Puck Podcast

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed centre Chris Gratton to a one-year contract Friday.Gratton, 33, had 21 points (10-11) in 60 games for the Lightning last season.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Ducks signed defenceman Steve Montador to a one-year contract, the club announced Friday.The 6-0, 211-pound Montador appeared in 73 games for the Florida Panthers last season, scoring 23 points (8-15) with a plus-1 rating and 73 penalty minutes.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – In need of centres, the Minnesota Wild traded defenceman Shawn Belle to Montreal for centre Corey Locke on Friday.Both young players have spent the majority of their careers in the American Hockey League.

ZURICH, Switzerland – It didn’t take long for the tentative agreement between the NHL and Russia’s new hockey league to be tested.Reports suggested Friday that Nashville Predators forward Alexander Radulov, who has one year remaining on his NHL contract, had signed a lucrative new deal with a Russian team.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals re-signed forward Boyd Gordon to a one-year contract on Friday.Gordon, 24, had seven goals and nine assists in 67 games last season.

SIMCOE, Ont. – Former NHL enforcer Ryan VandenBussche was cleared of assault charges Friday stemming from a brawl outside a bar in which he punched a police officer in the face, threatened to kill another, and was Tasered three times and pepper-sprayed before being subdued.

TAMPA, Fla. – Jay Feaster resigned as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.Feaster won a Stanley Cup, two Southeast Division championships and guided the Lightning to four playoff appearances in his five seasons as GM.

OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators hired Curtis Hunt on as assistant coach on Friday.Hunt was signed on a three-year deal.The 41-year-old has spent the last four seasons as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats, compiling a 132-127-29 record.

The agent for Alexander Radulov wouldn’t say whether or not he approves of his client’s decision to sign a three-year contract with Salavat Ufa in Russia, but he did acknowledge that the Continental Hockey League team offered so much money that it put Radulov in an almost untenable situation.

According to Canadian sports station TSN, the Tampa Bay Lightning have parted ways with GM Jay Feaster.

The report says the two sides negotiated a settlement on the remaining three years on his contract.

According to a report, Alexander Radulov has signed in Russia to play for the champion Ufa squad.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 22-year-old said he had warned the Predators he wanted to play in Europe.

According to a report, Alexander Radulov has signed in Russia to play for the champion Ufa squad.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 22-year-old said he had warned the PRedators he wanted to play in Europe.

Movements in the world of hockey Thursday:National Hockey LeagueCOLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS-Signed LW Nikita Filatov to a three-year contract.EDMONTON OILERS-Signed D Jason Strudwick.

ARLINGTON, Va. – If the Washington Capitals of two years ago had tried to recruit Jose Theodore, he would have been a tougher catch.”I might have paused,” the 31-year-old goaltender said.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Brian Burke says he will abide by the NHL’s request to end his criticism of Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton Oilers, but the Anaheim Ducks general manager still had plenty to say Thursday.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Doug Sulliman, a former NHL player and assistant coach, was hired as an assistant coach by the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday.

The San Jose Sharks are among the winners so far this off-season and that was a must for a team that was a second-round loser for a third consecutive spring.

ZURICH, Switzerland – The NHL reached an agreement with a new Russian hockey league Thursday that temporarily ends the threat of players being lured away by big-money offers.

ZURICH, Switzerland – The NHL reached an agreement with a new Russian hockey league Thursday that temporarily ends the threat of players being lured away by big-money offers.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks got the player they wanted for the time they like.Free-agent forward Pavol Demitra is excited about throwing off the defensive collar he wore last year in Minnesota and hopes he can score some goals again.