The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract with defenseman Alec Martinez, Kings' President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Martinez was the club?s fourth-round selection (95th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Martinez, 20, recently finished his junior season with Miami University (Ohio) where he recorded 32 points (9-23=32) and 42 penalty minutes in 42 games. He also this past season earned CCHA All Tournament honors; was named the CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman; led all CCHA defensemen in goals and points; and was fourth among all CCHA defensemen in assists while his 32 points and his 23 assists were personal highs. The 6-1, 207-pound native of Rochester Hills, Michigan, compiled 67 points (21-46=67) and 113 penalty minutes in 123 career games during his three collegiate seasons. During the 2004-05 season, Martinez played for Cedar Rapids of the United States Hockey League, where in 58 games he recorded 21 points (10-11=21) and 30 penalty minutes.

New York Rangers' President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Miika Wiikman. Wiikman, 23, appeared in 34 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, posting a 21-8-3 record, along with a 2.30 goals against average, a .919 save percentage and two shutouts. The AHL rookie ranked 10th in the league in goals against average, and he finished tied for sixth overall in save percentage. Wiikman also led the Wolf Pack in wins and tied for the team lead in shutouts. In addition, he appeared in four regular season games with the Charlotte Checkers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), registering a 1-1-2 mark, along with a 2.36 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. The 5-11, 177-pound goaltender has appeared in 75 games with HPK Hameenlinna of the Finnish Elite League (SM-liiga) over three seasons, posting a 38-16-20 record, along with a 2.30 goals against average, a .922 save percentage and five shutouts. In 2005-06, Wiikman established career-highs in games played (34), wins (21), goals against average (2.09), save percentage (.929), and shutouts (three). Additionally, he has appeared in 13 playoff games with HPK Hameenlinna, recording a 9-3 mark with three shutouts, along with a 1.98 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. In 2006, he led Hameenlinna to their only SM-liiga championship in the club?s 62-year history. The native of Mariestad, Sweden, signed an AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack prior to the 2007-08 regular season.

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract with forward Bud Holloway, Kings' President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Holloway was the club?s third-round selection (86th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Holloway, 20, recently finished his fourth full season with the Western Hockey League?s Seattle Thunderbirds, recording 83 points (43-40=83) and 55 penalty minutes in 70 regular season games and 10 points (5-5=10) and four penalty minutes in 12 playoff games. His 43 goals were third in the WHL while his 83 points were ninth in the league. He was tied for second in the league with nine game-winning goals and was tied for third with a plus-36 rating and four short-handed goals. Holloway was named the WHL Player of the Month for March after he posted 16 points (11-5=16) and a plus-9 rating in nine games. The 6-1, 190-pound native of Wapella, Saskatchewan, has increased his goals, assists, points, and plus-minus totals in each of his four full seasons in the WHL. In 2006-07, Holloway recorded 65 points (27-38=65) and was a plus-20 in 71 games. He had 34 points (21-13=34) in 2005-06 and 15 points (4-11=15) in 2004-05. Holloway began his WHL tenure with the Thunderbirds in 2003-04, recording zero points in two games.

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract with forward Oscar Moller, Kings' President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Moller was the club?s second-round selection (52nd overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Moller, 19, recently finished his second season with the Western Hockey League?s Chilliwack Bruins, recording 82 points (39-43=82) and 42 penalty minutes in 63 regular season games and three points (1-2=3) and four penalty minutes in four playoff games. His 39 goals were seventh in the WHL while his 82 points were tied for 10th in the league. He was tied for fourth in the league with 16 power-play goals and tied for fifth with 28 power-play assists. Moller was named a WHL First-Team All-Star, the only European player recognized by the WHL in either All-Star selections or award nominations. The 5-11, 179-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden, also this season played in two playoff games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, where he had one assist. He was a member of Team Sweden at the 2008 World Junior Championship, and he recorded five points (3-2=5) and was a plus-3 in six games, helping Team Sweden to the silver medal. In 2006-07, Moller netted 69 points for Chilliwack (32-37=69) in 68 games. His 32 goals led Chilliwack and were tied for third among WHL rookies while his 69 points was fifth among league freshman. In addition, he was named co-winner of the Bruins' Rookie of the Year award. Moller also captained Team Sweden to a bronze medal at the Under-18 World Championship last summer.

The Nashville Predators have compiled one of the best records in the NHL over the past four seasons, averaging 99.5 points per season, and will be under the same direction moving forward as President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today contract extensions for Head Coach Barry Trotz, Associate Coach Brent Peterson, Assistant Coach Peter Horachek, Goaltending Coach Mitch Korn, Video Coach Robert Bouchard, as well as medical and training staff and members of the scouting department. ?We have a group of dedicated and passionate people who have worked together to grow the Predators into a top-flight NHL hockey department,? Poile said. ?We have drafted well over the years; we have developed some outstanding young players; we have attracted premier free agents; and, most importantly, we have won a lot of games over the past four years. Despite much adversity of the past year, the team never used that adversity as an excuse?a tribute to the efforts of the coaching staff. I am pleased that this group will remain together in our pursuit of a Stanley Cup for Nashville.? Trotz, 45, has coached all 738 regular-season games (324-308-106) in the Predators? 10 years and has made the club one of just seven teams to make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last four seasons, guiding Nashville to 141 victories over the past four campaigns. He led the Predators to franchise records in wins (51), road wins (23), points (110), and goals (272) in 2006-07 and earned a spot as an assistant coach with the Western Conference at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game. Trotz is now the second most tenured coach in the NHL with his current team behind only Buffalo?s Lindy Ruff. During the 2007-08 season, he moved into 13th place on the NHL all-time wins list with one franchise as he now has 324 regular season wins. Among active coaches, Trotz trails only Ruff (1997-present) in active tenure with the same club. The Winnipeg, Man. native was named Nashville?s first coach on Aug. 6, 1997, and spent a season scouting before leading the franchise?s inaugural edition in 1998-99. Brent Peterson became an assistant coach with Nashville on June 19, 1998 after leading the Western Hockey League?s Portland Winter Hawks to the Memorial Cup. He was promoted to associate coach on June 19, 2003, and the Calgary, Alta. native has been instrumental in developing and implementing team systems. Assistant coach Peter Horachek has helped the Predators advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his three seasons behind the Nashville bench. He joined the Predators in 2003-04 after coaching Nashville?s primary developmental affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, the season before. Mitch Korn, who joined the organization on July 23, 1998, has worked with the Predators? goaltenders and those in the Nashville developmental system for the last 10 years. The well-known goaltending coach has worked with a number of top NHL goalies, and local success stories include Nashville?s current goaltending duo of Chris Mason and Dan Ellis. Robert Bouchard has been a member of the Nashville hockey department since 1998, and he has spent the last eight years as the club?s video coach. He is responsible for video analysis of all pre-scout and Predators? game film, contributing to the formulation of scouting reports on the opposition and the production of all instructional/teaching tapes for players and prospects throughout the program. Since the 2005-06 season, the Predators rank sixth in the NHL in wins (141) and trail only Detroit in home wins (83) since the start of that campaign. Under the direction of Nashville?s current coaching staff, the Predators have successfully developed young players drafted by the organization, including David Legwand, Martin Erat, Dan Hamhuis, Jordin Tootoo, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Kevin Klein and Alexander Radulov. Several players, when given the opportunity, have worked their way into the Predators lineup, including Vern Fiddler, Greg Zanon, Jerred Smthson, Chris Mason and Dan Ellis. Additionally, in the last three years, the Predators have attracted free agents such as Paul Kariya, Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont, Radek Bonk, Greg deVries, and Martin Gelinas. In addition to the coaches, head athletic trainer Dan Redmond, and head equipment manager Pete Rogers as well as their staffs have been given contract extensions.

The Hurricanes and Sergei Samsonov on Wednesday agreed to terms on a three-year deal, as reported by the Canadian Press. The deal will pay Samsonov US$2.3 million next season, $2.5 million in 2009-10 and $2.8 million in 2010-11.

The Sabres on Sunday agreed to terms for an entry-level contract with Denver defenseman Chris Butler, as reported by Yahoo.com. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract with goaltender Jeff Zatkoff, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today. Zatkoff was the club?s third-round selection (74th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Zatkoff, 20, recently finished his junior season with Miami University (Ohio) posting a 27-8-1 record with a 1.72 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts. His 1.72 goals-against average and .933 save percentage were both ranked first in the CCHA (Central Collegiate Hockey Association) and second nationally. His 27 wins were second in the CCHA and tied for second in the nation. Zatkoff was also named to the CCHA All-Tournament Team last month. The 6-1, 180-pound native of Detroit was 14-8-3 with a 2.26 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and one shutout in 26 appearances for Miami University during the 2006-07 season. His 2.26 goals-against average was second in the CCHA and 15th nationally. His .919 save percentage was third in the CCHA and 17th in the country. Zatkoff also competed with Team USA at the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Would Junior Championship in Sweden. During his three-year tenure at Miami University, Zatkoff went 55-21-5. He was 14-5-1 during his freshman year in 2005-06. In 2004-05, Zatkoff played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL (United States Hockey League), posting a 13-6-3 record with a 2.55 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

The Panthers on Wednesday agreed to terms with defenseman Jason Garrison on a contract, as reported by Yahoo.com. Terms were not disclosed. Garrison recently completed his junior season at the U. of Minnesota Duluth, where he recorded five goals and nine assists in 26 games. The 23-year-old has collected nine tallies and 29 points in 87 career contests with the Bulldogs.

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Ryan Hillier. Hillier, 20, has skated in 70 games with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this season, registering 34 goals and 38 assists for 72 points, along with 55 penalty minutes. He established career-highs in goals (34) and points (72). He also led the team in goals, and finished fifth in assists (38) and third in points. Hillier recorded a career-high, seven-game scoring streak from March 1st at Moncton to March 16th at St. John, collecting six goals and six assists for 12 points over the span. He also registered two hat tricks this season, on January 12th vs. Shawinigan and March 8th vs. Moncton. In addition, he has recorded four goals and five assists in six playoff contests for Halifax this season. The 6-1, 190-pound forward has skated in 208 career QMJHL games with the Halifax Mooseheads, recording 85 goals and 103 assists for 188 points, along with 210 penalty minutes. Last season, Hillier established a career-high in penalty minutes (79), while finishing second on the team in goals (32) and tied for second in points (59). Additionally, he has appeared in 36 playoff games with Halifax, registering nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points, along with 44 penalty minutes. The native of Halifax, Nova Scotia was the Rangers? third round choice, 84th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.