March 2016 - Hockey Wiretap

Leafs Win NHL Draft Lottery

May 2, 2016 2:54 PM

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery.

The Leafs will own the top overall pick for the first time in more than 30 years.

Auston Matthews is expected to be the top pick.

The Canadian Press

Tags: Toronto Maple Leafs, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor

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Bruce Boudreau Fired By Ducks

Apr 30, 2016 8:36 PM

Bruce Boudreau has been fired as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks were eliminated in the first round by the Nashville Predators.

Boudreau has won 409 regular-season games and eight division titles, but just five playoff rounds in his coaching career.

ESPN

Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Misc Rumor

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Wild GM: Torchetti A Serious Candidate For Permanent Head Coach

Apr 30, 2016 10:30 AM

Wild GM Chuck Fletcher says interim coach John Torchetti is "definitely a very serious candidate" to be the team's permanent head coach.

Fletcher held an end-of-the-season media session Thursday, four days after the Wild were eliminated from the playoffs by the Stars. Torchetti took over for the fired Mike Yeo in February and helped turn around the Wild.

He inherited a team that had gone 1-11-2 in its previous 14 games to plummet out of the playoff picture. The Wild finished 17-15-1 under Torchetti, including the playoffs.

ESPN.com

Tags: Minnesota Wild, Misc Rumor

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Bishop, Holtby, Quick Are Vezina Trophy Finalists

Apr 30, 2016 10:31 AM

Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop, Washington's Braden Holtby and Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick are the finalists for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie.

The league's GM's submitted ballots at the end of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists Wednesday. The winner will be announced June 22 during the NHL awards in Las Vegas.

ESPN.com

Tags: Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Misc Rumor, Personal Award

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Stamkos Is Skating, But Not Close To Returning

Apr 30, 2016 8:37 PM

Steven Stamkos is serving as an inspiration for the Lightning as the defending Eastern Conference champions attempt to make a deep playoff run without him.

He was back on the ice with teammates Tuesday, participating in shooting and skating drills for the first time since undergoing surgery for a blood clot discovered near his right collarbone this month.

Stamkos and coach Jon Cooper, however, stressed he is not anywhere close to being ready to face the Islanders in a second-round series that begins Wednesday night.

"Nothing's changed from the original timeline," said Stamkos, who wore a red noncontact sweater during an hourlong practice.

ESPN.com

Tags: Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Injury, Misc Rumor

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NHL Suspends Schenn For First Three Games Next Season

Apr 30, 2016 8:37 PM

The NHL on Tuesday suspended Flyers forward Brayden Schenn for the first three games of the 2016-17 season for charging Capitals forward T.J. Oshie in Game 6 on Sunday.

ESPN.com

Tags: Philadelphia Flyers, Misc Rumor, Suspension

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GM Tallon: Panthers Don't Expect Willie Mitchell Back

Apr 30, 2016 8:37 PM

Willie Mitchell played parts of 15 NHL seasons, and even found a way back on the ice after a knee injury kept him out for more than a year.

This time, it looks almost certain that he's gone for good.

The Panthers don't expect their captain to be back next season, and one of his closest friends on the team essentially revealed Tuesday that he thinks Mitchell's career is over. Mitchell missed the final 42 games of this season largely over concern what another brain injury would mean to his long-term health, and it's been expected for weeks that this season would be the finale.

"Willie's been a consummate professional," Panthers GM Dale Tallon said. "He's been a great captain. He's won Stanley Cups. He's given his body and soul to the game. It's hard. ... It's never easy and I'll give him all the support he can get."

ESPN.com

Tags: Florida Panthers, Injury, Misc Rumor

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Lecavalier Plans To Retire After 17-Year NHL Career

Apr 28, 2016 11:54 PM

Vincent Lecavalier intends to retire this summer, ending his 17-year NHL career after one last revitalizing season with the Los Angeles Kings.

ESPN.com

Tags: Los Angeles Kings, Misc Rumor

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Sources: NHL's Olympic Participation In Doubt

Apr 28, 2016 2:14 AM

The NHL's future participation in the Olympics is in doubt.

Sources have confirmed to ESPN.com that the NHL, NHL Players Association and International Ice Hockey Federation met last week, at which point the IIHF updated all parties with the news that the International Olympic Committee is balking at reimbursing some of the expenses that were paid for in the past for the league and players.

The IOC has helped cover expenses such as insurance for players and travel costs ever since NHL participation commenced in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.

The news was first reported by Inside The Games on Saturday.

ESPN.com

Tags: Misc Rumor

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Hurricanes, Joakim Nordstrom Agree On Two-Year Deal

Apr 27, 2016 1:16 AM

Joakim Nordstrom and the Hurricanes have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension.

The team also said Friday that it reached a deal with defenseman Jake Chelios on a one-year, two-way contract.

Nordstrom had 10 goals and 14 assists in 71 games this season for the Hurricanes, who acquired him in September in a trade with Chicago.

ESPN.com

Tags: Carolina Hurricanes, Misc Rumor, Signing, Terms Agreement

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NHL Suspends Andrew Shaw One-Game For Anti-Gay Slur
Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw will miss Game 5 in St. Louis on Thursday.

ESPN.com

Claude Julien To Return Next Season
Bruins GM Don Sweeney announced Thursday that coach Claude Julien will return for his 10th season.

ESPN.com

Leafs Sign Morgan Rielly, Nazem Kadri To New Deals
The Maple Leafs have signed Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri to six-year contract extensions.

Press Release

Senators Fire Coach Dave Cameron
Dave Cameron had a 70-50-17 record with the Senators.

ESPN.com

Coyotes Fire GM Don Maloney
The Coyotes missed the NHL playoffs for the fourth straight season.

ESPN.com

Hawks' Kane First American To Lead NHL In Scoring
Patrick Kane finished the regular season with a career-high 106 points.

ESPN.com

Pavel Datsyuk To Retire After NHL Playoffs
Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk plans to retire from the NHL and go back to Russia after this season.

ESPN.com

Senators Name Pierre Dorion New GM
Bryan Murray will remain with the Senators in an advisory role.

ESPN.com

Sakic: 'Roy Will Return For Another Season'
The Avalanche have missed the NHL playoffs for a second straight season.

ESPN.com

Thomas Vanek Will Miss The Start Of The Playoffs
Wild left wing Thomas Vanek has aggravated an upper-body injury.

ESPN.com

John Hynes To Coach USA National Team
The Men's World Championship will be held next month in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

ESPN.com

Blackhawks Should Be At Full Strength For Playoffs
The Blackhawks lost to the Blues by the score of 2-1 in overtime on Thursday night.

ESPN.com

Red Wings Move Closer To Playoffs
The Red Wings will be back in the NHL playoffs if they beat the Bruins on Thursday night.

ESPN.com

Panthers Clinch Atlantic Division Title
The Panthers won their fourth straight game on Tuesday night, beating the Canadiens by the score of 4-1.

ESPN.com

Patrick Kane Reaches 100-Point Mark On Season
Patrick Kane is the first player to reach 100-points this season.

ESPN.com

Flyers Add Veteran Goaltender Ray Emery
Ray Emery will not be eligible to play in the NHL playoffs.

ESPN.com

Stamkos To Have Surgery For Blood Clot In Arm
Lightning forward Steven Stamkos is expected to miss one to three months.

ESPN.com