane. “Those are two big pieces to add to our team, it brings a lot more depth and I’m looking forward to getting on the ice with the new faces.”

Kane also weighed in on the departure of Jets centre Alex Burmistrov to the Kontinental Hockey League.

“To be honest, being Russian and going into a contract year, you have another option and that can be an advantage to you, if that’s what you desire,” said Kane. “(Burmistrov) is a great guy. He has a ton of skill, he’s a hell of a hockey player.

“He made the decision that was best for him and I don’t think you can really be mad at that. Hopefully, maybe he’ll come back to the NHL in a couple years and he’ll be a better hockey player.”

A total of 43 players are taking part in the development camp, which wraps up Friday with a controlled 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 scrimmage.

Among those who caught the attention of observers on Monday were the trio of Jets’ first round picks: centre Mark Scheifele (2011), defenceman Jacob Trouba (2012), and Josh Morrissey (2013).

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714444 Vancouver Canucks

No urgency in Tanev contract talks, says agent

July 15, 2013. 4:11 pm •

elliottpap

Contract talks between the Vancouver Canucks and defenceman Chris Tanev are lacking urgency, Tanev’s agent Ross Gurney said Monday.

The 23-year-old Tanev is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights. He can entertain offer sheets from other NHL clubs but the Canucks would have the right to match. Tanev made $900,000 last season, his third as a professional.

“We have dialogue from time to time but it’s been very, very slow moving,” said the Vancouver-based Gurney. “Restricted free agents without arbitration rights are in a classification all their own. There doesn’t seem to be any urgency right now but, eventually, we’ll make progress.”

Any team wishing to sign Tanev to an offer sheet between $1.682 million and $3.64 million would have to surrender just a second-round pick as compensation. However, the Canucks would almost certainly match rather than lose a young player they have developed for three years. Hence, the lack of urgency.

“Typically, by the middle of July, you’re 15-16 days into free agency but because of the lockout and the July 5 starting date instead of July 1, the market is very slow,” Gurney added. “We’re only 10 days in.”

Tanev, signed as a free agent out of college, has played 102 games in the NHL (including playoffs) and has 10 points. Here are some recent signings of restricted free agent defencemen:

Nick Leddy, Chicago Blackhawks. Games played: 212 (including playoffs). Career points: 67. Contract: two years with a cap hit of $2.7 million per season;

Brendan Smith, Detroit Red Wings. Games played: 62 (including playoffs). Career points: 13. Contract: two years with a cap hit of $1.2625;

Jake Muzzin, Los Angeles Kings. Games played: 73 (including playoffs). Career points: 20. Contract: two years with a cap hit of $1 million.

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714445 Vancouver Canucks

Chris Tanev’s negotiations going at glacial pace

July 15, 2013. 7:11 pm •

Jim Jamieson

It’s the beginning of hockey’s dog days and the contract negotiations between the Canucks and restricted free agent defenceman Chris Tanev are a reflection of that.

Tanev’s agent Ross Gurney said he’s been regularly in contact with the Canucks, but the pace of negotiations have been slow, though there’s no reason to panic at this point.

Tanev, 23, is an RFA without arbitration rights, so he really has no options – barring an offer sheet from another NHL club – other than signing or sitting out. The latter is not too likely.

“We continue to be in touch, but there is no progress to report,” said the Vancouver-based Gurney on Monday. “There doesn’t seem to be a lot of urgency right now, but that’s just where we are in the process.”

Tanev made $900,000 in the NHL last season, his third season as a pro and first full one in the big league.

The Canucks tendered Tanev a qualifying offer of $850,500 to maintain his rights and the offer expires on July 20. That doesn’t mean much, though, as Tanev would not be signing that or anything like it anyway.

The Canucks currently have $5.41 million in cap space remaining with 19 players signed. But they need to sign Tanev and likely another defenceman as well as RFA forward Dale Weise. Weise is scheduled to go to salary arbitration on July 27, but it’s just as likely he’ll get a deal done before getting to his hearing.

There’s also the expectation that at least one spot will be open at forward for a young player such as Nicklas Jensen or Brendan Gaunce to make the jump to the NHL.

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714446 Websites

NBCSports.com / DeBoer: Kovalchuk-less Devils have a big challenge

Jason Brough

Jul 15, 2013, 1:50 PM EDT

New Jersey coach Pete DeBoer wasn’t trying to fool anyone today when asked about the departure of Ilya Kovalchuk for the KHL.

According to DeBoer, next season’s Devils team will be a far different version than the one that made it to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

“Sure it’s different,” DeBoer said, per the Star-Ledger. “You take out a (Zach) Parise and you take out a Kovalchuk. Those are players who single-handedly can do some things that only a handful of players in the world can do. We’re going to have to be a different team.

“We’re going to have to play more of a team game. Our five-man units and our systems are going to have to be air tight. Our special teams are going to have to be better. Goaltending is going to have to be top notch like it has been. There is going to be an emphasis on all those areas because you’re taking out a couple game-breaking players.”

The Devils missed the playoffs in 2013 (though they were perhaps a bit unlucky in that regard), so clearly they have a pretty big challenge facing them next season.

They should, however, be better in one area, and that’s goaltending. You’ll recall that Martin Brodeur was hurt for a lengthy stretch of this past season, during which Johan Hedberg really struggled to fill in. And let’s be honest, Brodeur wasn’t exactly unbeatable when he was healthy, finishing with a save percentage of just .901.

Now, after Cory Schneider came over from Vancouver, the Devils have a legitimate competition for the starting job.

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714447 Websites

NBCSports.com / Kovalchuk says he’s not thinking about possibility of NHL return

Jason Brough

Jul 15, 2013, 1:12 PM EDT

How, when, or if Ilya Kovalchuk can one day return to the NHL has been a hot topic since the 30-year-old sniper left New Jersey to sign a four-year contract with KHL club SKA Saint Petersburg.

According to the New York Post, the rules says he’s free to come back to the NHL when he turns 35. The Record’s Tom Gulitti, on the other hand, has been told the Devils may still be able to challenge a Kovalchuk return, even when he’s 35 or older.

Ask Kovalchuk about it, though — as Sovietsky Sport did — and it’s clear it’s not a topic he wants to discuss.

“I am not going to Russia to start thinking about coming back to the NHL,” he said (as translated by Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo! Sports).

Kovalchuk also said he chose to leave North America because he’s more comfortable in Russia, where his mom, sister and friends live.

He did express a bit of sadness that he was never able to win the Stanley Cup, but he’s sure he made the right decision by signing in the KHL.

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714448 Websites

NBCSports.com / Isles sign Bailey — five years, $16.5 million

Jason Brough

Jul 15, 2013, 12:38 PM EDT

Josh Bailey has agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the New York Islanders, the club announced today.

Bailey had 11 goals and eight assists in 38 games this past season. The 23-year-old forward had filed for arbitration, but obviously a hearing won’t be needed now.

Per ESPN’s Katie Strang, the contract is worth $16.5 million, garnering a cap hit of $3.3 million.

“Josh has become an important member of the young core of the players we have in our dressing room,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a release. “We’re excited to come to terms with him on a deal that will ensure he is a member of this team as we solidify ourselves as consistent playoff contenders.”

Bailey was originally drafted ninth overall by the Isles in 2008.

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714449 Websites

NBCSports.com / New Canucks goalie Eriksson excited at opportunity

Jason Brough

Jul 15, 2013, 12:20 PM EDT

Assuming Canucks general manager Mike Gillis doesn’t actually need to convince Roberto Luongo to report to training camp, the battle for the backup job in Vancouver appears to be between a pair of young Swedish goalies, Eddie Lack and newly signed Joacim Eriksson.

Eriksson was in town last week for prospects camp, where he expressed his excitement for the opportunity.

“I hope the better goalie is going to play because I want to be as high up as possible,” he said, per The Province.

If Eriksson can perform like he did last season in Sweden, he should have a decent chance to stick with the Canucks. The 23-year-old went 21-9-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .931 save percentage while playing for Skelleftea of Sweden’s Elitserien in 2012-13. He then recorded a 1.06 GAA and .952 save percentage in helping Skelleftea win the Elitserien Championship.

Where he might be at a slight disadvantage is his contract, which is a two-way deal that pays him $925,000 in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL.

Lack, on the other hand, will make $850,000 regardless of where he plays.

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NBCSports.com / ‘Nothing imminent’ for Brunner: agent

Jason Brough

Jul 15, 2013, 11:41 AM EDT

Damien Brunner‘s agent has thrown some cold water on a report out of Switzerland that suggested his client was about to sign with the New Jersey Devils.

This morning, Neil Sheehy told The Record’s Tom Gulitti that there’s “nothing imminent” on the signing front.

The Devils obviously have a big hole to fill after sniper Ilya Kovalchuk left for the KHL. Brunner, 27, scored 12 times in 44 games for Detroit during the regular season, then adding a team-high five goals in the playoffs.

Brunner was reportedly looking for $3 -3.5 million per season for 2-3 years from the Red Wings.

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USA TODAY / Flyers bring back Ron Hextall, name him assistant GM

Dave Isaac, USA TODAY Sports 8:50 p.m. EDT July 15, 2013

With his hands in his in his suit pockets, former Flyers star goalie Ron Hextall paced the floor of Prudential Center in Newark at last month's draft.

His contract as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Kings was about to expire and Flyers GM Paul Holmgren was looking to make a move. A day prior, Holmgren met with Vinny Lecavalier, the former Tampa Bay Lightning center, whom he eventually signed.

That weekend, there was another acquisition he had in mind.

After a quick chat with the Flyers' GM at the draft and a couple weeks to think about it, Hextall, 49, agreed to join the Flyers again.

He will become an assistant general manager, along with salary-cap guru Barry Hanrahan, effective August 1. He will also be the director of hockey operations, a title previously held by Chris Pryor, whose duties will remain the same, but title will change to director of scouting.

"I don't have anything earth-shattering other than to say it was a gut feeling and that's what I went with," Hextall said in a conference call Monday night. "My family is out East. I have a history with the Flyers. There were a lot of things that factored into my decision."

In Holmgren's eyes, it may have been his best move of the offseason to get the former goalie back in Philadelphia on what he would only call a "multi-year deal."

"He's probably the most highly-thought-of guy who is not a GM," Holmgren said in a conference call Monday night. "To add him to our staff is huge."

Upon his retirement as a player in 1999, Hextall was hired by the Flyers as a professional scout and three years later was named director of player personnel.

Hextall comes back to Philadelphia by way of Los Angeles, where he has served as vice president and assistant general manager since 2006. He won a Stanley Cup in 2012 with the Kings with former Flyers Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Justin Williams on the roster. Former Flyers scout Dean Lombardi is the general manager in L.A. and former head coaches John Stevens and Terry Murray were on the coaching staff that season.

"The one thing you say is, 'The more people you work for, the smarter you become,'" Hextall said of his time with Los Angeles. "It's absolutely true.

"When I came to L.A. I came here all in. I wasn't looking over my shoulder looking to go back to Philadelphia."

Yet he returns to the city where he had 11 seasons in orange and black and is in the Flyers Hall of Fame. Hextall had a 240-172-58 record in his time with the Flyers and 2.91 goals-against average. He became the first NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opposing net in both the regular season and playoffs.

In a phenomenal rookie season, Hextall posted a 37-21-6 record, 3.00 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in the regular season. In the playoffs, he stood tall with a 2.77 goals-against average and .908 save percentage and brought the Flyers to within one game of winning the Stanley Cup. Still, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs, Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie and was named to the rookie and NHL All-Star teams.

Hextall still holds Flyers records for most penalty minutes by a goalie (113 in 1988-89) and most points by a goalie in one season (8 in 1988-89).

It was in his playing days that he realized he wanted to be a general manager. He idolized what Bob Clarke did with the Flyers as a GM, although he hated Clarke as a player when he grew up watching the Broad St. Bullies beat on his father, Bryan Jr., and uncle, Dennis.

With the addition of yet another former Flyer joining the front office that includes Clarke, John Paddock and Dave Brown, with a handful more on the scouting staff, there are whispers that Hextall could someday replace

Holmgren as GM of the Flyers. Although that's the title Hextall wants to have with an NHL team one day, he isn't banking on it just yet.

"If that were to work out at some point when Homer's had enough, that's great," Hextall said. "It could happen 29 other places, too."

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USA TODAY / Canadiens' Blake Geoffrion retires following head injury

Josh Cooper, USA TODAY Sports 7:44 p.m. EDT July 15, 2013

Blake Geoffrion didn't want to go into details about why doctors advised him to quit playing hockey.

The former Predators forward who grew up in Brentwood was guided by a simple logic as he came to the decision to announce his retirement on Monday at age 25.

"It was the brain trauma," he said. "After suffering a skull fracture, it's probably not safe to … the complications of something happening again are too high."

Playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League on Nov. 9, 2012, Geoffrion was hit by Syracuse Crunch defenseman Jean-Philippe Côté. As they fell to the ice, Côté's skate landed two inches above Geoffrion's left ear, causing a depressed skull fracture that required emergency surgery.

He has not skated in a competitive manner since the injury.

"Blake has always had a major love of the game. It has been his whole life," said Danny Geoffrion, Blake's father and a former NHL player. "But I think he just realized … he did every precaution — he talked to the doctors, he talked to the psychologist, he talked to everybody. And after weighing everything, I think he came to the decision that, 'oh my gosh, this is trauma to the brain, it's probably worse than a concussion.'"

ISLANDERS: Ink forward to five-year deal

Asked if Blake is still feeling symptoms, Danny said: "He'll get a little headache here, aspirin gets rid of that, he gets a little dizzy here and dizzy there, where sometimes if you haven't exercised in a long time."

Blake had a strong lineage to draw from — grandfather Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion and great grandfather Howie Morenz are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Montreal Canadiens retired both their numbers — but his rise to the NHL became a feel-good story locally.

He grew up in Brentwood then went to the University of Wisconsin, where he capped his senior season with the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player.

The Predators picked Geoffrion in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft and he made his NHL debut on Feb. 26, 2011, becoming the first player who learned hockey in Nashville to play in the league.

He saw action in 42 games for Nashville during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. His highlight was a hat trick in Buffalo against the Sabres — with Danny in the stands — on March 20, 2011. He also played in all 12 of Nashville's postseason games as a rookie, notching two assists.

Geoffrion started 2011-12 on the Predators' opening night roster, but fell out of favor midway through the year after picking up just three assists in 22 games. He was sent to the AHL affiliate in Milwaukee and on Feb. 17, 2012, the Predators traded him to the Canadiens as part of a deal for defenseman Hal Gill.

The move provided a fresh start for Geoffrion in familiar confines, with an organization he knew through his bloodline. Unfortunately, he would only play 13 NHL games in a Montreal jersey before he was forced to retire.

"He has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. He has won the Hobey Baker, he has made the NHL, he has scored a hat trick, it's all good stuff," Danny said. "At the end of the day it's a sad day. It's unbelievable. At 25, he was just hitting his peak time, but it is what it is. God has a reason for everything."

In 55 NHL games with the Predators and Canadiens, Geoffrion posted 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists).

"Obviously tough for me to do, but it is what it is," Blake said. "And I'm ready for the next challenge and next chapter of my life to begin."

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USA TODAY / Islanders sign Josh Bailey to five-year extension

Jimmy Hascup, USA TODAY Sports 2:01 p.m. EDT July 15, 2013

The New York Islanders kept what they believe is a key member of their bright future in the fold for the next half-decade Monday afternoon.

Restricted free agent Josh Bailey agreed to a five-year contract extension, the team announced on its web site. ESPN.com reports the contract is worth $16.5 million, as the two sides avoid salary arbitration.

"Josh has become an important member of the young core of the players we have in our dressing room," Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. "We're excited to come to terms with him on a deal that will ensure he is a member of this team as we solidify ourselves as consistent playoff contenders."

The 23-year-old forward had 11 goals and 19 assists last season while averaging 16:23 of ice time. The ninth-overall pick in the 2008 draft, Bailey's career high in goals is 16 and points is 35, both attained in 2008-09, his second season in the NHL. He has played in 329 games during his five-year career.

This deal buys out Bailey's first three years of unrestricted free agency.

Los Angeles Kings sign two defensemen

The Kings have avoided arbitration with their two young defensemen.

On Friday, the team announced on its web site that it had retained Jake Muzzin on a two-year deal, and on Monday, it announced a two-year pact with Alec Martinez. Both players were restricted free agents.

Muzzin's contract is worth $2 million, according to Kings Insider Jon Rosen, while TSN reports Martinez's is valued at $2.2 million.

Muzzin, 23, had 16 points and a plus-16 rating last season, his first full one in the NHL. Martinez, 25, notched five points in 27 games, his third year in the NHL.

Montreal Canadiens sign forward

Restricted free agent Ryan White agreed to a one-year deal with the Canadiens on Saturday, the team announced in its web site, as the two sides avoided arbitration.

TSN's Darren Dreger reports the contract is worth $700,000.

In his fourth NHL season, White had a goal and 67 penalty minutes in 26 games.

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USA TODAY / Retired from NHL, Ilya Kovalchuk returning to play in KHL

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 8:15 a.m. EDT July 15, 2013

The Kontinental Hockey League has announced on its official Facebook page that former New Jersey Devils star Ilya Kovalchuk has signed a four-year deal to play with St. Petersburg SKA in his native Russia.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but it was expected that the team would give him a deal that would make him the KHL's highest-paid player.

Last week, Kovalchuk announced that he was retiring from the NHL. He filed his voluntary retirement papers, voiding his contract that had $77 million in salary still obligated to him if he fulfilled it.

Kovalchuk, 30, played for SKA during the lockout, accumulating 18 goals and 24 assists for 41 points in 36 games. In his NHL career, Kovalchuk had 816 points in 816 games.

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