NHL

Jets sign faceoff specialist Matt Hendricks to 1-year dealWINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) The Winnipeg Jets signed center Matt Hendricks to a one-year, $700,000 contract Saturday.The 36-year-old former St. Cloud State player spent the last four seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, finishing with four goals and three assists in 42...

Maple Leafs sign Connor Brown to 3-year extensionTORONTO (AP) The Toronto Maple Leafs signed restricted free-agent forward Connor Brown to a three-year contract extension Saturday.The deal has an average annual value of $2.1 million per season.The 23-year-old right winger had 20 goals and 16 assists in 82 regular-season...

Devils sign Stafford to $800,000, 1-year dealNEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have signed veteran winger Drew Stafford to a one-year deal worth $800,000.General manager Ray Shero announced the contract Friday, less than a month before the start of training camp.Stafford, 31, had eight goals and 13...

Avalanche sign forward Alexander Kerfoot to 2-year dealDENVER (AP) The Colorado Avalanche agreed to a two-year, entry-level deal with Alexander Kerfoot after the forward became a college free agent earlier this month.Kerfoot was originally taken by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of the 2012 draft....

AP Sports WriterD Francois Beauchemin returns to Anaheim Ducks for 3rd timeBy GREG BEACHAMANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Francois Beauchemin keeps coming back to the Anaheim Ducks, and his third stint probably will be the final NHL season.The veteran defenseman agreed to an incentive-laden one-year contract Monday to return to...

D Francois Beauchemin returns to Anaheim Ducks for 3rd timeANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Defenseman Francois Beauchemin has returned to the Anaheim Ducks for a third stint, agreeing to a one-year contract.The Ducks announced the deal Monday.Beauchemin won the Stanley Cup in 2007 during his first tenure with Anaheim from...

Sabres sign Zemgus Girgensons to 2-year dealBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a two-year contract.The team announced the deal Thursday that carries an average value of $1.6 million.Girgensons, from Latvia, is the last of the Sabres' restricted free agents to sign with...

Devils C Zajac out 4-to-6 months with pectoral injuryNEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have lost top center Travis Zajac for four to six months with a pectoral injury.Devils executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero announced that Zajac had surgery to repair the pectoral muscle...

Oilers sign center Leon Draisaitl to 8-year extensionEDMONTON, Alberta (AP) The Edmonton Oilers have signed center Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.5 million.The extension runs through the 2024-25 season, similar to the eight-year, $100-million extension superstar captain Connor McDavid signed...

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 WriterButcher has talks with 5 NHL teams since becoming free agentBy JOHN WAWROWDefenseman Will Butcher is attracting plenty of interest on his first day as an NHL free agent since college hockey's top player turned down an opportunity to sign with the Colorado Avalanche.The former University of...

AP Hockey WriterButcher an NHL free agent after not signing with AvalancheBy JOHN WAWROWCollege hockey's top player is an NHL free agent after former University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher allowed a deadline to pass without signing with the Colorado Avalanche.The Avalanche selected Butcher in the fifth round of...