The Stars have acquired center Steve Begin from the Canadiens for defenseman Doug Janik, according to an Associated Press report. The deal announced Thursday gives Dallas depth after forward Brad Richards broke his right wrist.

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired defenseman Ryan Whitney from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for left wings Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi. Whitney, 26 (2/19/83), appeared in 28 games for Pittsburgh this season, scoring 2-11=13 points with 16 penalty minutes (PIM). Whitney led the Penguins with an average ice time of 24:34 minutes per game and power-play time, averaging 5:39 minutes per contest. The 6-4, 215-pound blue-liner missed the first 33 games of the season with a foot injury before making his 2008-09 debut on Dec. 23 vs. Tampa Bay. Selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Whitney has played four NHL seasons with the Penguins since making his debut in 2005-06. In 253 career games, Whitney has collected 34-116=150 points and 223 PIM with Pittsburgh, averaging 22 minutes-or-more of ice time in each of his four seasons. He ranked sixth in scoring among NHL defensemen in 2006-07 while also setting career highs in goals (14), assists (45), points (59), power play goals (9) and appearances (81). In 2007-08, Whitney ranked second on the Penguins in time on ice (22:28) and fourth in blocked shots (114) before helping lead the club to a Stanley Cup Final appearance against Detroit. A native of Boston, MA, Whitney played for the United States in the World Junior Championships in 2002 and 2003, scoring 1-4=5 points in seven games in 2003. Whitney also played three seasons at Boston University from 2001-04, leading the team as a junior with 9-16=25 points in 2003-04. Kunitz, 29 (9/26/79), appeared in all of Anaheim?s 62 contests this season, scoring 16-19=35 points with 55 PIM and a +9 rating. The Regina, Saskatchewan native led the club in hits in each of the last two seasons. In 315 career NHL contests, Kunitz has collected 81-111=192 points with 299 PIM and a +57 rating. He appeared in his 300th NHL game on Jan. 17 at Minnesota.. A member of the Anaheim?s 2007 Stanley Cup championship team, Kunitz has appeared in 35 career postseason contests (all with Anaheim), earning 4-12=16 points with 35 PIM. The 6-0, 193-pound winger was originally signed by Anaheim as a free agent on Apr. 1, 2003 after playing four years of college hockey with Ferris State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). He was named the CCHA Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist for the 2002-03 season. Tangradi, 20 (2/10/89), appeared in 52 contests with Belleville of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season, collecting 38-49=87 points with 57 PIM. Playing in his third season with the club and first as team captain, the 6-3, 220-pound winger ranked second among league leaders in scoring, fourth in goals and seventh in assists. Tangradi, a 2009 OHL Eastern Conference All-Star, also represented the United States at the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa, scoring 1-2=3 points in six games. Selected by Anaheim in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Philadelphia, PA native has collected 67-100=167 points in 173 career OHL games. In 2007-08, Tangradi helped lead the Bulls to the OHL Championship Series, collecting 7-11=18 points in 20 contests prior to an appearance at the 2008 Memorial Cup.

The Senators acquired center Mike Comrie and defenseman Chris Campoli from the Islanders on Friday for center Dean McAmmond and a first-round draft pick, according to an Associated Press report.

The Thrashers sent Mathieu Schneider to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday in exchange for a second round pick in the 2009 draft. Atlanta also gets Montreal?s third-round pick in 2010. Montreal gets a third-, fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2009 from Atlanta, depending on how the Canadiens fare this season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired left wing Wade Brookbank, defenseman Josef Melichar and a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for left wing Jussi Jokinen, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced. Brookbank, 6 foot 4, 225 pounds, has played in 27 games with Carolina this season, scoring one goal and ranking tied for third on the team in penalty minutes with 40. He is a veteran of 127 career NHL games with Nashville, Vancouver, Boston and the Hurricanes. He has amassed six goals and nine points with a 345 penalty minutes in his career. Brookbank also has a career plus-5 rating. A native of Lanigan, Saskatchewan, Brookbank has also played in 25 games with the American Hockey League?s Albany River Rats this season, recording two assists and 28 penalty minutes. He has played in 231 career AHL games with Albany, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Providence, Manitoba, Binghamton, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids. He has registered two goals, 20 points and 858 penalty minutes in his AHL career. His 285 penalty minutes with Manitoba in 2004-05 set a franchise record for most in a season. He has also played in 17 career Calder Cup Playoff games. Brookbank was undrafted and began his professional career with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 1999-00. Melichar, a 6-2, 222-pound native of Ceske Budjovice, Czech Republic, has played in 15 games with the Hurricanes this season, recording four assists. He has also appeared in 25 games with Albany of the AHL, recording a goal and five points. In his seventh NHL season, Melichar has played in 325 career NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina. He has recorded seven goals and 44 points, including one shorthanded goal, during his career. Melichar has also played in 151 career AHL games with the River Rats and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording six goals and 24 points. Melichar was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round, 71st overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired right wing Mike Brown from Vancouver in exchange for defenseman Nathan McIver. Brown, 23 (6/24/85), appeared in 20 contests with the Canucks this season, collecting one assist (0-1=1) with 85 penalty minutes (PIM). He was tied for second on the club in PIM at the time of the trade. The 6-0, 210-pound winger played in 19 games with Vancouver in 2007-08. He scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 2, 2007 at Minnesota in just his third NHL game. In 39 career NHL contests over two seasons, Brown has earned 1-1=2 points with 140 PIM. A native of Northbrook, IL, Brown was selected by Vancouver in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 189 contests over three seasons with the Manitoba Moose, Vancouver?s affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), scoring 20-11=31 points with 534 PIM. He led the club in PIM in each of the last two seasons. Brown also played two seasons for the University of Michigan in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) from 2003-05, advancing to the Quarterfinals in the NCAA Tournament with the Wolverines in back-to-back seasons. McIver, 24 (1/6/85), appeared in 18 contests with Anaheim this season, earning one assist (0-1=1) with 36 penalty minutes (PIM). The 6-2, 205-pound defenseman logged a season-high 15:24 time on ice (TOI) on Nov. 28 vs. Chicago. He collected his first assist as a Duck on Oct. 14 at Los Angeles, which was also his first contest with Anaheim. In 36 career NHL games, the Summerside, Prince Edward Island native has collected one assist with 95 PIM. Selected by Vancouver in the eighth round (254th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, McIver was claimed by Anaheim on waivers from Vancouver on Oct. 4, 2008. He has played in 172 career AHL games with Manitoba (AHL), collecting 5-11=16 points with 353 PIM.

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired defenseman Sheldon Brookbank from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for center David McIntyre. Brookbank, 28 (10/3/80), appeared in 15 contests with the New Jersey Devils this season, going scoreless with 25 penalty minutes (PIM). He logged a season-high 19:29 TOI on Nov. 9 vs. Edmonton. The Lanigan, Saskatchewan native played in a career-high 44 games with the Devils in 2007-08, collecting eight assists (0-8=8) with 63 PIM. He recorded points in back-to-back contests twice from Mar. 4-7, 2008 (0-2=2) and Dec. 5-7, 2007 (0-3=3). In 62 career NHL contests, Brookbank has earned 0-9=9 points with 100 PIM and a +1 rating. Originally signed as a free agent by Anaheim on July 21, 2003, Brookbank appeared in 134 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Ducks then-affiliate Cincinnati from 2003-05, registering 3-20=23 points with 397 PIM. In 361 career AHL contests, the 6-2, 205-pound Brookbank has collected 29-96=125 points with 970 PIM. In 2006-07, he won the Eddie Shore Trophy as the AHL?s top defenseman, leading all blueliners in points and assists. Brookbank has also appeared in 60 Calder Cup Playoff contests, scoring 2-13=15 points with 143 PIM. He won a Western Conference Championship with Milwaukee in 2005-06. Brookbank was claimed on NHL waivers by New Jersey from Columbus on Oct. 2, 2007. McIntyre, 21 (2/4/87), is competing in his junior season at Colgate University of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). In 26 games thus far, the 5-11, 190-pound forward has collected 13-17=30 points with 30 PIM. A native of Oakville, Ontario, McIntyre ranked second with the Raiders and tied for fourth in the ECAC with 15 goals in 2007-08. Selected by Dallas in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, McIntyre has appeared in 105 career ECAC games with Colgate, recording 28-34=62 points with 80 PIM.