NHL

Wereknski a key to Blue Jackets and not just the blue lineBy The Associated PressCOLUMBUS BLUE JACKETSLAST SEASON: 50-24-8, third in Metropolitan Division. Eliminated by Pittsburgh in first round of playoffs.COACH: John Tortorella, third year, 84-57-16.ADDED: LW Artemi Panarin.LOST: C William Karlsson, C Sam Gagner, LW Scott Hartnell, LW...

AP Sports WriterNashville wants better playoff seed this year for Cup chaseBy TERESA M. WALKERNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Nashville Predators believe they learned a couple of important lessons in reaching the first Stanley Cup final in the franchise's history.Play at home as much as possible.As the second wild-card...

AP Sports WriterNo. 2 pick Patrick key in uncertain Flyers' futureBy DAN GELSTONPHILADELPHIA (AP) The Philadelphia Flyers bet their future on Nolan Patrick.But for the present, Philadelphia is a team unsure of its identity: Does it believe it can get one more playoff push out of stalwarts Claude...

AP Sports WriterPanthers starting over with new coach and new top lineBy TIM REYNOLDSSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Florida general manager Dale Tallon has selective amnesia. To him, how things went for the Panthers last season is no longer worth talking about or even remembering.It's another restart for Florida.With a...

AP Hockey WriterCapitals need to 'step up' to remain Stanley Cup contendersBy STEPHEN WHYNOARLINGTON, Va. (AP) Facing some salary-cap math that wasn't pretty, the Washington Capitals took a beating in the offseason with the loss of several significant contributors.Now they go about the unenviable task of trying to...

Ex-enforcer Laraque embarrassed Pens going to White HouseMONTREAL (AP) Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque says it is ''an embarrassment'' that the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins are willing to visit President Donald Trump at the White House.Laraque, who was a black player in a predominantly white league, told...

AP Hockey WriterNHL '17: Penguins, Capitals losses make East wide openBy STEPHEN WHYNOA handful of Pittsburgh Penguins players whose names are on the Stanley Cup, some of them twice or even three times, are gone.The same goes for core players from the back-to-back Presidents' Trophy winning Washington Capitals.The goliaths...

AP Hockey WriterNHL '17: Penguins, Capitals losses make East wide openBy STEPHEN WHYNOA handful of Pittsburgh Penguins players whose names are on the Stanley Cup, some of them twice or even three times, are gone.The same goes for core players from the back-to-back Presidents' Trophy winning Washington Capitals.The goliaths...

AP Hockey WriterSticks and slashes break bones, so NHL aims for less painBy STEPHEN WHYNOWhen slash after slash broke one of Johnny Gaudreau's fingers, he called it part of the game.The Calgary Flames winger known as ''Johnny Hockey'' is one of the NHL's most marketable players, so broken bones...

AP Hockey WriterDetroit's new arena hosts Red Wings game for the 1st timeBy LARRY LAGEDetroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard crouched in net and gazed up at the largest videoboard in the NHL.''I caught myself a couple of times, especially in the first and halfway through the third, watching...

Associated PressStanley Cup champion Penguins accept White House invitationBy DAN SCIFOCRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) Sidney Crosby is backing the Pittsburgh Penguins' decision to accept a White House invitation from President Donald Trump.The reigning two-time Stanley Cup champions announced their decision Sunday morning.''I support it,'' Crosby said after the...

Assist added to Rocket Richard's total in 1945-46 seasonMONTREAL (AP) Montreal Canadiens great Maurice ''Rocket'' Richard is getting an assist added to his career totals.Six years of poring over scoresheets and summaries of games between 1917 and 1987 by an NHL statistics team has found and fixed more...