Month: June 2009

LAS VEGAS – It’s not every day you see Robin Leach at an NHL event.But there he was among hockey’s rich and famous this week, chatting with Mark Messier during an exclusive party at the Palms before turning up for the league’s award show

ST. LOUIS – Keith Tkachuk, the savvy forward who helped lead the St. Louis Blues to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, will be back for another year

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed left wing Petr Prucha to a two-year contract.Terms were not disclosed.The 26-year-old Prucha scored six goals and had 13 assists in 47 games with the Coyotes and New York Rangers last season

LAS VEGAS – Canada might get in on the next Winter Classic.The NHL is considering a New Year’s Day doubleheader that would see a second game played at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium in 2010, according to sources

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche have hired former players Steve Konowalchuk and Adam Deadmarsh as coaches.Konowalchuk will be an assistant coach and Deadmarsh will be video and development coach

SUNRISE, Fla. – Centre Steven Reinprecht has signed a three-year contract with the Panthers after the Coyotes traded his rights to Florida for left wing Stefan Meyer

HAMILTON, Ont. – Hundreds of people are rallying in never-say-die Hamilton to support billionaire Jim Balsillie’s efforts to bring an NHL franchise to the city

The Phoenix Coyotes and Florida Panthers – who hooked up in a draft day deal last year involving Olli Jokinen – have pulled another deal, this time one week before the draft

NEW YORK – A golf resort developer duped nearly two dozen NHL players out of US$25 million, blowing the money on gratuitous parties that were attended by former Yankees players Roger Clemens and Reggie Jackson, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday

LAS VEGAS – Zdeno Chara has earned an honour worthy of his stature.The towering defenceman won his first Norris Trophy on Thursday by edging six-time winner Nicklas Lidstrom and Mike Green

LAS VEGAS – Even though the NHL awards changed venues, the same man remained in the spotlight.Alex Ovechkin captured the two most prestigious awards in hockey for the second straight season on Thursday, winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lester B

LAS VEGAS – A great season for the Boston Bruins has helped earn Claude Julien the Jack Adams Award.He was named the NHL’s coach of the year on Thursday after being selected over San Jose’s Todd McLellan and Andy Murray of St

LAS VEGAS – Tim Thomas has truly received his due.The Boston Bruins goaltender was awarded the Vezina Trophy on Thursday, beating out Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild in voting by the NHL’s 30 general managers

LAS VEGAS – They might as well just give Pavel Datsyuk the Lady Byng Trophy.He received the award for the fourth straight season, beating New Jersey’s Zach Parise and Tampa’s Martin St

LAS VEGAS – Pavel Datsyuk is the NHL’s top defensive forward again.The Detroit Red Wings centre was given the Selke Trophy for a second straight year in voting conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association

PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was thrilled to get a call from president Barack Obama congratulating him on his team’s Stanley Cup championship

LAS VEGAS – Steve Mason repeatedly shut the door on NHL teams during his rookie season so it was only fitting that he did the same to his competitors for the Calder Trophy

LAS VEGAS – NHL players believe that Alex Ovechkin was the best among them yet again.They gave the Russian superstar the Lester B. Pearson Award for the second straight season

CHICAGO – Blackhawks assistant general manager Rick Dudley has resigned after three years in that position.Dudley spent four years in Chicago’s hockey operation department, the last three as assistant GM

PHOENIX – In a renewed effort to sell to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes have asked a bankruptcy judge to set a Sept