NHL

NY Rangers sign Puempel, meet expansion draft requirementNEW YORK (AP) The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with forward Matt Puempel.General manager Jeff Gorton announced the contract on Wednesday. Signing Puempel helps New York satisfy the minimum expansion draft requirement of exposing at least two forwards under...

AP Hockey WriterWith winning streak over, Blue Jackets' work just beginningBy STEPHEN WHYNOWASHINGTON (AP) John Tortorella has been waiting for this.The Columbus Blue Jackets coach enjoyed riding a 16-game winning streak, but when it ended with a 5-0 clunker against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, Tortorella was...

AP Sports WriterCrosby, McDavid, Matthews players to watch in NHL playoffsBy LARRY LAGESidney Crosby might be peaking as the playoffs arrive, with a shot to help the Pittsburgh Penguins become the first franchise in nearly two decades to hoist the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasonsThat's a scary thought for...

AP Hockey WriterArizona-born Matthews goes 1st in NHL draft; Finns followBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Once the ''Go Leafs, Go!'' chants subsided after Toronto selected Arizona-born center Auston Matthews with the first pick in the NHL draft, the Finns began their march to the podium.Three players from Finland...

AP Hockey WriterDivision-winning Blackhawks, Caps, Ducks in different spotsBy STEPHEN WHYNOWASHINGTON (AP) Three division champions are in three very different positions early in the playoffs.As the Chicago Blackhawks attempt to rebound from a shutout loss to the Nashville Predators, the Washington Capitals hope they've learned a lesson from...

Sharks F Tomas Hertl to miss Game 4 of Stanley CupSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl will miss his second straight game in the Stanley Cup Final with a lower-body injury.Coach Peter DeBoer said Hertl will not be ready to play Game 4 on...

Associated Press650,000 fans at parade cheer Penguins for Stanley Cup winBy JOE MANDAKPITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship, the first an NHL team has won back to back in almost 20 years, spawned by far the biggest victory parade of any of the franchise's five titles.An...

NEW YORK (AP) - Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and forward Cody McLeod were fined by the league for their actions in the waning seconds of a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Saturday.Landeskog was fined $5,000 for a punch he threw at Wild forward Mikko Koivu as both players...

Sharks bring back Rob Zettler as assistant coachSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Former San Jose Sharks player and assistant coach Rob Zettler is returning to the organization as a member of coach Peter DeBoer's staff.The Sharks announced Monday that Zettler will fill the void created when assistant Bob Boughner...

LA Kings Hall of Fame announcer Bob Miller has mild strokeLOS ANGELES (AP) Bob Miller, the Hall of Fame television play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Kings, is hospitalized after suffering a mild stroke.The Kings said Sunday night that Miller was stricken Saturday and remains under the care...

Vegas Golden Knights to play first game at Dallas on Oct. 6By The Associated PressThe expansion Vegas Golden Knights will make their regular-season debut on the road in Dallas on Oct. 6 and host the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 10 in the first home game in franchise history.NHL teams...

AP Sports WriterWith Laviolette, Preds find offensive payoff in postseasonBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Three years ago, general manager David Poile let the only coach the Predators had ever known in Barry Trotz leave and hired Peter Laviolette to inject more offense into the Nashville lineup.The payoff...