NHL

AP Sports WriterLou Lamoriello hired to run hockey operations for IslandersBy VIN A. CHERWOONEW YORK (AP) Longtime NHL executive Lou Lamoriello has joined the New York Islanders and will have full authority in all hockey matters.The team on Tuesday announced the hiring of the 75-year-old Lamoriello as president...

Smith-Pelly to skip White House visit if Caps win CupLAS VEGAS (AP) Count out Devante Smith-Pelly if the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup and are invited to the White House to celebrate with President Donald Trump.''The things that he spews are straight-up racist and sexist,'' Canada's Postmedia...

Blues fire coach Ken Hitchcock, promote Mike YeoST. LOUIS (AP) The Blues abruptly fired coach Ken Hitchcock on Wednesday, cutting short the veteran's final season in St. Louis and putting coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo in charge of the underperforming team months earlier than planned.General manager Doug Armstrong announced the...

AP Sports WriterDevils, Golden Knights off to surprising strong startsBy VIN A. CHERWOOAfter finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, the New Jersey Devils have been among the NHL's surprise teams.The Devils have been atop the Metropolitan Division for most of the opening weeks and are...

AP Hockey WriterRussia becomes a reliable pipeline for ready-made NHL talentBy STEPHEN WHYNODown the street from where Detroit's Russian Five took the NHL by storm in the 1990s, defenseman Nikita Zaitsev sat down for dinner with his agent and explained that his pain of being passed over in the...

AP Sports WriterKarlsson, Panarin and Bobrovsky can close strong and cash inBy LARRY LAGEMany NHL teams have plenty to play for down the final stretch of the regular season, trying to get in the playoffs or to improve their positioning, before 16 teams compete for the Stanley Cup.Some players...

Hacker posts racial slur on fan chat with black NHL playerNEW YORK (AP) A hacker posted a racial slur 45 times in an online fan video chat Friday with a black New York Rangers prospect.The NHL team scrambled to disable the hacker it called “a vile individual” on...

Oilers sign center Leon Draisaitl to 8-year extensionEDMONTON, Alberta (AP) The two biggest cornerstones of the emerging Edmonton Oilers franchise are now locked up for the long haul.Six weeks after extending Connor McDavid for eight years and $100 million, the Oilers signed 21-year-old Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year...

AP Hockey WriterCaps' Backstrom a game-time decision to return from injuryBy STEPHEN WHYNOWASHINGTON (AP) Nicklas Backstrom could return to the Capitals' lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Lightning.Backstrom has missed Washington's past four games with a right hand injury. Coach Barry Trotz called...

Associated PressGoalies under siege in Game 1 shootout between Caps, KnightsBy W.G. RAMIREZLAS VEGAS (AP) Marc-Andre Fleury and Braden Holtby have been two of the hottest goaltenders during the postseason.Their duel between the pipes looked more like survival in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final as the...

Sharks sign F Lukas Radil to 1-year extensionSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Lukas Radil to a one-year contract extension through the 2019-20 season.Radil has five goals and three assists in 18 career games, leading the team to give him the extension on...

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) - Nick Leddy had a goal and two assists, Jaroslav Halak tied the team record for wins in a season, and the New York Islanders cooled off the NHL-leading Nashville Predators with a 5-2 win on Thursday night.Brian Strait, John Tavares and Johnny Boychuk scored in...