NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

Kessel to play in Boston
TSN.ca Staff
8/17/2006 1:18:39 PM

Phil Kessel has signed a multi-year contract with the Boston Bruins, according to the official Boston Bruins website. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 18 year-old Kessel, Boston's fifth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, played one season for the University of Minnesota, before opting to turn pro. Kessel's U of M career was topped off by his WCHA rookie of the year win, with 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points in 34 games in his only season of university hockey.

A native of Madison Wisconson, the 6 ft 190 lb Kessel was a stand-out in the US National Developmental program, leading all scorers in the 2006 World Cup Tournament with 11 points.

"Phil is a player with world-class speed and gifted offensive talents," said Chiarelli. "We feel he is ready to begin his professional development and we are looking forward to seeing him compete at training camp.”
 

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Canucks re-sign D Bieksa, RW Bouck
Sports Ticker
8/17/2006 1:39:19 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker)- The Vancouver Canucks on Thursday re-signed defenseman Kevin Bieksa and right wing Tyler Bouck.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Bieksa, 25, played in 39 games as a rookie last season, recording six assists and 77 penalty minutes. After being recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League last December 19, Bieksa averaged more than 16 minutes per game.

Bouck, 26, played in 12 games with the Canucks last season and recorded one goal and one assist.

The Canucks acquired Bouck from Phoenix in December 2001. He has four goals and eight assists in 85 career NHL games.
 

Flames re-sign Matthew Lombardi
TSN.ca Staff
8/17/2006 3:58:05 PM

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Matthew Lombardi.

Lombardi scored six goals and 20 assists in 55 games with the Flames last year. He also chipped in a pair of assists in seven playoff games against the Mighty Ducks.

In 134 career NHL games, the 24-year-old centre has totals of 22 goals, 33 assists and 80 penalty minutes.

Lombardi was drafted by the Flames in the third round (90th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
 

Malkin now in Los Angeles
TSN.ca Staff
8/17/2006 4:28:38 PM

Evgeni Malkin is in Los Angeles with his agents JP Barry and Pat Brisson.

Malkin is seeking counsel to determine how he can join the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"It's been a difficult week", Barry told TSN.

Barry has been with Malkin since the pair connected at an airport in Helsinki, Finland on Saturday, at which point they went into lockdown in a nearby apartment to await Malkin's visa clearance.

The 20-year-old requested Barry meet him in Helsinki because he knew this would be his first opportunity to control his own passport. Upon receiving the passport in the airport Malkin quickly slipped away from his team, found Barry and was whisked into hiding.

"Magnitogorsk controlled Evgeni's passport and this was his first opportunity he could obtain his passport and leave the team," Barry added.

All of the secrecy was necessary to ensure Magnitogorsk officials wouldn't track Malkin down while he waited for the U.S. embassy in Helsinki to process an American visa.

That visa arrived midday on Wednesday and within two hours Malkin and Barry boarded an airplane bound for the United States.

CAA sports filed a two-week notification to terminate Malkin's contract with Magnitogorsk on Sunday. In early July a similar notice was served in an effort to break away from his original agreement.

It is not certain what the next step in this process will be, including Malkin's immediate status with the Penguins.

A team of lawyers will soon be brought on board to determine a direction.

What is known is that Evgeni Malkin is healthy and very eager to put the politics of this saga behind him.

Malkin is currently working out with a number of pro hockey players at the Kings' practice facility in Los Angeles.

Vyacheslav Bykov, Russia's national head coach, hopes Malkin will still play for his country.

''As a national team head coach I would like to count on him, and I was sure about his participation in the next year's World Championship,'' Bykov told Sport Express.

''I think he is a strong player and he has all the chances to join the team,'' Bykov added.
 

Ducks ship Vishnevski to Thrashers
TSN.ca Staff
8/17/2006 6:59:22 PM

The Anaheim Ducks have dealt defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski to the Atlanta Thrashers for forward Karl Stewart, a 2007 second round draft pick and a conditional draft pick.

Vishnevski played all 82 games with the Ducks last year, recording one goal, seven assists and 91 penalty minutes. In 416 career NHL games he has totals of 11 goals, 37 assists and 403 penalty minutes.

Stewart spent last season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. He tallied 22 goals, 18 assists and 184 penalty minutes in 71 games.
 

Tarnstrom leaves Oilers for Swiss League
TSN.ca Staff
8/18/2006 10:23:13 AM

The Edmonton Oilers have lost another defenceman from last season's squad, with Dick Tarnstrom following Chris Pronger and Jaroslav Spacek out the door.

The Edmonton Journal reports that Tarnstrom, who was an unrestricted free agent, has signed with Lugano of the Swiss Elite League.

Tarnstrom was acquired by Edmonton in a january trade with Pittsburgh that saw the Penguins get Cory Cross and Jani Rita. He was a disappointment down the stretch, scoring four points in 22 games.

According to the Journal, the Oilers had not spoken to Tarnstrom's agent in over a month, and other NHL clubs were not offering the money he wanted.

The Oilers are not worried about an apparent lack of depth on the blue-line.

"But that's why we got (Ladislav) Smid and (Jan) Hejda," Oilers assistant general manager Scott Howson told the Journal. "And that's why we signed (Peter) Sykora, because he can help our power play on the point."

Howson also confirmed for the Journal that the Oilers have recently inquired about free-agent defenceman Brian Leetch, who remains a friend of former teammate and current Oilers GM Kevin Lowe.

"We did talk to his agent, Jay Grossman, in early July and we've done so in the last few days, too, to see if there's any interest there," Howson told the Journal, while noting that a deal with Leetch is not on the horizon.
 

Canucks sign free agent D Fitzpatrick
TSN.ca Staff
8/18/2006 2:22:34 PM

The Vancouver Canucks addressed a lack of depth on defence by signing free agent Rory Fitzpatrick on Friday.

Fitzpatrick, 31, played 56 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season recording nine points (4-5-9) and 50 penalty minutes. During Buffalo's playoff run to the Eastern Conference Final this past spring, Fitzpatrick recorded four assists and 16 penalty minutes in 11 games.

In 210 career NHL games with four different teams (Montreal, St. Louis, Nashville, Buffalo), Fitzpatrick has 27 points (9-18-27) and 144 penalty minutes. He has played in 17 NHL Playoff games, recording six points (1-5-6) and 16 penalty minutes.

The 6'2”, 210 lbs, native of Rochester, New York was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 47th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
 

Hurricanes' Stillman out 3-4 months
Sports Ticker
8/18/2006 2:29:48 PM

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) - The Carolina Hurricanes will begin defense of their Stanley Cup title without their second-leading scorer.

Left wing Cory Stillman underwent surgery on his right shoulder Friday morning and is expected to be sidelined three to four months.

The Hurricanes are hoping Stillman can return by late November.

When the Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals last June, Stillman became the sixth player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons with two different teams. He was with the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won their first championship in 2003-04.

Signed by the Hurricanes last August, Stillman, 32, tied for second on the team in scoring with 76 points (21 goals, 55 assists) despite missing 10 games due to injuries. Justin Williams also had 76 points and Eric Staal led the Hurricanes
with 100 points.

Stillman was a force in the playoffs, ranking second in the league with 26 points, including nine goals, as Carolina won the first championship in its history.

The Hurricanes will raise their championship banner on October 4 in the season opener against Buffalo.
 

Blues bring Rivers back on board
TSN.ca Staff
8/18/2006 2:42:55 PM

The St. Louis Blues signed free agent defenceman Jamie Rivers on Friday.

"We signed a veteran NHL defenseman who will add depth to our defensive corps," said president John Davidson. "Jamie is a quality defenseman who is familiar with our organization and we are excited to have him back in St. Louis."

Rivers, 31, can also play forward, but is expected to see most of his time on the blue-line.

He is entering his second stint with the Blues after playing in 153 games for St. Louis from 1995-1999. He split last season with the Detroit Red Wings and the Phoenix Coyotes, recording six assists.

Rivers has appeared in 423 career NHL games, with St. Louis, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Boston, Florida, Detroit and Phoenix, registering 62 points (16 goals, 46 assists).

The 6-0, 190-pound defenseman was originally St. Louis' third round selection, 63rd overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
 

Pens sign Penner
TSN.ca Staff
8/18/2006 2:54:46 PM

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed free agent goaltender Andrew Penner. He played in 40 games for the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League last season, posting a 20-12-1 record with a 3.25 goals-against average and one shutout.

Penner, a Scarborough ON native, split his minor hockey career between North Bay and Guelph before signing as a free agent in 2001 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
 

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