NHL

Maple Leafs appoint Kyle Dubas as new general managerToronto (AP) The Toronto Maple Leafs stayed in-house for their new general manager, choosing Kyle Dubas on Friday.Dubas joined the team as assistant GM in July 2014. The 32-year-old Dubas is an advocate of analytics and succeeds 75-year-old Lou Lamoriello.Lamoriello...

AP Hockey WriterNHL makes history with new blood in conference finalsBy STEPHEN WHYNOHistory is being made again in the Stanley Cup playoffs.On the heels of the first back-to-back champions in two decades, the NHL will get a new champion in the salary-cap era that began in 2005. Among the...

AP Sports Writer'Saucer-eyed': Caps, others count on rookies in NHL playoffsBy HOWARD FENDRICHARLINGTON, Va. (AP) The Washington Capitals have never used more rookies during a single postseason than the half-dozen who helped Alex Ovechkin and Co. reach the Eastern Conference final.They're contributing in various ways, including with secondary...

AP Sports Writer'Saucer-eyed': Caps, others count on rookies in NHL playoffsBy HOWARD FENDRICHARLINGTON, Va. (AP) The Washington Capitals have never used more rookies during a single postseason than the half-dozen who helped Alex Ovechkin and Co. reach the Eastern Conference final.They're contributing in various ways, including with secondary...

AP Sports WriterJets face quick turnaround to host Vegas in Western finalsBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Winnipeg Jets only got a few hours to celebrate the biggest victory in franchise history.The Jets finished off the Presidents' Trophy-winning Nashville Predators 5-1 in Game 7 of their second-round...

Predators' Fisher out for Game 7 against Jets with injuryNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Mike Fisher won't play for the Predators in Game 7 against the Winnipeg Jets because of a lower-body injury.The team announced Fisher's absence Thursday about three hours before puck drop of the deciding game in the...

Avalanche sign defenseman Mark Alt to a 2-year dealDENVER (AP) The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Mark Alt to a two-year deal.The team claimed the 26-year-old off waivers from Philadelphia on Feb. 26. He played in seven games for Colorado during the regular season but didn't play in...

AP Sports WriterPreds, Jets lean heavily on Rinne, Hellebuyck in Game 7By TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has years of postseason experience, including a couple Game 7s and a Stanley Cup Final.Connor Hellebuyck has the Winnipeg Jets on the verge of their first Western...

AP Sports WriterKucherov relishes chance to face Ovechkin in East FinalBy FRED GOODALLTAMPA, Fla. (AP) Like many young Russian hockey players, Nikita Kucherov grew up following Alex Ovechkin's career, hoping to someday become a prolific scorer and maybe even compete against his countryman in the Stanley Cup playoffs.The...

AP Hockey WriterNHL teams thinking outside the box to find coachesBy STEPHEN WHYNOJim Nill could have picked anyone from an extensive list of experienced out-of-work NHL coaches to fill the Dallas Stars' vacancy.Darryl Sutter has won the Stanley Cup twice, Dan Bylsma once, Alain Vigneault has made the Final...

AP Hockey Writer'Flower' blossoms: Fleury back to being great playoff goalieBy STEPHEN WHYNOAnyone who has played with Marc-Andre Fleury can tell he's dialed in by watching his mannerisms.Last year, he rubbed the shaft of his stick after making a save with it on Alex Ovechkin. This year, he continued...

AP Hockey WriterWinning in Winnipeg: Jets fans unleash their supportBy JOHN WAWROWEd Olczyk takes one look at the white-out-wearing crowds of Jets fans packing Winnipeg's arena and surrounding streets and is reassured about what he always knew of the Canadian prairie city, even during its bleakest days.Winnipeg was...