10:48 AM ET The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Alexander Edler to a two-year, $12 million contract, general manager Jim Benning announced Thursday. The 33-year-old Edler, who would have become an unrestricted free agent next month, has been a consistent presence on the blue line in Vancouver for his entire 13-year career. He is coming
NHL
10:40 AM ET Associated Press TORONTO — Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews will be on the cover of the EA Sports video game “NHL 20.” The 21-year-old forward was named as the featured player Wednesday night at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Says Matthews: “If you look at the long list of guys who
8:41 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN LAS VEGAS — The NHL being a “copycat league” is as much of an ingrained offseason cliché as “there’s a gentlemen’s agreement not to tender offer sheets.” The assumption goes like this: Teams that thrive in the Stanley Cup playoffs reset the template for how to win in the NHL.
11:34 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN LAS VEGAS — Nine months after Robin Lehner publicly revealed his battle with bipolar disorder and substance abuse, the New York Islanders goalie won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” “I took that first
10:31 PM ET ESPN News Services LAS VEGAS — Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning was awarded the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player, on Wednesday night at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. The Russian right wing won the award for the first time after his prolific 128-point regular season.
10:19 PM ET Who won all of the major hardware for the 2018-19 season? Get the full rundown here: Hart Trophy Awarded to the player judged most valuable to his team: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning 1 Related Given to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice,
5:38 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN LAS VEGAS — The Arizona Coyotes will have a new majority owner in Alex Meruelo, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hopes Meruelo can be the person to find a long-term arena solution and keep the team in Arizona. Meruelo will take over for Josh Barroway, who became the Coyotes’ majority
7:30 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Stan Fischler said he has never seen anything like the Jack Hughes vs. Kaapo Kakko spectacle: two elite prospects, who will be taken first and second in the 2019 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, two storied geographic rivals. “This is a first for me.
12:29 PM ET Corey Perry, once one of the most feared wingers in the league, had the two remaining years of his contract bought out, the team announced. Terms of the buyout were not released. “This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in my 44 years in the NHL,” Ducks
9:18 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The 2019 NHL draft is not the first time that GM Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils have held the first overall pick, having won the draft lottery two years ago to select Swiss center Nico Hischier. But while Hischier has the makings of a solid NHL career, he