American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that the league’s Board of Governors has formally and unanimously approved the steps necessary to create a Pacific Division within the AHL beginning with the 2015-16 season. 

The Board has approved the following: 

• The Anaheim Ducks will purchase the Norfolk Admirals AHL franchise and will relocate it from Norfolk, Va., to San Diego, Calif. 

• The AHL franchise owned by the Calgary Flames will relocate from Glens Falls, N.Y., to Stockton, Calif. 

• The AHL franchise owned by the Edmonton Oilers will relocate from Oklahoma City, Okla., to Bakersfield, Calif. 

• The AHL franchise owned by the Los Angeles Kings will relocate from Manchester, N.H., to Ontario, Calif. 

• The AHL franchise owned by the San Jose Sharks will relocate from Worcester, Mass., to San Jose, Calif. 

Full division alignments and schedule formats for the 2015-16 season will be determined by the Board of Governors at a later date. 

“Relocating five teams is a complex process, and we are very excited to have brought this initiative to a successful outcome,” said Andrews. “The Western-based NHL clubs have been in dialogue with our league for almost three years, and today’s announcement launches a new era for the American Hockey League and for professional hockey in California.” 

The Bruins have placed Simon Gagne on waivers for the purpose of releasing him, a person familiar with the decision has told The Associated Press.

The decision is regarded a formality. Two weeks ago, the Bruins announced Gagne was placed on their "suspended" list and would miss the remainder of the season following the death of his father in December.

Kings center Mike Richards cleared waivers Tuesday and will join the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, according to an ESPN.com report.

"There's still time here. He knows what he has to do," Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said Monday of the possibility of Richards being assigned to the AHL. 

The NHL's all-time winningest netminder, Martin Brodeur, has decided to retire and will join the Blues' front office, the team announced Tuesday.

Brodeur played for the Blues this season after an injury to Brian Elliott spurred the Blues to sign the veteran goalie, who was an unrestricted free agent after sitting out the first few months of the season.

The Maple Leafs announced Monday that their top defenseman Dion Phaneuf would be out "week to week" with an upper-body injury.

Phaneuf fought twice just before the break, and the injury may have occurred during either fight, according to an ESPN.com report.

Islanders winger Kyle Okposo is expected to miss six to eight weeks with an upper-body injury, according to several reports.

Okposo, 26, who scored a career-high 27 goals in 2013-14, has 14 goals and 44 points through 46 games this season for the Isles.

The Blue Jackets have placed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 21 and said the former Vezina Trophy winner will be out the next four to six weeks with a groin injury, according to an ESPN.com report.

The Kings placed center Mike Richards on waivers Monday, according to an ESPN.com report.

The Kings, according to sources, tried to find a taker via the trade route over the past month, talking to Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg among other teams, but couldn't get a deal done.

John Tavares of the Islanders matched a record with four goals, and Team Toews beat Team Foligno 17-12 on Sunday night in the highest-scoring NHL All-Star game, according to an ESPN.com report.

"We had so many good players on each team," said Flyers forward Jake Voracek, who tied another record with six points. "There's going to be a lot of goals."

The Avalanche will host an outdoor game during the 2015-16 season as part of the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, it was announced today by the NHL. The Avalanche will face off against the Red Wings on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016 at Coors Field.  It will be the first-ever NHL outdoor game in the state of Colorado.
 
“We are incredibly proud and excited to be hosting this extraordinary event,” said Avalanche President & Governor Josh Kroenke.  “The Coors Light NHL Stadium Series has been very successful, and we are honored to be part of it. We would like to thank the National Hockey League for selecting our organization. I’m especially happy for Avalanche fans, who have been instrumental in our team’s success since arriving in Denver.
 
“The outdoor game will be the headline event of our franchise's 20th anniversary season in Colorado, with many other great events planned throughout the year,” added Kroenke.