NHL

AP Hockey WriterNHL free agency: Center market deep from Tavares and beyondBy STEPHEN WHYNONHL teams seeking a center are in luck, especially the ones that can get an audience with John Tavares.It's no secret that Tavares is where free agency begins. He and his representatives have already met with...

Hurricanes place Jordan Staal on IR with concussionRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Hurricanes have placed forward Jordan Staal on injured reserve with a concussion.General manager Don Waddell also announced Wednesday that the team recalled forward Janne Kuokkanen from its AHL affiliate in Charlotte.Staal has missed two games with...

Associated PressRust helps Penguins top Wild 2-1By DAN SCIFOPITTSBURGH (AP) Bryan Rust has no explanation for his career-best scoring run. He just wants to keep playing the same way.Rust scored two more goals to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Thursday night.''Sometimes that's how...

NHL moves up draft to Oct. 6-7, free agency starts Oct. 9EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) The NHL on Friday moved its draft up to Oct. 6-7 and set an Oct. 9 start for free agency.The first round of the draft will be Oct. 6, with the New York Rangers...

Associated PressWagner scores twice as Kings end Jets' win streak, 4-1By DAN GREENSPANLOS ANGELES (AP) Austin Wagner scored twice and the Los Angeles Kings snapped a four-game losing streak Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.Alex Iafallo and Nate Thompson each had a goal and...

AP Hockey WriterBruins, Blues set to clash in bruising Stanley Cup FinalBy STEPHEN WHYNOBOSTON (AP) When the NHL altered its rules with an eye toward speed and skill, this is not the Stanley Cup Final it had in mind.Hockey is becoming less of a big man's game, offense...

Gritty veteran Corey Perry ready to suit up for CanadiensMONTREAL (AP) Corey Perry had to set the record straight.Most hockey resources list his birthplace as Peterborough, Ontario, but the veteran winger actually spent the first 10 years of his life in New Liskeard, a community near the Quebec...

AP Hockey WriterMinnesota's Mittelstadt reaches 3-year contract with SabresBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Sabres have reached an agreement with their top prospect, center Casey Mittelstadt, who is leaving Minnesota following his freshman season.Mittelstadt agreed to a three-year entry level contract Monday and is expected to join...

AP Hockey WriterThe name on the back matters: NHL is now marketing its starsBy STEPHEN WHYNOConnor McDavid is eager to shrug off personal stats, awards and achievements and put the focus on his team in Edmonton.Yet there he is on the cover of a video game or in a...

Stars win Bowness' 1st game as coach, shut out Devils 2-0DALLAS (AP) Rick Bowness had quite a day.Bowness woke up as an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars and finished Tuesday with his first win as an interim head coach in 15 years, hours after coach Jim Montgomery...

Smith and Gaudreau help Flames finally edge Oilers, 1-0CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Mike Smith made 28 saves, Johnny Gaudreau scored in the second period and the Calgary Flames edged the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 on Tuesday night to end a seven-game losing streak against their provincial rival.It was a superb...

Ottawa Senators fire CEO Jim Little after only 2 monthsOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) The Ottawa Senators fired CEO Jim Little on Wednesday less than two months after he took the job, saying his conduct was ''inconsistent'' with the core values of the team and the NHL.The 55-year-old Little said...