NHL

AP Sports WriterCoyotes tab longtime executive Patterson as presidentBy JOHN MARSHALLGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Coyotes have hired former NFL, NBA and college executive Steve Patterson as president and CEO.The Coyotes also promoted general manager John Chayka to president of hockey operations, the team said Wednesday.Patterson led a...

AP Hockey WriterSabres acquire Pominville, Scandella in trade with WildBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Former Sabres captain Jason Pominville is returning to Buffalo after being acquired along with defenseman Marco Scandella in a four-player trade with the Minnesota Wild.In exchange, the Wild acquired forwards Tyler Ennis and Marcus...

AP Hockey WriterLightning re-sign Palat to $26.5M, 5-year dealBy STEPHEN WHYNOTampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman completed his offseason to-do list by signing ''model player'' Ondrej Palat to a $26.5 million, five-year deal.The Lightning and Palat avoided arbitration and settled on the contract Friday. The Czech left winger...

AP Sports WriterHistory made clinching Western finals berth, Preds now restBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) The Nashville Predators may have been the last team in the Western Conference this postseason. Now they're the NHL's first team to reach a conference final.And the Predators believe they're only halfway...

Prosecutors to drop charges in Stanley Cup dead catfish tossPITTSBURGH (AP) Prosecutors are dropping charges filed against a Tennessee man for throwing a catfish onto the rink in Pittsburgh during the opening of the Stanley Cup Final.Jacob Waddell, 36, was charged in Allegheny County with disorderly conduct, possessing...

AP Hockey WriterLooming expansion draft turns up trade chatter around NHLBy STEPHEN WHYNOThe prospect of losing talent to Vegas is keeping a lot of NHL general managers up at night.''Sometimes at 3 in the morning I wake up and remind myself of that: `You can only lose one player....

Ashes of late NHL enforcer Bob Probert spread in penalty boxDETROIT (AP) Late Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert has been given a little more time in the penalty box at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.Probert's widow, Dani, sprinkled some of the forward's ashes in the box on Sunday, when...

AP Sports WriterBack home, Preds eager to rebound off 1st postseason lossBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Winning the Stanley Cup requires 16 victories each postseason, and the Nashville Predators started better than any team in these playoffs by winning their first five.Now the St. Louis Blues are...

AP Hockey WriterNo-name Penguins defense faces unheralded Predators centersBy STEPHEN WHYNOThe star centers and no-name defense of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The standout defensemen and unheralded centers of the Nashville Predators.The Stanley Cup Final is full of intriguing matchups, with Game 1 coming up Monday night in Pittsburgh.Pittsburgh goes for...

Despite heel injury, Karlsson leading Senators in postseasonOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Sweden's Erik Karlsson was the best player in the Ottawa Senators' opening-round series against the Boston Bruins, and that was while playing with two hairline fractures in his left heel.If Ottawa's captain was that good playing injured, one...

Prosecutors to drop charges in Stanley Cup dead catfish tossPITTSBURGH (AP) Prosecutors are dropping charges filed against a Tennessee man for throwing a catfish onto the rink in Pittsburgh during the opening of the Stanley Cup Final.Jacob Waddell, 36, was charged in Allegheny County with disorderly conduct, possessing...

Ottawa star D Erik Karlsson has foot surgery, out 4 monthsOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) The Ottawa Senators are hopeful that star defenseman Erik Karlsson will be ready for the start of next season following surgery on his left foot Wednesday.General manager Pierre Dorion says Karlsson's recovery from surgery to...