NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

Devils sign UFA forward LaCouture
TSN.ca Staff
10/5/2006 3:28:09 PM

The New Jersey Devils signed unrestricted free agent forward Dan LaCouture on Wednesday and assigned goaltender Frank Doyle and defenceman Tomas Harant to Lowell in the AHL, trimming the Devils' roster to 21.

LaCouture, 29, had been invited to training camp on a tryout basis after splitting the 2005-06 season between Davos, Switzerland, and Boston.

Drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round (29th overall) in the 1996 Entry Draft, LaCouture spent time with Edmonton, Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers and the Bruins.

Last season, LaCouture recorded two goals and two assits with a minus-6 rating in 55 games in Boston.
 

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Devils name Elias captain
Canadian Press
10/5/2006 5:32:54 PM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CP) - Patrik Elias became the seventh captain in the history of the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

Scott Niedermayer last wore the 'C' in New Jersey in 2003-04, taking over temporarily from Scott Stevens after the former star defenceman missed the rest of that season with a concussion.

Stevens, who was captain for 13 years, never returned and instead retired last September. The Devils went without a captain last season.

Elias, who signed a US$42-million, seven-year deal to stay in New Jersey in the off-season, has played his entire 10-year NHL career with the Devils.

The Czech native had 16 goals and 29 assists in 38 games last season. He missed the first half of the season while recovering from hepatitis, which he contracted while playing in Russia during the lockout season of 2004-05.
 

Stars assign Eriksson and Polak to Iowa
Associated Press
10/5/2006 5:53:25 PM

DALLAS (AP) - Loui Eriksson was sent back to the minors a day after scoring a goal in his NHL debut for the Dallas Stars.

Eriksson and fellow left wing Vojtech Polak were assigned Thursday to Iowa of the American Hockey League.

Eriksson scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday night in a 3-2 overtime victory at Colorado. He became the third player since the team moved to Dallas in 1993 to score in his first NHL game, joining Mike Kennedy and Jarkko Varvio.

Polak was activated from the injured reserve list to be sent to Iowa. He had a mild concussion during training camp and didn't play in the pre-season.
 

Jaromir Jagr named Rangers' captain
TSN.ca Staff
10/5/2006 8:04:44 PM

Jaromir Jagr has been named captain of the New York Rangers.

''Jaromir Jagr has all of the qualities and characteristics that great leaders possess,'' said Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. ''His incomparable ability on the ice, incredible locker room presence and courage are the reasons he is so deserving of this honor.''

The 34-year-old Jagr is entering his 16th NHL season and third with the Rangers. He was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins as their first round choice, fifth overall, in the 1990 NHL Entry draft.

Jagr is a nine-time All-Star and three-time Lester B. Pearson Award winner (1999, 2000 and 2006). In 2005-06, he registered 54 goals and 69 assists for 123 points, establishing new Ranger records for goals and points in a season.

A winner of two Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992, Jagr currently ranks 13th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,432 points and is second among active goal scoring leaders with 591.

Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka have been named assistant captains of the team.
 

Red Wings name Lidstrom captain
TSN.ca Staff
10/5/2006 8:22:45 PM

Defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom has been named captain of the Detroit Red Wings.

Lidstrom takes over for Steve Yzerman, who wore the 'C' for the past 19 seasons before retiring in July.

The Red Wings introduced their new captain in a pre-game ceremony before they took on the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Lidstrom has spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings and is the team's longest serving player. He won his fourth Norris Trophy in the past five seasons in June and led all NHL defenseman last season with 64 assists and 80 points. Both are team records for a defenceman.

Chris Draper and Henrik Zetterberg were named alternate captains.

''In prior years everyone would obviously look to Stevie,'' Draper said. ''I think the biggest difference for Nick this year is that when there is a little adversity, when things aren't going that well for our hockey club, Nick is going to have to say some things. I think with Nick being around Stevie for as long as they have, I think that Nick realizes when he has to say something.''
 

Sharks put Schaefer on waivers
Associated Press
10/5/2006 11:49:54 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The San Jose Sharks were unable to settle on a No. 1 goalie before the regular season began, and now they might lose their third-best netminder as a result.

Nolan Schaefer said he was placed on waivers Thursday after signing a one-year contract with the Sharks, who had hoped to trade Evgeni Nabokov or Vesa Toskala before their opener against the St. Louis Blues.

Instead, both Nabokov and Toskala were still in uniform - and Schaefer, who had hoped to be the Sharks' backup goalie this season, was in the Shark Tank press box wondering whether he was enjoying his last night in San Jose.

Any team could claim Schaefer, who won his first five starts for San Jose last season in limited duty, before Friday morning. If nobody picks him up, Schaefer would be assigned to the Sharks' top minor-league affiliate in Worcester - but that seems unlikely.

"I really don't know what's going to happen now," said Schaefer, who spent the last three seasons in the minors. "Players don't find out until the morning (after going on waivers), so I don't know."

The Sharks didn't officially announce putting Schaefer on waivers, and general manager Doug Wilson couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

San Jose's excellent work in developing goaltenders again has produced a glut at the NHL level. Nabokov, their starter since the 2000-01 season who fought off a challenge from Miikka Kiprusoff three years ago, lost his job down the stretch last spring to Toskala, his longtime backup.

Toskala led the Sharks to the Western Conference's fifth-best record and a trip to the Western Conference semifinals with two months of stellar play, including seven straight victories to close the regular season. The Sharks earned a point in 27 of his final 29 starts.

Both goalies signed contract extensions in February, shortly before Toskala took over. Nabokov will make US$5 million this season, while Toskala is due just $1.375 million.

Early in the summer, Wilson said he didn't expect both veterans to be with the club next season - but the Sharks couldn't find a suitable trade for either goalie during the summer and training camp.

San Jose was able to postpone its decision because Schaefer was an unsigned, restricted free agent during training camp.

Toskala, who outplayed Nabokov in the pre-season, started in goal against the Blues, while Nabokov is expected to play against the New York Islanders on Saturday night. Coach Ron Wilson has said he hopes one goalie will earn the starting job soon, but doesn't mind rotating both goalies.
 

Colaiacovo working to get back to Leafs
Darren Dreger, TSN.ca
10/6/2006 9:49:59 AM

Although placed on long term injury, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo is eagerly working to get back to playing condition.

Colaiacovo intends to recreate the training camp he missed due to injury by skating with the AHL's Toronto Marlies in what is described as an "aggressive and rigorous" conditioning schedule.

Because of his LTI status, Colaicovo is not eligible to return to the Maple Leafs roster until October 28th and that's assuming the migraine-like symptoms that plagued him in September do not resurface as a result of the high impact training.

If Colaiacovo can survive this impromptu camp without any adverse affects, it's likely he will remain with the Marlies for a couple of games to reassess his level of conditioning before rejoining the NHL and the Maple Leafs blueline in early November.
 

Devereaux signs on with Maple Leafs
Darren Dreger - TSN.ca
10/6/2006 10:19:42 AM

Veteran NHL forward Boyd Devereaux has agreed to a one year, two-way contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It is expected the Leafs will place Devereaux on waivers and if he clears, send him to the AHL's Toronto Marlies to add depth for both teams.

The 28-year-old native of Seaforth, Ontario competed for a spot with Detroit in training camp, but had an arrangement there that required he stick with the Red Wings or be released.

He also considered two major offers from Swiss Elite league teams before agreeing to a contract with the Maple Leafs that will pay him $450,000 if he makes his way back to the NHL or $95,000 if he remains in the AHL.

Devereaux has played in 509 NHL games with Phoenix, Detroit and Edmonton and has scored 46 career goals while adding 85 assists.
 

Report: NHL players to pay 10% in escrow
Canadian Press
10/6/2006 3:39:59 PM

TORONTO (CP) - NHL players won't have to dig as deep into their pockets to start the season as first believed.

Starting this month, players will give up 10 per cent of their paycheques, the money going into an escrow fund that was established under the new collective bargaining agreement to ensure owners wouldn't have to give up more than 54 per cent of their revenues in player salaries.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association signed off on the number Friday, sources told The Canadian Press, and will monitor revenues throughout the season to see if it needs to be adjusted. It was originally believed the payments would begin at 12 or 14 per cent.

The final tally will be figured out next summer.

Last season escrow payments on player paycheques began at 12 per cent before dropping to four per cent in January when both the union and league agreed revenues would surpass initial projections.

It turned out that the players were the ones owed, not the owners, when the final revenue figures came in this summer. Later this month, the league's 700 players will receive cheques for their full escrow payments from last season, plus interest, as well as additional "shortfall" payments of 4.5 per cent.

How much a player receives depends on his salary. A US$1-million player will get $125,700 and will have received, in total, 104.64 per cent of his 2005-06 salary.

League revenues totalled $2.178 billion last season, well up from the projected $1.8 billion.

Because it's nearly impossible to predict league revenues in advance, either the players or the owners will have to pay up at the end of each season depending on which side of the 54 per cent the numbers end up.
 

Malkin to be re-evaluated in two weeks
Sports Ticker
10/6/2006 5:02:12 PM

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - Evgeni Malkin's NHL debut still is on hold.

The Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday announced the 20-year-old centre is continuing to rehabilitate his left shoulder and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Selected second overall in the 2004 draft, Malkin dislocated the shoulder in his first preseason game on September 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Russian recorded an assist in the first period of the contest but collided with teammate John LeClair early in the second, causing him to soar through the air and land awkwardly on the ice.

The injury did not require surgery, but it is unknown when Malkin's first regular-season appearance with the Penguins will take place.

A member of Russia's Olympic team at the Torino Games this past February, Malkin created controversy over the summer when he deserted his Russian League team in order to pursue a career in the NHL. In three seasons with Magnitogorsk Metallurg, Malkin recorded 36 goals and 55 assists in 132 games.
 

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