The NHL and its players? union have formed a group to examine the size and configuration of goalie equipment. They will meet June 11 in Toronto. There is a belief that reducing the size of goalie equipment would increase scoring, according to an Associated Press report.

It has been a challenging year for Canadiens' forward Michael Ryder. Ryder struggled in the regular season and was a healthy scratch for a fifth straight playoff game on Monday, as reported by the Canadian Press. Coach Guy Carbonneau decided to sit Mathieu Dandenault for Game 3 of Montreal?s second-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, but rather than call on Ryder, he went with Guillaume Latendresse.

Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore will start Tuesday?s Game Three of his team?s Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Red Wings, as reported by Yahoo.com.

Canadian coach Ken Hitchcock predicted Monday morning that his team was in for a ?wakeup call? just hours before it was beaten 4-1 by Russia in the final exhibition game before the start of the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Ottawa, as reported by the Canadian Press.

Alex Ovechkin joined the Russian squad in advance of the world championships and was awaiting insurance before he will be allowed to participate, according to an Associated Press report. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation will be responsible for insuring Ovechkin and the $124M, 13-year contract he signed with the Capitals.

General manager Daryl Sutter believes that Calgary's Mike Keenan is an elite coach in the NHL, according to Flames.com. "He is our coach. He is like an elite player. He is an elite coach and there are not many of those guys," Sutter said of Keenan, who has two years left on his contract.

Scott Hartnell will be back on the Flyers' top line on Monday night against the Canadiens in Game Two, according to NHL.com "We didn't win the last game and we didn't score, so (Coach John Stevens) is looking for a spark," said Danny Briere. "He's hoping we can recreate what we did against Washington in the first round." He will play on the first line with Briere and Vaclav Prospal.

Sarnia Sting centre Steve Stamkos topped Central Scouting?s final rankings for the 2008 entry draft, as reported by the Canadian Press. Stamkos, a six-foot, 176-pound forward from Toronto, had 58 goals in 61 games in the OHL. He also helped Canada win gold at the World Junior Hockey Championship at age 17. The Lightning have the No. 1 pick in the draft June 20-21 in Ottawa. The Kings pick second with the Thrashers having the third selection.

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that Executive Vice President/General Manager Brian Burke will remain with the team through at least the 2008-09 season, which is the last under his current four-year contract. Negotiations between the club and Burke on a contract extension will continue. ?I work for the best owners in sports,? said Burke. ?After meeting with Mike (Chief Executive Officer Michael Schulman) this morning, we?ve decided to end all unnecessary media speculation and commit to working together for at least one more year while continuing to discuss my long-term future with the Ducks.? Burke led the Ducks to the 2007 Stanley Cup Championship, the first-ever by a California-based club. Including their run to the 2006 Western Conference Finals, Burke has led the Ducks to six series wins in his three seasons in Anaheim. He was recently ranked as the No. 1 General Manager in the NHL in The Hockey News Annual GM Rankings (March, 2008). ?Brian Burke is the best general manager in the NHL and we always expected him to return,? said Ducks Owner Henry Samueli. ?Our goal is to sign him to a long-term agreement beyond next season.? ?I met with Brian this morning to discuss his future,? said Schulman. ?We agreed to move forward, as planned, under his existing contract while working toward a contract extension.? The 2007-08 Ducks went 47-27-8 for 102 points, finishing fourth in the Western Conference. The team set new club records for fewest goals allowed (184) and most home wins (28). The Ducks were the first team since the 2003-04 New Jersey Devils to record over 100 points the year following a Stanley Cup Final appearance.

The Stars have assigned left wing Nolan Baumgartner to Manitoba of the AHL on Wednesday, as reported by Yahoo.com.