NHL

The NHL's facelift is now official. The league announced Thursday that its proposed realignment plan is a go for next season after getting approval from the Board of Governors. It was the final step in the process after the NHL Players' Association gave its consent to the plan last week. The...

After much thought, the NHL Players' Association has given a thumbs-up to the league's proposed realignment plan. "After discussions with the Executive Board, the NHLPA has given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,'' NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said in a statement Thursday night. Both sides confirmed...

Jason Pominville got a surprise shortly before taking the ice for his new team, the Minnesota Wild, on Sunday night. His wife, kids and father-in-law drove down from Buffalo, N.Y., to see Pominville in action against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a good night for the former Buffalo Sabres'...

The Winnipeg Jets are sending 19-year-old forward Mark Scheifele to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says he still has confidence in Scheifele. He adds that Scheifele was a top performer with his junior club and will get a chance to continue his...

For 17 games, nobody has been able to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation. The Blackhawks set an NHL record for the best start to a season, beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Friday to give them at least one point in each of their first 17 games. Rookie Brandon...

Two days of talks between the NHL and Olympic officials wrapped up Friday with signs of progress toward a resolution on the issue of having the league send its players to the 2014 Sochi Games. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel met for...

A chorus of boos greeted the announcement of Sidney Crosby's first goal in Game 1 at the Washington Capitals. During the announcement of his second, the red-rocking Washington Capitals crowd was silent. There's no place like road for the Pittsburgh Penguins and other teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Through...

The NHL-worst Washington Capitals were handing out votes of confidence Friday, less than three weeks into a season that has so far been nothing short of a fall-flat-on-the-face embarrassment. General manager George McPhee met with reporters for some 20 minutes at the team's facility and cited penalties and goaltending as...

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) The Ottawa Senators scored a big win, but lost a player in the process. Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan scored in the shootout as the Senators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the NHL on Thursday night. They appear to have lost defenseman Marc Methot for perhaps...

For the second straight time, the St. Louis Blues stunned the goalie who stoned everyone last spring. Barret Jackman said his eyes were closed when his first career playoff goal sailed past Jonathan Quick and into the net with 50.6 seconds to go in a 2-1 victory Thursday night. It...

ST. LOUIS (AP) Todd Ewen, the former NHL enforcer called ''The Animal'' for his rugged play and fighting ability, died Saturday. He was 49.The St. Louis Blues confirmed Ewen's death on their Twitter account without providing details.''We're sad to learn of the passing of former Blue Todd Ewen...

With hockey set to return after a four-month lockout, the NHL is apologizing again. Echoing last week's remarks by commissioner Gary Bettman, the NHL is using full-page newspaper ads Thursday to tell fans it's sorry for the lockout that delayed the season and trimmed the schedule from 82 games to...