Matthew Tkachuk says he's ready for the Battle of Florida after waging the Battle of Alberta for the first six years of his NHL career.

"I hate Edmonton, but I hate Tampa more now," said Tkachuk, who was traded by the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal on Friday night.

Tkachuk was introduced by the Panthers at a news conference on Monday, having signed an eight-year, $76 million contract extension. 

The San Jose Sharks were finalizing details on Thursday night to make David Quinn their next head coach, sources told ESPN.

Quinn, 55, was previously the head coach of the New York Rangers from 2018 to '21, amassing a record of 96-87-25 in 208 games. 

Andrej Sekera announced his retirement on Tuesday after almost two decades in the NHL.

The Slovak defenseman played the past 15 full seasons since making his debut in 2006. Sekera played 888 regular-season and playoff games for the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.

Johnny Gaudreau shocked the hockey world when he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets on the opening day of NHL free agency Wednesday.

But according to Gaudreau -- who was one of this year's most coveted unrestricted free agents -- the decision to agree on a seven-year, $68.25 million pact with the Blue Jackets was a no-brainer.

Scotty Bowman has left the Chicago Blackhawks after what he called "a pretty uncomfortable year."

Bowman announced Tuesday he no longer works for the organization as of July 1, saying he decided it was time to move on after 14 years as the Blackhawks' senior hockey operations adviser.

Derek King is staying with the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach on Luke Richardson's staff.

King finished last season as Chicago's interim coach after Jeremy Colliton was fired on Nov. 6. He was in the mix for the full-time job, but Richardson was hired last month.

The Colorado Avalanche are reshuffling their front office after winning the Stanley Cup.

Executive vice president/general manager Joe Sakic has been named the team's president of hockey operations, clearing the way for assistant GM Chris MacFarland to take over as the fifth general manager in Colorado team history.

MacFarland just completed his seventh season as the Avalanche's assistant GM.

The Edmonton Oilers have granted Evander Kane permission to speak with other teams before the NHL's free-agency period opens, his agent said Monday.

In a text to multiple media outlets, Kane's agent, Daniel Milstein, wrote he's opening talks with other teams while also continuing discussions with the Oilers. His client is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.

"While we are still hopeful to have a deal in place with Edmonton, we are starting the interview process with other clubs," Milstein wrote in the message.

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving struck an optimistic tone on Friday when discussing superstar Johnny Gaudreau remaining with his team rather than hitting unrestricted free agency next week.

"If I didn't think that it was possible, then we'd probably have turned our attention somewhere else," Treliving said. "That's not to say that it's a slam dunk. But when you think that there's a deal there to get done, you keep working at it."

The NHL will open its 2022-23 regular season on Oct. 11 with a heavyweight double-header, featuring an Eastern Conference Final rematch between Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers and Pacific Division clash of Los Angeles and Vegas.

That and more was revealed Wednesday afternoon when the NHL unveiled its entire schedule for the upcoming year.