The Seattle Kraken signed general manager Ron Francis to a three-year contract extension Wednesday through the 2026-27 season after the franchise reached the second round of the NHL playoffs in its second year of existence.

Hired to be the first GM in franchise history, Francis navigated through a difficult first season and helped land the players who turned Seattle into a playoff team in the second year without mortgaging future opportunities or putting the Kraken into challen

Brad Treliving has been hired as the Toronto Maple Leafs' next general manager, the team announced Wednesday.

The Leafs parted ways with former GM Kyle Dubas earlier this month, opting not to renew his contract when it was set to expire June 30. Dubas has subsequently been tied to the Pittsburgh Penguins' vacant GM slot.

Treliving spent the past nine seasons as GM of the Calgary Flames. Hired in April 2014, Treliving guided the Flames to five postseason appearances, but winning just two rounds in the process. Calgary missed the postseason entirely following the 2021-22 season. With his contract on the verge of expiring on June 30, Treliving mutually parted with the Flames in April.

The Nashville Predators are making a change behind the bench, hiring Andrew Brunette to replace John Hynes, sources told ESPN's Kevin Weekes on Tuesday.

An official announcement is expected Tuesday afternoon.

Hynes spent part of four seasons with the Predators after replacing outgoing coach Peter Laviolette on Jan. 7, 2020. Nashville reached the playoffs in Hynes' first two full seasons, losing in the first round each time. The Predators failed to qualify for the postseason this year -- a first since 2014 -- after an injury-plagued 42-32-8 campaign.

The Washington Capitals named Spencer Carbery as their new head coach on Tuesday.

Carbery, 41, will receive a four-year deal, a source told ESPN.

Carbery was one of the buzziest names on the coaching circuit, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and running their power play. He now returns to the Capitals organization, where he came up through the ranks coaching for its ECHL and AHL affiliates.

Sportsnet was first to report Carbery's hiring.

The Florida Panthers still don't know who they will face in the Stanley Cup Final, but they now have clarity as to when they will play Game 1.

The Stanley Cup Final will start Saturday, June 3, after the Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Saturday, avoiding elimination for the second straight game.

Game 1 of the Final will be played in Las Vegas or Dallas.

"We just have a plan now of what we're going to do the next few days here before we travel," defenseman Marc Staal said. "So everyone knows what we've got the next few days, and we'll prepare as best we can and go from there. So, it just gets a little more structured if we know what we're doing and prepare that way."

William Karlsson had two goals and an assist for the Vegas Golden Knights, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2018 with a 6-0 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center on Monday.

The Golden Knights will play the Florida Panthers, who swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Game 1 will be in Vegas on Saturday.

Adin Hill made 23 saves, and Keegan Kolesar, Michael Amadio, and William Carrier each had a goal and an assist for Vegas, which is the top seed from the West.

After receiving a two-game suspension in the Western Conference finals, Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn thought his season might be over.

The Stars lost Game 3 to go down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights, the same contest in which Benn cross-checked Mark Stone in the jaw to earn a first-period game misconduct and subsequent two-game ban. But the Stars won the next two games without Benn, giving their captain a chance to return for Game 6 on Monday night in Dallas.

"I was praying we were going to play two solid games just to get another chance and another kick at it here. I'm really proud of the guys," said Benn, who was the first player to hit the ice for practice. "It sucks watching, especially in playoffs. The guys had two gutsy efforts. Character wins and a lot of confidence in this room."

Samuel Blais scored two goals to rally Canada to a 5-2 victory over Germany in the final of the ice hockey world championship Sunday.

It's a record 28th world title for Canada, and its second in three years. Russia has 27 while Germany has never won the trophy.

Defenseman Kristian Rubins scored his second goal 1:22 into overtime to lead Latvia to a 4-3 victory over the United States and earn a bronze medal at the ice hockey world championship Sunday.

It's the first top-three finish for Latvia at the tournament. Its previous best was a seventh place it managed three times.

A healthy scratch to start the series, Ty Dellandrea scored two pivotal, third-period goals in the Dallas Stars' 4-2 victory on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference final.

The win kept the Stars' season alive for at least two more days. Game 6 is Monday night in Dallas.