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HALIFAX – On a United States team full of youth, its youngest player led the team to victory Friday night.Chicago Blackhawks 19-year-old sniper Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists as the U.

DENVER – The Reunion Tour didn’t go exactly as planned for the Colorado Avalanche.Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote rejoined Colorado captain Joe Sakic in Denver for the second half of the season and helped the Avalanche return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

HALIFAX – Somebody, give this kid a chance.Goalie Robert Kristan came into the IIHF World Hockey Championship about as unheralded as you can be and promptly made 60 saves for Slovenia during a 5-1 loss to Canada in Friday’s opening game.

HALIFAX – Drums pounded, beer was swilled by the bucketful and the wild and crazy guys of international hockey worked their over-refreshed charm as the IIHF World Hockey Championship came to Canada for the first time Friday.

MONTREAL – Rookie Carey Price will be back in goal as the Montreal Canadiens try to stave off elimination from the NHL playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers.

HALIFAX – It’s only one game into the IIHF World Hockey Championship and Dany Heatley has already found a pretty cool souvenir.He’ll be taking a puck back to his home in Ottawa after passing Marcel Dionne to become Canada’s all-time leading scorer at this event.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild star winger Marian Gaborik had minor arthroscopic surgery on his right hip on Friday to relieve “irritation” that bothered him for most of the season.

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames signed first-round draft pick Mikael Backlund to a contract Friday.The six-foot, 194-pounder was selected with the 24th overall pick of the 2007 NHL entry draft.

QUEBEC – The Russian Ice Hockey Federation’s top boss says the National Hockey League is still the destination of choice among most Russian players.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings lack the household names they had the last time they hoisted the Stanley Cup.The way they’re playing, though, anybody remotely interested in hockey knows – or will find out soon – who’s on the team.

Scoring summaries from Thursday’s NHL games:Penguins 0 at Rangers 3First PeriodNo Scoring.Penalties – M.Staal NYR (goaltender interference) 1:53, Hossa Pgh (holding) 6:32, M.

DENVER – Johan Franzen outscored the Colorado Avalanche by himself.Franzen’s second hat trick in three games fueled the Detroit Red Wings’ 8-2 rout Thursday night that completed a sweep of the injury-riddled Avalanche.

DENVER – Johan Franzen keeps pushing aside Gordie Howe’s records.In March, his six game-winning goals bested the franchise record of five established by Howe in 1952, and on Thursday night, he scored three goals in the Detroit Red Wings’ series-clinching 8-2 rout of the Colorado Avalanche, giving him nine in the four-game sweep.

Movements in the world of hockey Thursday:American Hockey LeagueCHICAGO WOLVES-Signed G Craig Kowalski..

NEW YORK – Jaromir Jagr was flat on his stomach after scoring and cheers echoed through Madison Square Garden in what might have been his last home game with the New York Rangers.

NEW YORK – Jaromir Jagr didn’t get the chance to celebrate his goal because the New York Rangers captain was flattened just as he shot.After a season-saving 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday night, no one could stop him from applauding the adoring Madison Square Garden crowd that wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Several of the current San Jose Sharks still remember the nagging ache of uncertainty that a team gets when it has three victories in a playoff series, but just can’t nail down the fourth.

HALIFAX – The players shuffled through the interview area one by one Thursday and it quickly became evident what kind of message Team Canada had been delivered on the eve of the IIHF World Hockey Championship.

By Allan Hougaard
The Czech Ice Hockey Association has decided not to sign the IIHF’s player transfer deal with the NHL after the 14 hockey clubs in the Czech Extraliga voted in favor of ending the current deal immediately.

DENVER – The ailing Colorado Avalanche will be without centre Peter Forsberg and forward Ryan Smyth for Game 4 against the Detroit Red Wings.