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The NHL season will be upon us shortly, but the off season is starting off strong.

All the news, rumors, trade and talk can be placed in this thread.
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CHICAGO (AP)—The Chicago Blackhawks and center Dave Bolland(notes) have agreed on a five-year contract.

Bolland, a restricted free agent, had 19 goals, 28 assists and a plus-19 rating during the regular season. He added four goals and eight assists in the playoffs while helping the Blackhawks reach the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1995.

The team did not disclose his salary Tuesday.

The Blackhawks also reached agreements with restricted free agents Jake Dowell (two years) and Antti Niemi(notes) (one year), who both spent most of the season in the minors. Team spokesman Brandon Faber says all three deals need league approval.

The NHL’s youngest team last season, the Blackhawks reached the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
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NEW YORK (AP)—Scott Gomez’s(notes) brief New York tenure ended Tuesday when the star center was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens as part of a six-player deal.

The key player coming back to New York is forward Chris Higgins, a Long Island native who is set to become a restricted free agent. The deal was announced one day before the NHL’s free-agent shopping season opens Wednesday.

New York had been looking to clear space under the NHL salary cap and cut out a major contract that still has five years and $33.5 million left on it. The cap hit on Gomez’s deal is $7.35 million.

“We’re not up against the cap now,” Rangers general manager Glen Sather said of the $56.8 million payroll ceiling for the upcoming season. “We’ve got lots of cap room. It just makes the options more inviting for us. I am not sure what is going to happen.

“It gives us some options tomorrow when free agency comes along and I think there is going to be quite a few options available.”

Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley(notes), a natural goal scorer, has asked to be traded and could possibly land in New York. Forwards Marian Hossa(notes) and Marian Gaborik(notes) are also attractive options that could be available on the free-agent market Wednesday.

“Since this deal has happened, I’ve had three calls,” Sather said of potential trades. “It doesn’t take very long for people to recognize that you’re going to make some changes.”

Gomez was sent to Montreal with minor leaguers Tom Pyatt(notes), a forward, and defenseman Mike Busto. Along with Higgins, the Rangers received defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko(notes) from the Canadiens.

Gomez never really found his stride in New York after leaving the New Jersey Devils as a free agent two summers ago. He is signed through the 2013-14 season, but is coming off a disappointing year in which he had 58 points—his fewest since he had 55 during the 2002-03 campaign with New Jersey.

After winning two Stanley Cup titles with the Devils, Gomez was part of the Rangers’ rebuilding program when he signed his big deal the same day fellow center Chris Drury(notes) left the Buffalo Sabres for a lucrative contract with New York.

“He is an outstanding playmaker and an excellent skater,” Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said in a statement. “He brings to our team a lot of playoff experience. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute to the success of our team for years to come.”

Gomez had 16 goals and 54 assists in his first season with the Rangers and 16 goals and 42 assists last season.

“Scott is a very good player,” Sather said. “He is a real good guy. He works hard. He was exceptional with the team and in the dressing room. I have no complaints about him. I think he’s a terrific guy and he’s going to do well in Montreal.”

Higgins, a 26-year-old forward from Smithtown, N.Y., is also coming off a sub-par season. He had a career-worst 23 points—including 12 goals—last season. He played in only 57 games due to injuries that knocked him out of the lineup several times. Higgins scored at least 20 goals in the previous three seasons, his first three full campaigns in the NHL.

While he is unsigned, Higgins will still come at a cheaper cost than Gomez. He earned $1.7 million in his final season with Montreal. In 282 NHL games, all with the Canadiens, Higgins has 84 goals and 67 assists.

“I didn’t expect to be traded,” he said. “I heard my name thrown around ever since I’ve played in Montreal. You never think it’s actually going to happen. You always think it’s just somebody in the Montreal media making something up.

“When it happened, I was absolutely thrilled. If there was one place I would play besides Montreal, it would be with the Rangers in front of my family and friends.”

Higgins scored a career-high 27 goals in the 2007-08 season when he played in all 82 games.

“I suppose it won’t be any more pressure than I had playing in Montreal,” Higgins said. “Everybody is well aware of the pressure that comes with playing up there. I’ve grown up here. I know what the Rangers fans are all about. I know they are very hard on their players, and I expect no different than the last four years I had in Montreal.”
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PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed Bill Guerin(notes) for one year on Monday.

The 38-year-old forward who helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup this month would have become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. He signed for $2 million, accepting a big pay cut to stay with a championship team after making $4.5 million last season with the Islanders and Penguins.

Pittsburgh also signed Craig Adams(notes), a fourth-line forward, to a $1.1 million, two-year contract. Adams made $600,000 last season. He will make $550,000 during each season of his new deal.

A 17-year NHL veteran, Guerin scored seven goals and 15 points in the postseason after being acquired from the Islanders at the trading deadline in March, with all of his goals coming in the first three rounds. He has 408 goals and 811 points in 1,185 regular-season games with New Jersey, where he also won a Stanley Cup, Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose before joining the Islanders and then the Penguins.

“We are excited to agree to terms with Billy on this one-year deal,” Penguins general manager Ray Shero said. “He made a tremendous impact on this team with his scoring ability, physical play and outstanding leadership and was a key factor in our drive to the Cup.

“I know our players, coaches and fans will be happy to have him back in Pittsburgh.”

Guerin, obtained from the Islanders for a third-round draft pick, scored five goals and seven assists in 17 regular-season games with the Penguins.

Adams had three goals and two assists in 24 playoff games for the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. He had two goals and four assists in 36 games with Chicago and one assist in nine regular-season games after being claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh on March 4.

Forwards Ruslan Fedotenko, Petr Sykora and Miroslav Satan, defensemen Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill and Philippe Boucher and goalie Mathieu Garon can all become free agents on Wednesday.
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CALGARY (AP)—The Calgary Flames have signed star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester(notes) to a multiyear agreement.

The Flames acquired the rights to Bouwmeester on June 27 from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jordan Leopold(notes) and the 67th pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft.

Bouwmeester, a native of Edmonton, completed his sixth season with the Panthers in 2008-09, recording 42 points with 15 goals and 27 assists.

The six-foot-four, 213-pounder has 203 points in 471 career NHL games. He was picked with the third overall draft pick by the Florida Panthers in 2002.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping Jussi Jokinen(notes), agreeing to a two-year deal with one of the stars of their recent playoff run.

The team said Monday that Jokinen’s new contract will pay him $1.5 million next season and $1.9 million in 2010-11. Jokinen could have become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday.

Jokinen developed a reputation for scoring clutch goals during the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference finals. The 26-year-old forward deflected a puck past goalie Martin Brodeur with his skate with 0.2 seconds remaining in Game 4 of the first round New Jersey and added the tying goal with 80 seconds left in Game 7 of that series.

Carolina acquired Jokinen from Tampa Bay in February.
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St. Louis Blues defenseman Erik Johnson, who missed all of last season because of a knee injury, was among 34 players invited to the U.S. Olympic hockey camp Tuesday for next year’s Vancouver Games.

Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft, tore two ligaments in his right knee last September during a team golf outing. He is expected to be ready for training camp and make a full recovery.

The first step in his return will take place from Aug. 17-19 when USA Hockey holds its orientation camp in Woodridge, Ill. The gathering is part of the preparation for the Winter Olympics in February.

Those invited to the camp represent 22 NHL teams, although no player is assured a place on the Olympic roster. Also, a player can still make the team even if he hadn’t been invited to the camp.

There will be an additional 50 or so players added to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency program, making them eligible to be on the final Olympic roster when it is announced at the end of the year.

“The entire team will come out of this camp if we’ve done our job of identifying players properly,” Team USA general manager Brian Burke said on a conference call. “My suspicion is that, knowing how competitive our athletes are, that’s not going to be the case. Some of these guys who were not invited are going to try to jam it right down my throat. I welcome that.

“My prediction is that a couple of guys are going to make this real hard for us.”

Five players who will be in attendance in August have Olympic experience, including three-time Olympian Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars. He is joined by two-time Olympians Chris Drury of the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski. Rangers forward Scott Gomez and Jamie Langenbrunner of the New Jersey Devils have both made one Olympic appearance.

“We’re going to be an underdog in Vancouver, we know that,” Burke said. “There is not going to be a penny bet on us in Las Vegas. We’re probably going to be the youngest team in the tournament … but we are going there to win and we’ve tried to identify a group that will give us our best chance to do that.”

Notably absent are Olympic stalwarts such as forwards Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, Jason Blake, and 47-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios, who will not be on the team.

Guerin, who had a strong playoff performance in helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup, is still on the USA Hockey radar as is Tkachuk, who scored 25 goals with St. Louis last season.

Burke said he reached out to several Olympic veterans he repeatedly referred to as “warriors” to explain the committee’s decision to leave them off the invite list. Burke said Guerin told him he understood the desire to move on to younger players who haven’t yet had a chance to shine on the international stage.

“We’ve turned to the same group for the last 15 years, and they’ve always shown up and played with heart and desire,” Burke said. “We owe these guys. (Modano’s) production has fallen off, but his usefulness as a player has not. It’s just that his role has changed, and he’s accepted that cheerfully.”

Also missing from the list is goalie Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders, who played the majority of the games at the 2006 Turin Olympics. DiPietro has had numerous injuries, including one to his knee that forced him to miss most of last season.

“It’s my understanding he will not be available for this camp at any rate based on his injury,” Burke said.

Boston’s Tim Thomas, the winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie this past season, headlines a trio of netminders invited to the camp and is likely the favorite for Vancouver.

He will be joined in the nets by Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres, and 22-year-old Jonathan Quick, who was 21-18-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average in 44 games as a rookie last season with the Los Angeles Kings.

Zach Parise of the Devils, who had 45 goals and 94 points last season, is among 19 invited forwards. Chicago Blackhawks young star Patrick KANE, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, will also take part in the camp. Twelve defenseman were among those invited.

The Olympic team will be led by Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson, who was also behind the American bench at this year’s world championships. Eight players invited to the orientation camp were on that squad.

Wilson’s assistants behind the bench will be New York Rangers coach John Tortorella and the New York Islanders’ Scott Gordon.

Burke, the Maple Leafs general manager, was joined by fellow NHL GMs David Poile (Nashville), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Don Waddell (Atlanta), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh), along with Jim Johannson, the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey in choosing which players to invite
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping Erik Cole(notes), agreeing Wednesday to a two-year deal with the physical forward.

Cole will make $2.8 million this upcoming season and $3 million in 2010-11.

The Hurricanes’ third-round pick in 1998 took a pay cut to stay in Raleigh. He made $4 million last season while completing a three-year deal he signed in 2006.

Carolina dealt Cole to Edmonton last summer, then reacquired the fan favorite at the trade deadline. His return re-energized the Hurricanes—and All-Star Eric Staal(notes) in particular—down the stretch, with points in 15 of the final 17 games in the regular season. He struggled in the playoffs with no goals and five assists in 18 games.

Cole had 18 goals and 24 assists in 80 regular-season games.

“Erik clearly had an instant impact on our team when he returned to Carolina,” general manager Jim Rutherford said. “He has been an important piece for our franchise for a long time, and we are pleased that he has decided to remain at home in Raleigh.”

Cole became the second of Carolina’s potential free agents to re-sign this week. Playoff hero Jussi Jokinen(notes) previously signed on for two more years.

Also Wednesday, the Hurricanes signed restricted free agent forwards Patrick Dwyer and Michael Ryan(notes) to two-way contracts.

Dwyer’s two-year contract will pay him $500,000 per season at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. Ryan’s one-year contract will pay him $500,000 in the NHL level and $100,000 in the AHL, with $150,000 guaranteed.
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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer(notes) is staying in Anaheim after signing a one-year deal Wednesday worth $6 million plus bonuses.

Already a foregone conclusion that the star defenseman would be back, the Ducks made it official a few hours into the NHL free-agent shopping season.

“Keeping Scott Niedermayer in an Anaheim Ducks jersey was paramount for our club,” general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. “We’re extremely pleased he’s chosen to remain with us and look forward to another great season from a Hall of Fame-bound player.”

Niedermayer considered retirement before announcing his intention to return on Friday, prompting the Ducks to deal Chris Pronger(notes) to Philadelphia at the NHL draft.

The 35-year-old Niedermayer has spent four seasons with the Ducks. He earned the Conn Smythe Trophy when Anaheim won the Stanley Cup in 2007.

“I’m excited to continue my career with the Ducks,” Niedermayer said. “I still enjoy the game and feel the opportunity to win is right here in Anaheim.”

Niedermayer had 59 points—including 45 assists—in 82 games last season. In 1,183 career NHL games with New Jersey and the Ducks, he has 162 goals and 692 points.
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WASHINGTON (AP)—Thirteen seasons in the NHL have made Mike Knuble(notes) comfortable with doing the dirty work in the corners and in front of the net.

Just because he’ll be skating next season on the wing opposite Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, Knuble doesn’t expect to alter his approach

The Capitals addressed their need for a scoring winger, signing free-agent right winger Knuble to a two-year deal worth $5.6 million on the first day of NHL free agency.

“I know what I do well,” Knuble said. “I complement players. I’ve been able to be successful and they’ve been able to be successful.”

Knuble, who turns 37 on Saturday, had 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games for Philadelphia last season. The deal was announced Wednesday, a few hours after teams could sign free agents.

“Washington is everything I wanted in a team,” Knuble said. “I think the team is on the verge of something good, something great.”

Capitals general manager George McPhee, in need of a rugged veteran willing to muck it up along the boards and create havoc in front of opposing goalies, jumped at the opportunity to sign Knuble.

“We needed someone to go to the net,” McPhee said. “Mike’s made his living there.”

Knuble will replace Viktor Kozlov(notes), who signed with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League last month, as a first-line forward alongside left wing Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom(notes).

“What we did is replace a 13-goal scorer (in Kozlov) with a 27-goal scorer — and the team is better as a result,” McPhee said.
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Marian Gaborik(notes) is officially a free agent.

The Minnesota Wild’s cornerstone forward had his contract expire when the NHL’s offseason formally began Wednesday. Gaborik is the only remaining player from their original team, and was their first draft pick nine years ago.

Gaborik wanted to test the market, so the Wild had little chance to lock him up.

The 27-year-old Gaborik has been limited by injuries in recent seasons, but he is Minnesota’s all-time leading scorer and one of the NHL’s elite skaters when healthy.

New general manager Chuck Fletcher has hinted he’ll be active with his roster, so if Gaborik goes somewhere else the Wild will likely chase other high-profile players.
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TORONTO (AP)—Mike Komisarek(notes) is about to see the other side of hockey’s oldest rivalry.

The free-agent defenseman signed a five-year, $22.5-million deal to join the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Komisarek had spent his entire NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens and drew lots of interest around the NHL after becoming an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. Eventually, the 27-year-old Komisarek decided to join the Maple Leafs.

Komisarek had two goals and 11 points in 66 games for Montreal last season, along with 121 penalty minutes.
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EDMONTON. Alberta (AP)—The Edmonton Oilers are turning to another veteran goaltender.

Edmonton signed 36-year-old Nikolai Khabibulin(notes) to a four-year, 15-million deal on Wednesday. He’ll replace 39-year-old Dwayne Roloson(notes), who signed earlier in the day with the New York Islanders.

Khabibulin is a former Stanley Cup winner who spent last season with the Chicago Blackhawks.

He went 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage despite missing time due to a nagging groin injury.

Khabibulin joins his fifth NHL team after stops with the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets. He backstopped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup title in 2004.
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MONTREAL (AP)—The Montreal Canadiens were busy again Wednesday with the signings of center Mike Cammaleri and defensemen Jaroslav Spacek(notes) and Hal Gill(notes) on the first day of free-agent shopping in the NHL.

One day after acquiring star center Scott Gomez(notes) from the New York Rangers in a six-player trade, the Canadiens signed Cammaleri to a five-year, $30-million contract, Spacek to a three-year deal worth $11.5-million, and Gill—fresh off a Stanley Cup title with the Pittsburgh Penguins—for two years and $4.5 million.

The moves put a new face on the Canadiens, who had 10 unrestricted free agents of their own on the market. The signings, including the five years remaining to pay Gomez at a $7.35-million cap hit per year, are collectively worth $82.75 million.

Cammaleri, who led the Flames with 39 goals last season, became a popular player in Calgary after being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings last season. He had 82 points in 81 games, second on the team behind linemate Jarome Iginla(notes).

He is getting a substantial raise from the $3.6 million he earned last season. In 364 career NHL games, the 27-year-old Cammaleri has 132 goals and 155 assists.

Spacek, 35, had eight goals and 45 points for the Buffalo Sabres last season, matching a career high for points set with Columbus during the 2002-03 season. He spent the past three seasons in Buffalo, where he signed as a free agent in 2006. He earned $3.3 million last season.

Spacek has 69 goals and 208 assists in 576 career NHL games.

The 6-foot-7 Gill, who began his career with Boston in 1997, joined the Penguins last season after being traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs and became part of Pittsburgh’s shutdown defensive pairing with fellow free agent Rob Scuderi(notes).

“I loved the city and the organization, but we decided to part ways,” Gill told TSN. “The timing was right.

“(Montreal) is a great organization. I’ve always loved to play in that building. It’s a new experience to go to Quebec and play, and my family is excited about that.”

The Canadiens lost veteran defenseman Mike Komisarek(notes) as a free agent to the rival Maple Leafs.
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The Sedins stayed put in Vancouver while Marian Hossa(notes) put down roots in Chicago, signing a deal that will secure his future in the Windy City through 2021.

Despite concerns about the financial landscape, NHL general managers moved quickly to bolster their lineups after the free agent window open at noon Eastern. They opened their wallets, but were reluctant to grant long-term deals - with the noticeable exception of Hossa whose deal is reportedly worth US$62.4 million.

Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin(notes) agreed to matching $30.5-million, five-year contract extensions with the Canucks, just prior to becoming unrestricted free agents.

"We really like it in Vancouver and that's where we wanted to stay," Henrik said Wednesday on a conference call.

GM Mike Gillis has also been working on signing goalie Roberto Luongo(notes) to a contract extension that would ensure the three players remain the cornerstones of the franchise.

The 28-year-old Sedins have scored 70 points or more the past four years and each had 82 points last season. Gillis was thrilled to keep them under contract.

The Blackhawks are Hossa's fourth NHL team over the past three years and might also be the last one he ever plays for, given his 12-year deal.

"To add Marian, an elite and world-class player, to our exciting young core reinforces our commitment to try to win the Stanley Cup," Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said in a statement.

Hossa spent last season with the Detroit Red Wings, but reluctantly decided to walk away from Motown with the Wings unable to meet his salary demands.

"If there's no salary cap, I'm sure I would still be in Detroit," said Hossa.

The 30-year-old had 40 goals and 71 points but had to watch his former Pittsburgh teammates lift the Cup.

In 775 career games with Ottawa, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Detroit, Hossa has 339 goals and 719 points.

The Canadiens were busy Wednesday, rebuilding a roster left full of holes by free agency.

One day after trading for former Ranger Scott Gomez(notes), GM Bob Gainey added some more offence by signing sniper Mike Cammalleri to a five-year contract. Cammalleri, 27, was second in scoring with the Calgary Flames last season with 82 points in 81 games.

The Habs also beefed up their blue-line by acquiring veteran defencemen Jaroslav Spacek(notes) (formerly of Buffalo) and Hal Gill(notes) (Pittsburgh).

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed former Montreal defenceman Mike Komisarek(notes) to a $22.5-million, five-year deal. In another move, GM Brian Burke sent defenceman Pavel Kubina(notes) and minor-leaguer Tim Stapleton(notes) to the Atlanta Thrashers for defenceman Garnet Exelby(notes) and forward Colin Stuart(notes).

The Leafs also manned up by signing six-foot-three 222-pound tough guy Colton Orr(notes), who had one goal four assists and 193 penalty minutes last season. Only Daniel Carcillo(notes) of the Coyotes and Flyers and Shane O'Brien(notes) of the Canucks spent more time in the penalty box.

While the Canucks kept the Sedins, they lost veteran defenceman Mattias Ohlund(notes), who left for Tampa Bay and a US$26.25-million, seven-year contract. Ohlund spent the first 11 years of his career with the Vancouver Canucks, who drafted him 13th overall in 1994. He has 325 points (93-232) in 770 career games.

Ohlund, 32, was one of the most sought-after defencemen available through unrestricted free agency. He joins a blue-line bolstered by the acquisition of fellow Swede Victor Hedman, who was drafted second overall last weekend.

"This signing accomplished two primary goals for us," GM Brian Lawton said in a statement. "First, we have added the top-two defenceman we coveted to lead our blue-line and second, we have found a leader and a mentor for Victor Hedman as he prepares to play in the NHL this fall."

On the goalie front, the New York Islanders picked up some insurance for Rick DiPietro(notes), who is coming off back-to-back knee surgeries by signing former Oiler Dwayne Roloson(notes) to a two-year deal.

"He is a proven winner having led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup final in 2006 and we look forward to him bringing his veteran leadership to the Islanders," Isles GM Garth Snow said of the 39-year-old goalie.

The Oilers filled the void in goal by signing 36-year-old Nikolai Khabibulin(notes) to a $15-million, four-year contract on Wednesday. Khabibulin is coming off a finer season in Chicago, where he went 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

St. Louis secured a backup for Chris Mason(notes) by signing Ty Conklin(notes), who played in 40 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season.

Goalie Scott Clemmensen(notes), formerly of New Jersey, landed in Florida on a three-year deal.

In other moves:

-The Anaheim Ducks locked up 35-year-old captain and defenceman Scott Niedermayer(notes) for another season, thanks to a $6-million, one-year deal plus bonuses.

-The Washington Capitals signed right-winger Mike Knuble(notes) to a two-year deal worth US$5.6 million. Knuble, who turns 37 on Saturday, had 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games for Philadelphia last season.

-The Carolina Hurricanes gave forward Erik Cole(notes) a $5.8-million, two-year contract. Cole, 30, had 18 goals and 24 assists in 80 games with Edmonton and Carolina last season.

-The New York Rangers filled the void left by the departure of Orr by bringing on board big Donald Brashear(notes). The hard-nosed forward led the Washington Capitals with 119 penalty minutes last season. During his 989-game career with Montreal, Vancouver, Philadelphia and Washington, Brashear has collected 2,561 penalty minutes.

-Nashville re-signed forward Steve Sullivan(notes) to a $7.5-million, two-year contract.

-The New Jersey Devils retained defenceman Andy Greene(notes), signing him to a $1.475-million, two-year deal.

-The Florida Panthers held on to winger David Booth(notes), signing him to a six-year contract. The 24-year-old Booth recorded career-highs in goals (31), assists (29) and points (60) last season, becoming just the sixth player in franchise history to score at least 30 goals in one season.
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Hoping to finally land on a Stanley Cup team, Marian Hossa(notes) has hooked up with his fourth club in three years.

Hossa, who played for the Detroit Red Wings this season, signed a 12-year, $62.8-million US contract with the Chicago Blackhawks during the NHL’s free-agent signing period, which began Wednesday at noon.

The Blackhawks also picked up another Red Wing, 27-year-old winger Tomas Kopecky(notes), in a two-year, $2.4-million US deal.

“To add [Marian and Tomas] to our exciting young core reinforces our commitment to try to win the Stanley Cup,” Chicago general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement.

Hossa, 30, finished third in team scoring with the Red Wings in 2008-09 with 40 goals and 71 points.

He also added 15 points in the post-season, when the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks for the Western Conference championship.

But his decision to sign with the Red Wings rather than remain in Pittsburgh backfired in another respect.

After the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008, Hossa turned down a long-term deal from the Penguins, signing with Detroit for one year and $7.45 million US.

In this year’s NHL final, the Penguins ousted Detroit to take the Stanley Cup at Joe Louis Arena, and Hossa failed to score a goal in the seven-game playoff.

Detroit and the Tampa Bay Lightning were also reportedly in the running for Hossa’s services.

Hossa has scored 339 goals and 719 points in 775 career games, with Ottawa, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Detroit.
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CHICAGO (AP)—The Chicago Blackhawks signed John Madden(notes) on Thursday, adding a veteran center who has spent his entire 10-year career with the New Jersey Devils.

The 36-year-old Madden signed a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed.

Madden helped the Devils make the playoffs the last nine seasons, including Stanley Cup titles in 2000 and 2003. He has 140 goals and 157 assists for his career during the regular season. A year ago, he had 16 assists and seven goals in 76 games.

“John is a proven winner and one of the premier defensive forwards in the game who also has the talent to contribute with timely offense,” Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said. “Adding his experience to our team is an important piece to the puzzle.”

Earlier this week, the Blackhawks signed Marian Hossa(notes) to a 12-year, $62.8 million deal and added forward Tomas Kopecky(notes). Those two played last season with Detroit. The Blackhawks also lost last season’s leading scorer Martin Havlat(notes), who signed a six-year deal with Minnesota.

Madden, who is from Barrie, Ontario, and played at Michigan, won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2001 as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He was runner-up for the award in 2003, 2004 and 2008.
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ATLANTA (AP)—The Atlanta Thrashers signed free agent forward Nik Antropov(notes) to a four-year, $16 million contract on Thursday, setting up a reunion with Ilya Kovalchuk(notes).

The 29-year-old Antropov played with Kovalchuk in Russia during the NHL lockout. General manager Don Waddell said Kovalchuk endorsed the signing with a text message saying “great job.”

Kovalchuk’s approval is important. The Thrashers’ captain and biggest star is entering his free-agent season, and has said he wants to see the team’s offseason moves before he talks about signing a new deal.

Waddell said the Antropov signing should help the team re-sign Kovalchuk.

“Certainly, it’s going to help us through the process,” Waddell said. “Ilya wants to be part of a winning organization and this is a big step in the right direction.”

On Wednesday, Waddell acquired defenseman Pavel Kubina(notes) in a four-player deal with Toronto.

“I said we didn’t need a lot of pieces, we needed key pieces, and that’s what we’ve added,” Waddell said.

Antropov set a career high with 59 points and 28 goals with Toronto and the New York Rangers last season. He was traded to the Rangers on March 4.

He had 56 points with the Maple Leafs during the 2007-08 season.

Waddell said he will complete the free-agency period before opening talks with Kovalchuk. He said both parties want to conclude negotiations before the 2009-10 season.

“My feeling is once we get at it, hopefully it will move along relatively quickly,” Waddell said. “There’s not a rush to get there today or tomorrow.”

The Thrashers also re-signed forward Chris Thorburn(notes) on Thursday. Thorburn had 15 points, including seven goals, in a career-high 82 games last season.

Antropov (6-6, 230) and Kubina (6-4, 244) add significant size to the Thrashers’ roster, after the team committed to such smaller players as Bryan Little(notes) and Rich Peverley(notes).

“We thought to give them the best chance of having some success we needed to surround them with some size,” Waddell said.
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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Free agent defenseman Adrian Aucoin(notes) has signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes, giving the team a veteran presence on and off the ice.

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney called Aucoin an “an intelligent, puck-moving defenseman who will help improve our power play and bring leadership to our locker room.”

The deal was announced Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 35-year-old former All-Star had 10 goals and 24 assists in 81 games last season with the Calgary Flames.

He has 108 goals and 228 assists in 851 career NHL games with Vancouver, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Calgary and the New York Islanders.
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MIAMI (AP)—Defenseman Jordan Leopold(notes), acquired in the deal that sent the rights to defenseman Jay Bouwmeester(notes) to Calgary, signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

The move came on the second day of free agency, one day after Florida assistant general manager Randy Sexton had said that the chances of signing Leopold appeared “remote.”

“I’m pumped to get it done,” Sexton said Thursday. “We are absolutely ecstatic to have Jordan in Florida. … I did think it was remote yesterday. That’s one of the interesting things about free agency.”

Leopold had his exclusive negotiating rights traded to the Panthers on Saturday for the rights to Bouwmeester, who signed a multiyear contract with Calgary on Tuesday.

Even though the Panthers didn’t get a deal done with Leopold before he hit the open market, they were still able to sign him.

“Sometimes these things take longer than you would hope,” Sexton said. “I think that at the end of the day, there was very genuine interest in Jordan’s part to come to Florida.”

Sexton and Leopold said the defenseman turned down longer-term offers and more money from other clubs to sign with the Panthers. The 28-year-old Leopold said he was looking forward to the opportunities he would have with Florida, and didn’t think other interested teams were “the right fit for my family.”

“Things didn’t seem to work out,” Leopold said. “As the day gets longer, weird things happen. (Sexton) happened to call at the right time and we were able to work something out.”

Bouwmeester and Leopold have not been the only changes in the Panthers defensive corps this offseason. Florida, which lost defenseman Karlis Skrastins(notes) to free agency on Thursday, also announced that defenseman Clay Wilson(notes) signed a two-year contract. On Wednesday, defenseman Ville Koistinen(notes) agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the club on Wednesday. Skrastins signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Stars.

“We’re really pleased about our rebuilt defense,” Sexton said. “We’re mobile, we can get up the ice quickly.”

Leopold, who has been traded four times, played in 83 games for the Flames and the Colorado Avalanche during the 2008-09 season. The Minnesota native has played in 355 games in his NHL career and was a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic team.
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