News

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo Sabres have a new American Hockey League affiliate after signing a three-year deal with Maine’s Portland Pirates on Tuesday.

TORONTO – Toronto Maple Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher plans to speak again soon with impending unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin.”We will be hearing or communicating with him in the next week to 10 days, well ahead of the July 1 free agency date,” Fletcher told reporters Tuesday after the unveiling of Ron Wilson as head coach.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have fired coach Marc Crawford after two losing seasons.Crawford had one year remaining on his contract. The Kings were 59-84-21 since Crawford was hired in May 2006.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Dallas Stars defenceman Mattias Norstrom is retiring, Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet reported Tuesday.”Dallas wanted to keep me, but it is over now,” the 36-year old Swede was quoted as saying on the newspaper’s website.

Dallas Stars defenceman Mattias Norstrom is retiring.
"Dallas wanted to keep me, but it is over now," the 36-year old Swede was quoted as saying on Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet’s website Tuesday.

TORONTO – Ron Wilson has already seen the kind of stress the comes with coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs.He was taking a walk along Santana Row in San Jose earlier this year when the struggling Leafs were in town and happened to spot Toronto coach Paul Maurice across the street.

TORONTO – Ron Wilson is the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.The NHL team made it official today when the 53-year-old was introduced at a news conference at the Air Canada Centre.

Movements in the world of hockey Monday:National Hockey LeagueCAROLINA HURRICANES-Named Tom Rowe assistant coach and Jeff Daniels coach and general manager of Albany (AHL).

TORONTO – The son of Stompin’ Tom Connors says his father is open to licensing his famed hockey song to CBC as a replacement for the “Hockey Night In Canada” theme, which was acquired by CTV on Monday.

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Maxim Lapierre to a US$1.375-million, two-year deal.Lapierre, 23, had 18 points (7-11) in 53 games last season for Montreal, setting career highs in all categories.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings brought home the Stanley Cup last week.
Now, two of the team’s stars are taking it to Los Angeles.
Defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom and goalie Chris Osgood will be guests on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Tuesday.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings brought home the Stanley Cup last week.Now, two of the team’s stars are taking it to Los Angeles.Defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom and goalie Chris Osgood will be guests on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Tuesday.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings brought home the Stanley Cup last week.
Now, two of the team’s stars are taking it to Los Angeles.
Defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom and goalie Chris Osgood will be guests on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Tuesday.

Martin Brodeur had one of the best seats in the house for one of one of Dominik Hasek’s finest hours.It was 1998 in Nagano, the NHL’s first foray in the Olympics.

TORONTO – When Ron Wilson first left Canada for the United States 41 years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs had just won the Stanley Cup.Leafs fans haven’t celebrated an NHL championship since then and now they’ll be looking to Wilson to bring the Cup back to Toronto.

REDWOOD, Calif. – Calgary Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf will be the main cover boy for Electronic Arts’ “NHL 09” video game.The 23-year-old follows Eric Staal on the cover.

TORONTO – CBC appears to be making a last-ditch effort to rescue the popular Hockey Night in Canada theme song.The public broadcaster has asked Toronto sports lawyer Gord Kirke to mediate negotiations between CBC and Copyright Music and Visuals, the company that controls the song.

TORONTO – The saga of CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” theme song took a surprising turn Monday as rival network CTV announced it has acquired the rights to the iconic tune.

TORONTO – The on-again, off-again effort to rescue the familiar theme song to CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” took a dramatic turn Monday when rival network CTV announced it had purchased the rights to the iconic tune in perpetuity.

TORONTO – The on-again, off-again effort to rescue the familiar theme song to CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” took a dramatic turn Monday when rival network CTV announced it had purchased the rights to the iconic tune in perpetuity.