NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

Blackhawks sign Vandermeer, Bochenski
Sports Ticker
8/1/2006 11:41:27 AM

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Blackhawks re-signed Jim Vandermeer to a one-year contract on Monday, four days after the defenseman had an arbitration hearing.

The 26-year-old recently completed his third NHL season and first full campaign with the Blackhawks, setting career highs in games played (76), goals (6), assists (18), points (24) and penalty minutes (116).

The Blackhawks had acquired Vandermeer with Colin Fraser and a second-round draft pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for Alex Zhamnov and a fourth-round selection in February 2004.

In 146 games with the Flyers and Blackhawks, Vandermeer has recorded 13 goals and 31 assists with 226 penalty minutes.

Also Tuesday, the Blackhawks re-signed right wings Brandon Bochenski and Matt Keith and center Craig MacDonald to one-year deals.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Rangers re-sign defenceman Rozsival
Sports Ticker
8/1/2006 12:49:04 PM

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The New York Rangers finally got around to taking care of defenseman Michal Rozsival.

After a season in which he tied for the league lead in plus-minus rating, Rozsival agreed to terms with the Rangers on Tuesday.

Terms were not disclosed.

Rozsival, 27, superseded expectations with a plus-35 rating to go with five goals and 25 assists in his first season with the Rangers. He played in all 82 games, led the team in average ice time at nearly 27 1/2 minutes per game and was third on the club in blocked shots with 118.

Yet the Rangers waited until August to agree to terms with the restricted free agent.

Before locking up Rozsival, the Rangers signed a pair of free agent defensemen - Aaron Ward from the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and Karel Rachunek - and lost defenseman Tom Poti, who signed with the New York Islanders. Ward received a two-year deal worth $5.5 million and Rachunek signed a one-year deal worth $1.8 million.

A fourth-round pick of Pittsburgh in 1996, Rozsival played in 237 career games with the Penguins before signing a one-year deal with the Rangers last September.

In 2001-02, the Czech led all Penguin defensemen with nine goals and 20 assists. However, Rozsival missed the entire 2003-04 season due to a knee injury suffered in training camp.

During the NHL lockout in 2004-05, Rozsival registered two goals and 13 assists in 51 games with HC Ocelari Trinec and HC Moeller Pardubice of the Czech Republic Extraleague.
 

Predators sign Hartnell to one-year deal
Canadian Press
8/1/2006 3:43:51 PM

The Nashville Predators avoided arbitration with forward Scott Hartnell on Tuesday, signing him to a $1.75 million, one-year contract.

The 24-year-old was third on the Predators with 25 goals last season, which included eight game-winners. Hartnell also had a career-high 48 points while earning $1 million.

A first-round pick in 2000 by Nashville, Hartnell has 71 goals and 101 assists for 172 points.
 

From Sportsnet.ca!

Hockey Hearsay
August 01, 2006

Not 'Russian' to a decision
Evgeni Malkin's future in the NHL is still up in the air as the Russian Hockey federation drags its feet on finishing paperwork on tranfer agreements.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the NHL-imposed deadline of July 31 for the Russians to fall in line with the NHL-IIHF agreement came and went without any progress, leaving Malkin's future in the NHL in doubt.

"It’s really out of our hands,” Penguins GM Ray Shero told the Gazette. “We just get the news as we get it, and until then we keep our fingers crossed.

“But let’s put it this way: I’m not going out and getting a centericeman because I’m counting on having Malkin.”

At contention is the flat $200,000 transfer agreement when international teams lose players to the NHL. Officials with the Russian Super League expressed dissatisfaction with this agreement, believing they should be able to negotiate their own transfer fees.
 
Last edited:

Bound for Europe
HockeyTradeRumors.com
August 1st, 2006

Here is a list of players who have signed in Europe, so far:

- Aki Berg (Toronto) signs with TPS Turku in Finland

- Peter Sarno (AHL) signs with HC Fribourg-Gottéron in Switzerland

- Jan Hlavac (Switzerland) signs with HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Republic

- Craig Anderson (Florida) signs with Lada Togliatti in Russia

- Chris Kelleher (AHL) signs with Linköpings HC in Sweden

- Lance Ward (AHL) signs with HV 71 in Sweden

- Niklas Sundström (Montreal) signs with Modo in Sweden

- Jason Marshall (Anaheim) signs with Kölner Haie in Germany

- Mariusz Czerkawski (Boston) signs with EV Zug in Switzerland

- Brandon Nolan (AHL) signs with Växjö Lakers in Sweden

- Travis Brigley (AHL) signs with Augsburger Panther in Germany

- Mikhail Yakubov (Florida) signs with Severstal Cherepovets in Russia

- Sven Butenschön (AHL) signs with Adler Mannheim in Germany

- Eric Nickulas (AHL) signs with Hannover Scorpions in Germany

- Nathan Robinson (AHL) signs with Adler Mannheim in Germany

- Jozef Balej (AHL) signs with HC Fribourg-Gottéron

- Andy Chiodo (AHL) signs with Kärpät Oulu

- Cory Cross (Detroit) signs with Hamburg Freezers

- Mariusz Czerkawski (Boston) signs with Rapperswil-Jona Lakers

- Fedor Fedorov (NY Rangers) signs with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

- Zenon Konopka (Anaheim) signs with Lada Togliatti

- Ahren Nittel (AHL) signs with HC Davos

- Pavel Vorobiev (Chicago) signs with Khimik Mytischy
 
Last edited:

The above list of free agent signings in Europe is by no means complete. It simply lists some of the more notable players that have chosen not to sign, for less, in the NHL this year. More and more NHL players are choosing to play in other leagues, around the world including not only the European leagues, but Japan as well.

Just on Monday, these players have signed contracts to play for European clubs...

- Jiri Slegr signed with the HC Chemopetrol Litvinov of the Czech Extraleague.

- Michael Pudlick signed with the EHC Wolfsburg (Germany).

- David Oliver signed with the Rogle BK (Sweden-2).

- Marek Horsky signed with HC Dukla Jihlava (Czech Republic).

- Michael Henrich signed with the EHC Wolfsburg (Germany).

- Serge Aubin signed with the HC Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League.

And while these players are now signed in Europe, their free agency status, for the NHL, remains the same. And in a lot of these cases, the player's contract will have an out if an NHL team offers them a contract before the start of the regular season.

Anyway, just FYI...

KF72
 

Sabres ink Afinogenov, avoid arbitration
TSN.ca Staff
8/1/2006 5:39:06 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have agreed to terms on a multi-year deal with restricted free agent forward Maxim Afinogenov.

Afinogenov was scheduled for NHL arbitration Thursday, August 3, in Toronto.

Afinogenov, 26, led the Sabres in scoring last season with 73 points in 77 games, posting career highs in goals (22), assists (51) and points.

Afinogenov was also tops on the Sabres with 19 multi-point games. His 51 assists were the most in one season by a Sabres player since Pat LaFontaine had 51 in 1995-96.

"Max is one of the most exciting players in the NHL," said Regier. "We look forward to keeping him in Buffalo for years to come."

The 6 foot, 190 lb.-Afinogenov also picked up eight points (3+5) in 18 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Afinogenov was Buffalo's 3rd choice (69th overall) in the 1997 Entry Draft. He has scored 225 points (95+130) in 409 career games.
 

Penguins re-sign Moore to two-year deal
Sports Ticker
8/1/2006 5:50:46 PM

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - The Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday avoided salary arbitration with Dominic Moore, re-signing the center to a two-year contract.

Financial terms were not disclosed for Moore, whose arbitration hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.

It has been a busy offseason for Moore, who was traded by the New York Rangers to Nashville on July 19, then sent to Pittsburgh along with left wing Libor Pivko for a 2007 third-round pick the same day.

In 82 games with the Rangers last season, the 25-year-old Moore registered nine goals and nine assists. He has nine goals and 12 assists in 87 career games.
 

Rangers ink Hall to deal
TheFourthPeriod.com
July 30, 2006

The New York Rangers have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent Adam Hall, signing the right-winger to a one-year, $975,000 contract, TFP has learned.

Hall, a native of Kalamazoo, MI, came to the Rangers from Nashville in a three-way trade on July 19.

The 25-year-old registered 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points, with 40 penalty minutes in 75 games with the Predators last season.

Hall has played in 234 career NHL games with Nashville and has accumulated 43 goals, 42 assists and 108 penalty minutes.

He was originally drafted by the Predators in the second-round, 52nd overall, of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
 

Leopold out three months after surgery
Sports Ticker
8/1/2006 6:32:33 PM

DENVER (Ticker) - Jordan Leopold apparently will miss the beginning of the season with his new team.

The Colorado Avalanche announced that the defenseman underwent successful surgery to repair a hernia Tuesday afternoon and will miss up to three months.

"After further medical testing and evaluation, it was determined that rehabilitation alone wouldn't correct the problem," Avalanche trainer Matt Sokolowski said. "We expect him to be back to full speed in 10-12 weeks."

The Avalanche, who open their season against the Dallas Stars on October 4, acquired Leopold, 25, and two draft picks from the Calgary Flames on June 24 for left wing Alex Tanguay.

Leopold had two goals and 18 assists with 68 penalty minutes in 74 games with the Flames this past season, his third in the league. The Minnesota native represented the United States in the Winter Olympics in Torino this past February and also played for his country at the World Championship in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

A second-round pick of Anaheim in 1999, Leopold won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top college player while with the University of Minnesota in 2001-02.
 

Remove ads

Top