Brendan Shanahan is retiring from the NHL.

After 21 seasons and an almost certain Hall of Fame career, the 40-year-old forward announced Wednesday that he wouldn’t play again. After going through training camp with the New Jersey Devils, the team he spent his final season with, he and the club mutually parted unexpectedly shortly before opening night of the season.

That move came one day after Shanahan, who scored 656 career goals, was told there was no spot for him on the Devils’ top three lines.

He has not played this season.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk may return to action less than three weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right foot.

Kovalchuk practiced Wednesday but left early. Coach John Anderson says Kovalchuk’s availability will be a game-time decision Thursday night at the New York Rangers.

Kovalchuk, the Thrashers’ captain, was expected to miss three to five weeks after suffering the injury on Oct. 24. He was tied for second in the league with nine goals when he was struck on the foot by a puck against the San Jose Sharks.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed veteran goaltender Manny Legace to a one-year, $500,000 deal, general manager Jim Rutherford said Monday.

The Hurricanes lost starting goalie Cam Ward to injury Saturday for at least a month.

Legace, a 10-year NHL veteran with the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, has played six games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season, logging 317 minutes while going 2-2-1 with a 3.21 goals-against average.

He last played in the NHL for the Blues last season.


Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

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Alex Ovechkin says he was joking when he told a reporter over the weekend that he could be out more than a month.

The Washington Capitals star practiced lightly Monday and said he would actually miss about a week.

He hasn’t played since leaving a Nov. 1 game against Columbus after he was hurt in a scrum. The Capitals said last week that Ovechkin, whose 14 goals and 23 points lead the team, was week to week with what they called an upper-body problem.

Ovechkin, who was quoted by Yahoo! Sports on Saturday night as saying he could miss four or five weeks, insisted his left shoulder was not affected by the still unspecified injury, animatedly flexing the joint and telling reporters with a smile, “The shoulder’s fine, see?”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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The NHL’s 30 general managers agreed Wednesday to study the idea of making blindside hits to the head illegal next season.


A group of seven GMs will be formed within the next month to specifically study the issue and report back to the full group at the next general managers’ meeting in March.

“Everybody in the room knows this is an important subject. It’s going to require further discussion because it’s not a simple subject,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said after the meeting wrapped up. “I do think there’s a sense that when there’s a shot to the head for a player who’s in a vulnerable position, or is unsuspecting, that’s something that perhaps can and should be addressed.”

The crushing blow by Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards on Florida Panthers star winger David Booth earlier this season was the kind of blindside hit most of the GMs at the meeting believed possibly should be made illegal. According to the current rule book, it is considered a legal hit.

Click here to read the full article – By Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com

Forward Fabian Brunnstrom will miss a game after injuring his shoulder in practice, Dallas Stars coach Marc Crawford said Wednesday.

Brunnstrom, who did not practice Wednesday, injured his shoulder on a hit from Stephane Robidas in Tuesday’s practice. Brunnstrom has one goal and six assists and is minus-1 in 17 games played this season.

James Neal (pulled groin), who leads the Stars with nine goals and is second on the team with 17 points, returned to practice Tuesday and will play at San Jose on Thursday.

Crawford juggled some of his line combinations in preparation for Thursday’s game. Lines during practice were:


Click here to read the full article – By Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com

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Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo was back in the net after missing two weeks because of a broken rib.


Luongo, who hadn’t played since he was injured on Oct. 27, replaced Andrew Raycroft at the start of the second period Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues led the game 4-0 after one period.

“That’s the only positive thing,” Luongo said after the Canucks’ 6-1 loss. “I got some minutes, but it’s tough. You don’t want to come in situations like that.”

Luongo took part in the Canucks’ morning skate Tuesday but wasn’t expected to play until Thursday in Detroit. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault removed Raycroft after the goalie allowed four goals on 13 shots.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

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The St. Louis Blues believed they were due for a breakout game at home. Andy McDonald, Brad Boyes and David Perron paved the way for an offensive outburst.

The trio combined for 10 points, with Perron recording his first NHL hat trick, Boyes netting a goal and three assists, and McDonald contributing a goal and two assists in his 500th career game.

It added up to St. Louis’ 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

The Blues, who were 1-5-1 in their first seven home games, scored four times in the first 7:36 — including Perron’s two goals in a span of 1:54.

“We hadn’t played real well at home,” said Boyes, who nearly matched his season total of six points. “It was a tough building to play in last year. We’ve got to get that way again. This was a good way to get going.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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The Minnesota Wild took advantage of the lackluster Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mikko Koivu scored one goal and assisted on two others in the second period as the Wild ended the Maple Leafs’ two-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.

Marek Zidlicky broke a 1-1 tie at 5:44 of the period. Then, 26 seconds after Koivu beat Jonas Gustavsson at 17:29, Greg Zanon made it 4-1.

Niklas Backstrom made that stand up with 37 saves for the Wild (7-10), who also got goals from Martin Havlat and Owen Nolan into an empty net to win for the fourth time in five games. Minnesota won in Toronto for the first time (1-4) since joining the NHL in 2000-01.


Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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Scott Nichol took care of the small details that led to a big victory for the San Jose Sharks.


Dan Boyle scored with a minute left in the third period to lift the Sharks to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

“We deserved a point and all we need is a save from the goalie and we didn’t get it,” Predators goaltender Dan Ellis said. “We’re playing the best team in the league and we played pretty well for the most part.”

Nichol, the third line center and former Predators player, sparked a third-period rally by hustling down the ice to save an icing call. He intercepted Ellis’ outlet pass, stayed on the ice despite having the wind knocked out of him, and drew the only Nashville penalty of the night.


Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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