The Wild have signed rookie goaltender Johan Gustafsson to a three-year, entry-level contract. The team announced the signing on Thursday, giving them five picks from the 2010 draft under contract. The 20-year-old Gustafsson had a 1.68 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in the Swedish Elite League this season.

The Ducks announced today that the club has signed Orange County native Ryan Lasch to a two-year contract. Lasch, 25, who completed four years of college hockey at St. Cloud State of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association from 2006-10, recently represented Team USA at the 2012 IIHF World Championship in Helsinki and Stockholm. Born in Lake Forest, CA, Lasch becomes the first player from Orange County to join the Ducks organization. Lasch collected 183 points in 161 career collegiate contests with St. Cloud State from 2006-10, becoming the university's all-time leading scorer. A Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist in 2007-08, Lasch scored a collegiate career-high 53 points in 40 contests that season.

The Blue Jackets have signed center Derek MacKenzie to a two-year contract, club Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and GM Scott Howson announced today. MacKenzie, 30, has registered 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points with 92 penalty minutes and a +18 plus/minus rating in 193 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Thrashers. "We are very pleased to have re-signed Derek as he is a versatile and reliable player with a tremendous work ethic who brings energy to our team," said Howson.

Bob Hartley has been hired as the new head coach of the Flames, the team announced on Thursday. "Bob Hartley is a winner. Bob has won at every level he has coached, from the QMJHL to the AHL to the NHL to Switzerland, and we are confident he is going to continue his winning ways in Calgary," Flames GM Jay Feaster said in a statement. The former Thrashers and Avalanche bench boss coached in Switzerland with Zurich this past season.

Nicklas Lidstrom retired Thursday after 20 seasons with the Red Wings, ending one of the best careers in NHL history. The four-time Stanley Cup champion and seven-time Norris Trophy winner as the league's best defenseman fought back tears as he made the announcement. "My drive and motivation are not where to need to be to play at this level," Lidstrom said. The 42-year-old Swede set an NHL record by playing 1,564 games with a single team.

Addressing the media in a news conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, commissioner Gary Bettman said he is optimistic the Devils' financial situation will be resolved within the next few weeks. Bettman said that team owner Jeff Vanderbeek is close to refinancing the club's debt.

Gary Bettman expects negotiations with the players' association on a new collective bargaining agreement to begin in a couple of weeks. In news conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Kings and Devils, Bettman said Wednesday that talk of a lockout is nothing more than speculation at this point since labor and management have not met. "Time will tell how this all sorts out," Bettman said. "I am hopeful this all sorts out easily because labor peace is preferable to the alternative."

Rangers GM Glen Sather is still having a tough time dealing with his club's elimination in the Eastern Conference finals. Sather is still looking to build a champion in New York. He saw the Rangers reach the NHL final four, but they were knocked out in six games by the Devils. "We just got knocked out a couple of days ago," said Wednesday at the NHL general managers meeting before the opener of the Stanley Cup finals. "It's tough enough to go to bed at night and get up the next morning. You've got to adjust. It's like having a death in the family."

The Ducks announced today that the club has signed defenseman Tim Heed to a three-year, entry-level contract. Heed, 21, completed the 2011-12 season with Malmo of Sweden's Allsvenskan league (second division), scoring 4-26=30 points with 10 penalty minutes in 47 contests. The defensemen led all league blueliners in assists and ranked second in scoring. Selected by Anaheim in the fifth round (132nd overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Heed recorded 8-29=37 points with 20 PIM in 32 games with Sodertalje's Swedish junior team during the 2009-10 season.

The NHL will not discipline players on the Coyotes after conducting an investigation of their postgame actions and comments following their season-ending, overtime loss in the Western Conference finals, league executive vice president Colin Campbell said Wednesday night before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals.