NHL

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The NHL is officially exploring expansion.Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday that the league is opening an expansion review process to consider whether to add new franchises to its 30-team league. Bettman cited Las Vegas, Seattle and Quebec City as the markets that have expressed the...

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Ducks general manager Bob Murray thinks forward Matt Beleskey is probably on his way out of Anaheim.After the NHL general managers' meeting in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Murray said Beleskey's camp recently rejected the Ducks' latest contract offer ''immediately.'' After scoring a career-best 22 goals,...

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Sabres are all but certain to select Boston University center Jack Eichel with the second overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft.''I figured you guys knew that, so I wondered why I had to come here,'' Buffalo general manager Tim Murray joked last...

TORONTO (AP) - The World Cup will be a whole new experience for Hockey Canada.Doug Armstrong was selected as general manager of Team Canada on Monday and he said that there are advantages and challenges to the eight-team event that will be held in Toronto Sept. 17 to Oct....

LAS VEGAS (AP) - With talk of expansion to Las Vegas percolating, the city welcomes the NHL this week for another awards show while general managers and the board of governors set the league's short- and long-term future.This is the first time the general managers are meeting in Las...

June 24 - NHL Awards, Las Vegas.June 26-27 - NHL draft, Sunrise, Fla.July 1 - Free agency begins.

CHICAGO (AP) - Federal authorities say they seized counterfeit NHL merchandise worth an estimated $180,000 in the days surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victory.The operation was handled by the Homeland Security Investigations unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It focused on catching illegal vendors near the Blackhawks'...

CALGARY (AP) - Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund has been signed to a multiyear contract.Terms of the deal announced Saturday were not disclosed.Backlund scored 10 goals and 27 points in 52 regular-season games last season after missing 30 games because of injury.In 11 playoff contests, the 26-year-old native of...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A woman accusing Nashville Predators center Mike Ribeiro of sexually assaulting her has provided more details in an amended complaint.The complaint filed Thursday in the Eastern District of the U.S. District Court in Texas says the then-18-year-old woman was asked to help the Ribeiro family...

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The New Jersey Devils have retained Chris Terreri as their goaltending coach.General manager Ray Shero made the announcement Friday in completing John Hynes' staff.The Devils hired Geoff Ward and Alain Nasreddine as assistant coaches earlier this week.The 50-year-old Terreri has served as goaltending coach since...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Wild have placed veteran left wing Matt Cooke on waivers, for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release.The Wild announced Thursday they will buy out the final season of Cooke's contract, provided his clearance through waivers. He will become an unrestricted...

10:05 a.m. CDTIllinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is at the United Center wearing a Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews (tayvz) black replica jersey.Rauner told reporters it's a ''great day for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.'' The governor said Thursday that the parade and rally at Soldier Field...