News

TORONTO – A new poll suggests the majority of Canadians feel the CBC did the right thing when it bowed out of bidding for the iconic Hockey Night in Canada theme song.

TORONTO – CBC-TV isn’t ruling out using the famous Stompin’ Tom Connors hockey song as a replacement for the “Hockey Night in Canada” theme as a new poll suggests most Canadians don’t care that the public broadcaster lost the iconic ditty to CTV.

OTTAWA – The Anaheim Ducks should know by Friday whether star defenceman Scott Niedermayer will be back in the fold next season.”I think everybody would like to know,” Kevin Epp of Titan Sports Management, Niedermayer’s agent, said Wednesday.

EDMONTON – Canadian pharmacy billionaire Daryl Katz has received the final OK from the National Hockey League to purchase the Edmonton Oilers.

A day after it was rumored he would be traded to Columbus, Ryan Malone told WTAE TV in Pittsburgh that "It’s UFA for sure."
It was thought the negotiating rights for the pending UFA would be dealt to Columbus, likely for a second- or third-round draft pick, much like Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell’s rights were dealt to Philadelphia from Nashville last off-season.

HOCKEYNational Hockey LeagueNHLPA-Named Glenn Healy director of player affairs.VANCOUVER CANUCKS-Named Ryan Walter assistant coach.American Hockey LeagueSPRINGFIELD FALCONS-Named Jeff Truitt coach.

LOS ANGELES – Junior hockey phenom John Tavares has found a new agent.He’s signed on with Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency a little over a month after splitting ties with Bryan Deasley.

LOS ANGELES – Junior hockey phenom John Tavares has found a new agent.He’s signed on with Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency a little over a month after splitting ties with Bryan Deasley.

OTTAWA – The NHL’s entry draft is the showcase event but make no mistake, the league’s 30 GMs arrive in Ottawa this week for another reason as well.

TORONTO – The wait is over for Igor Larionov and Glenn Anderson.The Russian centre and the former Edmonton Oilers sniper were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with builder Ed Chynoweth and former linesman Ray Scapinello.

TORONTO – The wait is finally over for Igor Larionov and Glenn Anderson.The Russian centre and the former Edmonton Oilers sniper were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday along with former linesman Ray Scapinello and builder Ed Chynoweth.

TORONTO – Glenn Healy is leaving television to work for the NHL Players’ Association.The NHLPA announced Tuesday that it had hired Healy as director of player affairs.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks named Ryan Walter an assistant to head coach Alain Vigneault on Tuesday.Since retiring after the 1992-93 season, Walter has earned a masters of arts degree in leadership/business, worked with professional athletes and executives on techniques to maximize their potential and done some motivational speaking.

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting the Blue Jackets are close to a deal for the negotiating rights with Ryan Malone and could be announced as early as Tuesday.

According to a report in the Boston Globe, Blake Wheeler will sign with the Bruins July 1.

"More than 20 NHL teams were interested in Blake, and this was a very tough decision," Wellesley-based agent Matt Keator told the Globe.

Movements in the world of hockey Monday:National Hockey LeagueFLORIDA PANTHERS-Signed Peter DeBoer, coach, to a multiyear contract.NASHVILLE PREDATORS-Signed D Ryan Suter to a four-year contract.

A year ago Igor Larionov ended up the odd man out when the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee had to consider a once-in-a-generation class of candidates.

MONTREAL – Ray Getliffe, the man credited with dubbing Maurice Richard “The Rocket,” was a hard-hitting forward who slammed NHL opponents on his way to a pair of Stanley Cups.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Ryan Suter to a US$14-million, four-year contract on Monday.Suter is the latest to benefit from the Predators’ desire to keep as many of their young, talented players off the free agent market as possible.

SUNRISE, Fla. – Peter DeBoer’s reputation had preceded him.Shortly after officially signing a multi-year contract as coach of the Florida Panthers, DeBoer’s first question from a reporter Monday touched on his fiery coaching style, which has been described as capable of putting the “fear of God” in a player.