Former Nashville captain Greg Johnson, who took the first faceoff in Predators history, died Tuesday in Detroit. He was 48. No cause of death was immediately reported. Drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1989, Johnson scored 369 points (145 goals, 224 assists) in 785 NHL regular-season games from 1993-2006. He was
Canada
The Colorado Avalanche agreed to a two-year contract extension with coach Jared Bednar after guiding the team to back-to-back playoff appearances. His contract runs through the 2021-22 season, the team announced Tuesday. Bednar is 103-116-27 in three seasons at the helm of the Avalanche. He earned his 100th NHL coaching victory on March 27 against
CHICAGO—The Chicago Blackhawks are taking a chance on another underachieving young forward. They hope it goes the same way it did last time. The Blackhawks traded promising defenceman Henri Jokiharju to Buffalo on Tuesday for Alex Nylander, who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations since he was selected by the Sabres with the eighth overall
Don Cherry is staying put. The colourful host of Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada says he was told by his bosses shortly after the NHL playoffs he’d return next season. On Saturday, Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons wrote Cherry’s return next season hadn’t been confirmed. Since 1986, Cherry has appeared on Coach’s Corner with
Don Cherry is staying put. The colourful analyst of Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada says he was told by his bosses shortly after the NHL playoffs that he’d return next season. On Saturday, Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons wrote Cherry’s return next season hadn’t been confirmed. Since 1986, Cherry has appeared on Coach’s
Two NHL players face assault charges following their arrest early Sunday in Manhattan, the New York Post reported. Sonny Milano of the Columbus Blue Jackets and A.J. Greer of the Colorado Avalanche allegedly assaulted a 28-year-old man in a dispute over a bar bill at 1 Oak, a nightclub in the Chelsea neighborhood, police sources
The tiny Alberta hamlet of Calahoo, population 85, ballooned to more than 2,000 Tuesday when their favourite son, St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, brought the Stanley Cup in for a visit. Fans lined up for hours inside and outside the Calahoo arena, north of Edmonton, and cheered when Berube walked in to the
The Ontario Liberals are calling on Premier Doug Ford to suspend Ottawa-area MPP Lisa MacLeod from caucus after a report that she swore at the owner of the Ottawa Senators NHL franchise during a Rolling Stones concert. In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, Eugene Melnyk said he was with a group of people
The 18-year-old native of Orebro, Sweden spent most of last season with Stockholm-based AIK in the Swedish Allsvenskan League, recording nine points (two goals, seven assists) and 14 penalty minutes in 41 games. He also played eight games for AIK J-20 in the Swedish SuperElit League, posting eight points (two goals, six assists). The six-foot-four,
The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Nick Cousins to a $1 million US one-year, one-way contract. The five-foot-11, 185-pound forward recorded a career-high 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) with Arizona last season. Cousins has registered 73 points (31 goals, 42 assists) and 35 penalty minutes in 259 career regular-season NHL games with Philadelphia and
The NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames are among contributors helping the defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League settle its debts. The Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, Hockey Canada and other private donations also helped the CWHL clear its books. “The CWHL is in the process of paying everyone and will be able to close in
VANCOUVER—Winger Justin Bailey has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks. The 24-year-old native of Buffalo, N.Y. split the 2018-19 season between two American Hockey League clubs — Rochester and Lehigh Valley — and the Philadelphia Flyers, where Bailey registered one assist in 11 games. The Flyers acquired Bailey in a trade with
Some leftovers from the first few days of the NHL free-agent signing period could have a greater impact on teams than some of the players signed Monday on the first day. Some intriguing players still available: Jake Gardiner, defence: Once Erik Karlsson opted to stay with San Jose, Gardiner was the most accomplished defenceman available.
Ben Chiarot is saying au revoir to the Winnipeg Jets. The defenceman, who played six seasons for the NHL’s Jets, has signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The deal has an average annual value of $3.5 million US. He is the fifth big name to leave the Jets this off-season. Fellow defenceman Tyler Myers (Vancouver Canucks)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed two of their newest acquisitions to contract extensions. Defenceman Cody Ceci agreed to a one-year extension for $4.5 million US, while forward Alex Kerfoot was locked up for four more years with an average annual value of $3.5 million on the deal. Ceci was acquired in a trade with
The New York Rangers landed the biggest fish in free agency by agreeing to terms with winger Artemi Panarin on a seven-year contract, reportedly worth $81.5 million (all dollars U.S.). The team announced the deal about an hour after the NHL free-agent market opened on Monday. The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers were among
Some of the NHL’s best, young players are available. Technically. Mitch Marner, Brayden Point and Jacob Trouba are just a few of the restricted free agents in a bumper crop. Every team in the league would like to add any of those players this summer. However, it would be a big surprise in the NHL
VANCOUVER—The Vancouver Canucks are beefing up their blue line in free agency, adding defencemen Tyler Myers, Jordie Benn and Oscar Fantenberg to the roster. Myers, 29, has agreed to a five-year contract worth an annual average of $6 million (all dollars U.S.), the Canucks announced on Monday. “Tyler is a proven competitor and an important