News

Thrashers goaltending prospect Ondrej Pavelec won’t report to the Chicago Wolves of the American League, his agent told Sporting News Saturday.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Markus Naslund came through in his debut with the New York Rangers even though he wasn’t the star Czech fans had hoped to see.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Tyler Kennedy scored his second goal with 25 seconds left in overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in the first NHL regular-season opener in Sweden on Saturday night.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks assigned defenceman Nolan Baumgartner to Manitoba of the AHL and lost defenceman Nathan McIver on waivers to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.

NEW YORK – Martin Brodeur relaxed in the middle of a midtown Manhattan hotel and marvelled at the NHL talent walking past.It wasn’t so much the number of fine hockey players that impressed him on pre-season media day, it was their youth.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Markus Naslund and Brandon Dubinsky scored to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday as the NHL’s opened its season in Europe for the second straight year.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes signed 2008 first-round pick Zach Boychuk to a three-year, entry-level contract Saturday.The centre, selected 14th overall, led all Western Hockey League players with 13 playoff goals last season, helping Lethbridge win the Eastern Conference title before losing to Spokane in the final.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Teemu Selanne scored three goals to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 pre-season victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday night.

CALGARY – Former Oiler Curtis Glencross scored 2:22 into overtime Friday night as the Calgary Flames won 4-3 over Edmonton in an entertaining battle between the two provincial rivals.

DENVER – Dustin Byfuglien and Martin Havlat both scored two goals, and Patrick Kane added three assists as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 on Friday night in a pre-season game.

Movements in the world of hockey Friday:National Hockey LeagueANAHEIM DUCKS-Assigned F Bobby Ryan to Iowa (AHL).BUFFALO SABRES-Assigned F Nathan Gerbe, F Tim Kennedy, F Dylan Hunter, F Marek Zagrapan, D Chris Butler and D Michael Funk to Portland (AHL).

ATLANTA – Jordin Tootoo scored on a power play to cap a three-goal rally early in the third period and the Nashville Predators beat the Atlanta Thrashers 6-4 in a pre-season game Friday night.

DETROIT – Johan Franzen’s second goal of the game with 1:57 to play broke a tie and lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-3 pre-season victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.

NEWARK, N.J. – Chris Lee scored 2:28 into overtime on his 28th birthday Friday night, lifting the New York Islanders to a 3-2 pre-season victory over the New Jersey Devils.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kristian Huselius and R.J. Umberger each had a goal and an assist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3 after blowing a three-goal lead in a pre-season game Friday night.

WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin scored a short-handed goal and added two assists to lead the Washington Capitals to a 5-1 pre-season victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night.

BOSTON – Corporate sponsorship of sports teams is “under attack” during the current economic crisis, but no NHL teams are in danger of folding, Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs said Friday.

It didn’t take Scott Moore long to learn that any changes to Hockey Night in Canada are made at the network’s peril, but the executive director of CBC Sports believes the show needed to evolve.

EDMONTON – With a cadre of young guns, a revamped defence, a new general manager and a new owner, the Edmonton Oilers are determined that the final chapter of this NHL season will include a trip to the post-season.

NEW YORK – Veteran forward Chris Drury was named captain of the New York Rangers on Friday.The 32-year-old centre, who is entering his 10th season in the NHL and second with the Rangers, is the 25th captain in franchise history.