The Los Angeles Kings and left wing Raitis Ivanans have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension, announced today by Kings' President/General Manager Dean Lombardi. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Ivanans, 29, has been part of the Kings' organization since the club signed him as an unrestricted free agent on July 13, 2006. He has played in 113 career regular season games over three NHL seasons with the Kings and Montreal, recording 12 points (6-6=12) and 229 penalty minutes. This season, he has four points (2-2=4) and 80 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Kings. Ivanans, a 6-3, 263-pound native of Riga, Latvia, last season set career highs for goals (4), assists (4), points (8), and games played (66) while leading the Kings and finishing eighth in the NHL with 140 penalty minutes. He also finished third on the Kings with a career-high 101 hits. In 2005-06, Ivanans made his NHL debut with Montreal, totaling zero points and nine penalty minutes in four games.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed center Patrick Sharp to a four-year contract extension and acquired right winger Craig Adams from the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations Thursday. Sharp, who broke into the NHL with Philadelphia in 2002-03, already has career highs with 22 goals and 36 points in his third season with the Blackhawks. He leads the NHL with seven shorthanded goals -- three shy of the team record -- and nine shorthanded points. "I love the city of Chicago and the Chicago fans and I want to be here for a long time," Sharp said in a statement. "I feel that our team has improved and continues to get better. Team success is a product of individual success and I will do everything I can to help bring a championship to the city of Chicago." Sharp's extension was part of a busy day for the Blackhawks. Adams, who had been with the Hurricanes since 2000, had two goals and three assists this season.

Brent Sopel apparently has made a positive impression on the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks on Thursday signed the defenseman to a three-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed, but TSN of Canada reports the deal to be worth $7 million. Sopel originally had agreed with the Blackhawks on a one-year contract in September. In 33 games this season, Sopel has registered 10 assists and a plus-10 rating.

Alexander Ovechkin agreed to a $124 million, 13-year contract extension Thursday with the Washington Capitals, working out the details himself in negotiations with owner Ted Leonsis and general manager George McPhee. The Capitals scheduled a news conference for 8:30 p.m. to officially announce the deal. The 22-year-old Russian star was in the final season of a three-year, entry-level deal. His salary-cap number for this season, taking into account bonuses, is $3.83 million. If he had become a free agent at the end of the season, the Capitals would have had the right to match any offer from another team. Leonsis long maintained he intended to make sure Ovechkin remained with the Capitals.