NHL to Return to Winnipeg

By Justin Worsley,

Fifteen years after the Winnipeg Jets bolted south to become the Phoenix Coyotes, the heart of Canada will have a hockey franchise return to them.

Atlanta Thrashers majority owner Michael Gearon has sold the franchise to True North Sports and Entertainment for $170 million. True North will relocate the franchise to Winnipeg and the league will split a $60 million relocation fee.

Atlanta becomes the first city in NHL history to be lose two franchises due to relocation. The Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980.

The 11-year-old franchise only made one postseason appearance, which was in 2007 after winning the Southeast Division title. The were swept by the sixth-seeded New York Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs.

The deal is still pending league approval. The vote will take place on June 21 at the NHL Board of Governors meeting. In order for the sale to be accepted, it needs three-quarters of a majority vote while the vote for relocation simply requires a majority vote.

The team name will most likely change. Former owner Ted Turner named the Thrashers after Georgia's state bird. No name has been decided upon yet, but the Jets could be used.

The NHL will not re-align the divisions after the relocation, meaning that Winnipeg will still be forced to played in the Southeast division, traveling as much as 2,300 miles for an away game within their division.

The Thrashers finished their final season in Atlanta with a fourth-place finish in the division, going 34-36-12. Only the New York Islanders and the Coyotes had lower home game attendance than Atlanta this season.

NHL Suspends Anaheim's Ryan 2 Games

By Justin Worsley,

The NHL has suspended Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan for two games after Ryan stomped on the skate of Nashville Predators defenseman Jonathon Blum in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs.

The incident occurred in the final 3:30 of the Ducks 5-3 win. Ryan and Blum were battling behind the Predators goalpost when Ryan slammed his skate in Blum's ankle. Blum walked away from the play uninjured.

No penalty was called on the play and Ryan, 24, scored an empty-net goal two minutes later to seal the 5-3 win and Anaheim ties up the series at one game apiece.

Ryan will miss Game 3 and 4 of the series, both of which are at Nashville.

Florida Fires Peter DeBoer

By Justin Worsley,

The Florida Panthers have fired head coach Peter DeBoer after the team finished in last place in the Eastern Conference.

DeBoer, 42, has been with Florida for three seasons, all of which he failed to help lead the team to the postseason. Florida has gone 103-107-36 in the past three seasons, including 30-40-12 this year.

In the 2008-09 season, DeBoer's first year with the team, the Panthers just missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker with the Montreal Canadiens. Florida has not made the playoffs since 2000.

Prior to joining the Panthers, DeBoer had a decorated career in the Ontario Hockey League. DeBoer was twice named the coach of the year in the OHL and led the Kitchener Rangers to a Memorial Cup win in 2003.

Florida was able to end their season on a high note. The Panthers halted a 10-game losing streak to beat the Washington Nationals 1-0 in the season finale.

Callahan Breaks Leg, Out Indefinitely

By Justin Worsley,

The New York Rangers announced on Tuesday that right winger Ryan Callahan will miss the remainder of the season and will be out indefinitely after breaking his right leg in Monday's dramatic comeback win against the Boston Bruins.

Callahan had an assist in the 5-3 Rangers win, but his leg was fractured when he blocked a slapshot by Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara late in the game.

Through 60 games, the 26-year-old Callahan has 23 goals and 25 assists and his 48 points is the second most on the team. He is also fifth in the NHL among forwards with 77 blocks, which is a big reason why New York is second in the NHL with 672 blocked shots.

Callahan was sidelined for 19 games earlier this season after breaking his hand blocking a shot by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang in December. New York has gone 10-7-2 without Callahan in the lineup this season.

Pronger Out 3-4 Weeks

By Justin Worsley,

The Philadelphia Flyers discovered last Sunday that defenseman Chris Pronger has a fracture on his right hand that will require surgery.

The alternate captain will be out 3-4 weeks and will undergo the procedure on Thursday.

The defending Eastern Conference champions currently lead the conference in points with 91, but have seen their lead cut down to one point due to the resurgence of the Washington Capitals, who are currently on an eight-game winning streak.

Pronger had 25 points in 50 games and a plus-minus rating of seven.

Philadelphia kicks off a three-game road trip on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.

Niemi Signs Four-Year Extension

By Justin Worsley,

The San Jose Sharks have extended the Antti Niemi era for at least another four years.

San Jose and the reigning Stanley Cup-winning goaltender have agree to a four-year $15.2 million extension on Tuesday. Niemi, 27, is 23-15-3 this season with a .919 save percentage and a 2.44 goals against average. As a rookie last season, Niemi became the first Finnish goaltender to win a Stanley Cup.

Chicago failed to retain Niemi last summer after an arbitrator ruled in favor of Niemi over a salary dispute. The Blackhawks were unable to afford Niemi due to the ruling and had to walk away from the deal, bringing in former Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco.

Niemi was quickly scooped up by the Sharks, who signed him to a one-year deal to replace longtime goalie Evgeni Nabokov.

Jason Arnott Traded to Capitals

By Justin Worsley,

The New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals have swapped centers in a last-minute trade.

Washington will receive Jason Arnott in exchange for David Steckel and a 2012 second round draft pick.

Arnott is famous amongst Devils fan for scoring the game-winning goal in the second overtime of Game Six of the 200 Stanley Cup, which clinched the series for the team. The Devils re-acquired the 36-year-old last summer from the Nashville Predators.

Arnott has scored 24 points in 62 games this season. For his career, Arnott 396 goals and 501 assists in 1161 career games.

Steckel, 28, has only 11 points this season, but is more known for his tenacity and for being a hard hitter.

New Jersey is nine points away from being the eighth seed in the playoffs with 15 games left in the season.

Penguins Trade for Kovalev

By Justin Worsley,

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Ottawa Senators winger Alexei Kovalev for a conditional draft pick.

The pick is initially good for a seventh-round pick in the upcoming draft, however, if the Penguins advance to the second round of the playoffs and Kovalev is active in at least half of the first round games.

Kovalev, waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal. The 38-year-old has 27 points this season and is in the final year of his contract.

Pittsburgh has been furiously trying to trade for almost any healthy body. The Penguins are missing 12 major contributors, including Evgeni Malkin, who is out for the season with a torn MCL and ACL, and Sidney Crosby, who has not played since Jan. 5 due to a concussion.

This will be Kovalev's second stint with the Penguins. He first played in Pittsburgh between 1998-2003 before they traded him back to the Rangers, whom he won a Stanley Cup with in 1994.

In his career, Kovalev has 426 goals and 591 assists in 1,282 career games.

Blues, Avalanche Complete Blockbuster Trade

By Justin Worsley,

The Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues have completed a trade involving four players and two draft picks on Saturday morning centered around Erik Johnson.

Johnson, 22, as the first-overall pick in the NHL Draft in 2006. He will go to Colorado along with forward Jay McClement. The Avalanche will also receive a first-round draft pick.

St. Louis will receive winger Chris Stewart, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and a second-round draft pick.

Of the four players, only McClement, 27, is older than 23 and all four players were former first-round draft choices.

Johnson has scored 19 points in 55 games this season and is a blue line defender.

McClement had a career-high 28 assists in the 2006-07 season, but has declinced in production since. This season, McClement has six goals and 10 assists.

Stewart started the season off on a tear, scoring 16 points in the first month of the season before being sideline in November after breaking his hand in a fight against Minnesota Wild center Kyle Brodziak. Since his return, he has scored only two goals in three assists in 13 games.

Shattenkirk has seven goals and 19 assists in his rookie campaign.

This is the second trade in as many days for St. Louis. On Friday, the Blue traded captain Eric Brewer to Tampa Bay.

Forsberg Ends Comeback After Two Games

By Justin Worsley,

Colorado Avalanche center Peter Forsberg has decided to retire after attempting a comeback to the league that lasted only two games.

Forsberg, 37, returned to the NHL after a three-year hiatus in order to attempt a comeback with the Avalanche, with whom he won two Stanley Cups.

Forsberg, a Swedish native, began training with the Avalanche on January 21. Two weeks later, he signed a contract for the remained of the season with Colorado and made his season debut against Columbus last Friday.

In two games, Forsberg failed to score and posted a minus-four rating. Neither game was at home.

In his career, Forsberg has scored 249 goals and 636 assists in 708 games.

Elbow Costs Volchenkov Three Games

By Justin Worsley,

New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov has been suspended three games by the NHL after the 28-year-old hit Carolina Hurricanes forward Zach Boychuk in the head with his elbow.

Volchenkov was given a three-minute minor penalty after the hit, one of three penalties he drew in the game. New Jersey went on to win the Tuesday night game, 3-2 in overtime.

For the season, Volchenkov has no goals and four assists.

Boychuk was uninjured on the play and is expected to skate this week.

Malkin Tears MCL and ACL

By Justin Worsley,

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee during Friday night's win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Malkin, 24 was in the lineup for the first time in five games, and lasted just under two periods before a collision with him and Tyler Myers took him out of action.

Malkin, a two-time All-Star, has 15 goals and 22 assists this season.

The loss of Malkin comes as another blow for the Penguins, who are also without team captain Sidney Crosby and Mark Letestu.

Malkin missed the previous five games due to knee problems as well as a sinus infection. Against Buffalo, Malkin was held scoreless on three shots.

With 72 points, Pittsburgh only trails the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference standings.

Anaheim Faces Lawsuit Over Anti-Semitic Remarks

By Justin Worsley,

Ottawa Senators winger Jason Bailey is suing his former team, the Anaheim Ducks for making anti-Semitic remarks towards him as well as decreasing his playing time while with the team.

Bailey, who is Jewish, was drafted in the third-round of the 2005 NHL Draft by Anaheim, but has never played a professional game with them, instead being regulated to three minor league affiliates of the Ducks.

In the lawsuit, which was filed by Bailey's attorneys in the Orange County Supreme Court, the 23-year-old claims the Bakersfield Condors repeatedly made anti-Semitic remarks and denied him ice time.

The Senators acquired Bailey in September 2009 in exchange for winger Shawn Weller. Bailey has yet to make his NHL debut and currently plays for Ottawa's affiliate team, the Binghamton Senators. In 17 games this season, Bailey has failed to score a point.

Lemaire Won't Return to the Devils Next Year

By Justin Worsley,

New Jersey Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire told the Newark Star-Ledger on Wednesday that he will not return to the team next season.

Lemaire, 65, retired last April after the Devils lost in the opening round of the playoffs to eventual Stanley Cup finalist Philadelphia.

After his retirement, the Devils hired John MacLean to take over as head coach. New Jersey, however, struggled to score and found themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference. MacLean was fired after 33 games and Lemaire returned to the bench.

Lemaire has led the Devils to a 7-7-1 record after a 9-22-2 start, including a current 6-0-1 record in their last seven games. New Jersey is scoring 2.7 goals per game under Lemaire, almost a one-goal increase from when MacLean was the head coach.

Winger Ilya Kovalchuk has also seemed to find his groove lately, scoring eight points during the Devils win streak. In the previous 41 games, the Russian Sniper only had 21 points.

Despite the team's recent success, New Jersey is still in last place in the NHL with only 35 points, however, they are now only two points behind the New York Islanders. The Devils are also still last in the league with only 2.0 goals per game.

Nabokov Returns to the NHL

By Justin Worsley,

The Detroit Red Wings have signed goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to a one-year deal worth $570,000.

Nabokov spent the previous 10 seasons minding the net for the San Jose Sharks until the team released the 35-year-old last summer. The Russian native spent the first half of this season playing for Russia's KHL league. Last month, Nabokov left SKA St. Petersburg for "family reasons."

Nabokov must still clear waiver in order to join the Red Wings.

Both Red Wings goaltenders, Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard, have been hampered by injuries this season. Osgood, the backup, suffered a sports hernia earlier this week and is expected to be out until at least March. Howard has a bruised right knee which has impacted his play.

Nabikiv went 8-8-5 with a 3.02 goals against average during his stint in Russia.

Devils Trade Captain Langenbrunner to Dallas

By Justin Worsley,

The New Jersey Devils have traded team captain Jamie Langenbrunner to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a conditional third-round 2011 draft pick.

Langenbrunner, 35, was drafted by Dallas in 1993 and help pioneered the team to their lone Stanley Cup win in 1999. Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk was a teammate of Langenbrunner's that season.

In 2002, Dallas traded both Nieuwendyk and Langenbrunner to New Jersey in exchange for Jason Arnott, Rich McKay and a first-round draft pick. The two helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup in 2003.

The winger has scored 14 points and is -15 so far this season for the disappointing Devils.

The draft pick can escalate to a second-round pick is the Stars win their opening playoff series or if they re-sign Langebrunner, who will be a free agent this offseason, before the draft on July 1. Dallas currently leads the Pacific Division with 52 points.

Crosby to Miss a Week

By Justin Worsley,

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has been sideline for most likely a week with a concussion.

Crosby leads the NHL with 66 points and 32 goals. Earlier this season, Crosby had a 25-game point streak.

The Penguins were without Crosby when they lost to Montreal 2-1 in a shootout. Crosby has played in every game for Pittsburgh this season and only missed one game last year when he led the league with 51 goals.

Pittsburgh hosts Minnesota and Boston before traveling to Montreal this week. The Penguins have the league's best record at 26-12-4.

Crosby leads the NHL in All-Star votes.

Isles Trade Wisniewski to Montreal

By Justin Worsley,

The New York Islanders have traded defenseman James Wisniewski to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for two draft picks.

New York will receive a 2011 second-round draft pick as well as a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2012.

Wisniewski, 26, has played in 32 games this season and was the Islanders top-scoring defenseman with three goals and 18 assists. He was suspended for two games earlier in the season for making an obscene gesture towards New York Rangers winger Sean Avery.

Montreal was looking to bolster their defensive front, which lost blue-liner Andrei Markov for the season last month.

Wisniewski will join the Canadiens on Wednesday when they travel to Tampa Bay.

New York acquired Wisniewski last July in exchange for a third-round draft pick. Montreal will be his fourth home in less than two years.

Last Place Devils Fire MacLean

By Justin Worsley,

Trying to save the season before it is too late, the New Jersey Devils have fired head coach John MacLean on Thursday.

Jacques Lemaire will return as the head coach for New Jersey for a third time. Lemaire, 65, was the head coach at New Jersey last season, which ended with an early playoff exit, but retured at the season's end.

Under MacLean, the Devils went 9-22-2 and were the lowest scoring team in the league, averaging only 1.7 goals per game. The Devils have been shut out four times so far this season. Last year, the Devils were only shut out six times in the entire season.

Lemaire led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup in 1995 and is 588-441-124-60 in his career as a head coach. Last year, the Devils won the Atlantic Division after going 48-27-7.

Along with their anemic offense, the Devils have also had their fair share of injuries. Goaltender Martin Brodeur has missed time with an elbow injury and captain Zach Parise has been on injured reserve since Nov. 8 with a knee injury.

Without Parise, teams have been able to focus solely on high-scoring winger Ilya Kovalchuk. The Russian Sniper, who was given a 15-year, $100 million deal last summer, has only scored eight goals in 32 games.

Lemaire is expected to return to the ice Thursday night when the Devils host the New York Islanders.

Nabokov Leaves KHL

By Justin Worsley,

When former San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was unable to land a deal with the NHL this offseason, he did as many player do, he went to another league.

His run in the league, however, was short-lived.

Nabokov's agent has told ESPN.com's Scott Burnside that the 35-year-old has left the Kontinental Hockey League. He went 8-8-5 with a 3.02 goals against average and a .888 save percentage with the SKA St. Petersburg club. Nabokov originally signed a four-year deal with the club.

If Nabokov does decide to return to the NHL, he will have to enter through waivers, however, he would be a coveted asset for teams looking for a playoff push. Last season, Nabokov went 44-16-10 with a 2.43 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

Despite his gaudy numbers, Nabokov has a tendency of slipping in production during the postseason, which was one of the reasons why the Sharks, who he spent his entire career with, were willing to let him go in favor of Antii Niemi, who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup last year.