Month: April 2008

DETROIT – Red Wings forward Tomas Kopecky had surgery on his left knee and is expected to be ready for the start of next season.The team said Tuesday his torn anterior cruciate ligament was successfully repaired, but he will need four to six months to recover.

EDMONTON – A disciplinary hearing has cleared an Edmonton police officer of using excessive force on a woman during a potential riot following a June 2006 NHL Oilers playoff game.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz and members of his staff have received contract extensions.The team’s president of hockey operations and general manager, David Poile, announced extensions Tuesday for Trotz, associate coach Brent Peterson, assistant coach Peter Horachek and goaltending coach Mitch Korn, among others.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Former NHL forward Mikael Renberg is retiring due to a chronic groin injury.The 35-year-old Swede, who spent several seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, most recently played for Swedish team Skelleftea AIK.

TORONTO – Only Zdeno Chara and Dion Phaneuf stand in the way of a sixth career Norris Trophy for Nicklas Lidstrom.The NHL announced the three finalists for the top defenceman award Tuesday and not surprisingly, Lidstrom was yet again in the group after winning the award five of the past six seasons.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Mike Ricci put his shot into the far corner, and Evgeni Nabokov dived to get it. The pingpong ball sliced away from the goalie’s paddle, and he tumbled to the floor of the San Jose Sharks’ locker room with an exaggerated yelp.

MONTREAL – Highly organized arsonists used the cover of a spontaneous downtown celebration by Canadiens fans to lash out violently at police, authorities said Tuesday.

MONTREAL – Montreal police say small, organized bands of vandals were responsible for the riot after Monday’s NHL playoff game that damaged 16 police cruisers and 10 downtown buildings.

MONTREAL – Montreal police say small organized bands of vandals were responsible for the post-game riot that left 16 police cruisers damaged early this morning.

MONTREAL – The burnt-out shells of at least five Montreal police cars littered the city’s downtown early Tuesday morning after vandals torched and smashed vehicles and damaged businesses to punctuate a first-round NHL playoff victory celebration.

MONTREAL – Montreal police are reporting a number of incidents of arson and vandalism against their property after thousands descended on the downtown core following the Canadiens playoff series win over the Boston Bruins.

MONTREAL – Milan Lucic, much like his Boston Bruins, made a statement in these playoffs.Though the disappointment of losing Game 7 to the Montreal Canadiens was still fresh in his mind, Lucic was able to find the silver lining in a season where the Bruins overcame more challenges than perhaps any team in the NHL.

Scoring summaries from Monday’s NHL games:Bruins 0 at Canadiens 5 First period1. Montreal, Komisarek 1 (Kovalev, Koivu) 3:31Penalties – Brisebois Mtl (slashing) 10:40, Markov Mtl (interference) 13:48, Stuart Bos (cross-checking) 17:02.

Movements in the world of hockey Monday:National Hockey LeagueMINNESOTA WILD-Reassigned C-LW Benoit Pouliot and D Erik Reitz to Houston (AHL).

SAN ANTONIO – Bill Thomas scored the game-winning goal as the San Antonio Rampage beat the Toronto Marlies 3-2 in American Hockey League playoff action Monday.

PHILADELPHIA – Held without a goal for four straight games, Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the third period to lift the Capitals to a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night and send the series back to Washington for a decisive Game 7.

MONTREAL – Andrei Kostitsyn scored two goals and rookie Carey Price posted a 25-save shutout to put the Montreal Canadiens and their ear-splitting fans into the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 5-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday night.

MONTREAL – Andrei Kostitsyn scored two goals and rookie Carey Price had 25 saves as the Montreal Canadiens advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 5-0 victory over the Boston Bruins.

CALGARY – What can make the pulse race faster, the adrenaline pump quicker and, it has to be said, a certain part of the lower anatomy clench tighter than Game 7 of an NHL playoff series?The Calgary Flames feel the first two and hope the San Jose Sharks experience the latter in Tuesday’s Game 7 of their Western Conference quarter-final series (10 p.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jacques Lemaire says this off-season is like any other.He says he will go home to Florida, speak with his wife Mychelle, meet with Minnesota Wild management, and decide whether he wants to return for another year behind the bench.