10:35 AM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will go to China as part of the NHL’s continued outreach in that country. Ovechkin will visit Beijing in early August as a league ambassador. He’s expected to take part in youth hockey clinics, interviews and business development meetings. The Russian star said
NHL News
4:48 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — The Rangers have agreed to terms with restricted free-agent defenseman Jacob Trouba, whom they acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in a major offseason trade. The deal reached Friday with Trouba, 25, is for seven years and $56 million, with an $8 million salary cap hit for
8:17 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames swapped contract problems on Friday, as winger Milan Lucic waived his no-movement clause for a trade for winger James Neal. The Oilers included a conditional third-round pick in 2020. They also retained salary on the deal. Lucic, 31, signed a seven-year, $42 million free-agent
10:48 AM ET Emily KaplanESPN The still-unnamed Seattle franchise is two years away from debuting in the NHL, but the league’s 32nd team has its first GM. That’s Ron Francis, the Hall of Fame player who spent four years as the Carolina Hurricanes GM before being demoted, then fired, under new owner Tom Dundon in
8:01 PM ET Associated Press SEATTLE — Ron Francis has all kinds of eye-popping statistics attached to his Hall of Fame career. He averaged more than point a game, is second in NHL history in assists behind Wayne Gretzky and is fifth in career points. When CEO Tod Leiweke and the ownership group of the
12:00 PM ET Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta — A man has been charged with forging the signature of Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid on team jerseys and then selling them for big profits. Edmonton police say the 23-year-old man in April 2018 contacted several people on Facebook, claiming he was employed by either the Edmonton
11:36 PM ET Associated Press DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed defenseman Joe Hicketts to a two-year contract. The team announced the move Wednesday. Hicketts played in 11 games with the Red Wings in 2018-19. He also had 27 points in 64 games with Grand Rapids of the AHL. The 23-year-old Hicketts has
3:18 PM ET The Colorado Avalanche have signed restricted free agent J.T. Compher to a four-year contract. According to The Athletic, the deal carries an annual average value of $3.5 million. “J.T. has been one of our most versatile forwards over the past two years,” Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said in a statement. “He
10:59 PM ET Seattle’s new NHL franchise has its first general manager. Hall of Famer Ron Francis will be named the expansion team’s GM, a source told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, confirming a Seattle Times report. Francis will receive a multiyear contract from the team, which is expected to make the hire official later this week,
3:34 PM ET The Ottawa Senators acquired center Artem Anisimov from the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday for left wing Zack Smith. Anisimov, 31, appeared in 78 games, finishing with 15 goals and 22 assists, last season, his fourth with the Blackhawks. He has scored at least 20 goals four times in his career, including his
10:09 AM ET Associated Press MOSCOW — Former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov has signed a one-year deal in the Kontinental Hockey League as he sits out the final months of his NHL suspension. Russian KHL club Avangard Omsk says it signed Voynov to a one-year deal. His NHL suspension, imposed after the league
1:22 PM ET The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Andre Burakovsky to a one-year contract. TSN reports that the deal is for $3.25 million. The restricted free agent was acquired from the Washington Capitals June 28 for forward Scott Kosmachuk, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and a third-round selection in the 2020 draft..
3:58 PM ET Associated Press FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Stars have re-signed center Jason Dickinson to a $3 million, two-year contract, bringing back an emerging leader after he established career highs in scoring and playing time. Dickinson was a solid playoff performer in his postseason debut as the Stars reached the second round before
5:58 PM ET Associated Press MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens re-signed Finnish forwards Joel Armia and Artturi Lehkonen to two-year contracts Thursday. Armia’s contract has an average annual value of $2.6 million, while Lehkonen’s has an average of $2.4 million. Armia, 26, set career highs for goals (13), power-play goals (two) and power-play points (six)
8:28 PM ET The St. Louis Blues have reached a deal with goaltender Jordan Binnington on a two-year contract with an annual average value of $4.4 million, the Stanley Cup champions announced Saturday. Binnington had been a restricted free agent and avoided arbitration by agreeing to the deal on Saturday. “I’m happy to get this
10:44 AM ET ESPN News Services RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes and free-agent center Ryan Dzingel have agreed on a two-year, $6.75 million contract. The deal announced Friday by general manager Don Waddell will pay Dzingel $3.25 million this season and $3.5 million in 2020-21. “Ryan has proven that he can be an impact
3:49 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The St. Louis Blues‘ Stanley Cup championship run had an ubiquitous soundtrack to it: Laura Branigan’s 1982 disco classic “Gloria,” which became their postgame victory song, while “Play Gloria!” became a rallying cry found on T-shirts, hats and other trinkets sold inside and outside the arena during the postseason. The
12:54 PM ET The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Flyers president Paul Holmgren has stepped down to become a senior adviser for the franchise. General manager Chuck Fletcher becomes president of hockey operations in a related move. Fletcher reports directly to Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Dave Scott. Holmgren has been a Flyers player, assistant