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Shattenkirk Headlines a Busy Free Agent Frenzy

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2017 Free Agent Frenzy Signings

Saturday July 1st marked the day in which Free Agents could sign with a new NHL team.  At 11:00am CST it was no holds barred signings.  As a whole, the day went as expected.  The price tags were not as crazy as previous years.  A total of 150+ transactions took place on Saturday making it an exciting day for all hockey fans.

Who has signed?

Here is a list of some of the key signings that took place:

Los Angeles – Mike Cammalleri F – 1 year, $1 million

San Jose – resigned Marc-Edouard Vlasic D – 8 years, $56 million and goalie Martin Jones G – 6 years, $34.5 million

Pittsburgh – Antti Niemi G – 1 year, $700k and Justin Schultz D – 3 years, $16.5 million

NY Rangers – Kevin Shattenkirk D – 4 years, $26.6 million

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Nashville – Nick Bonino F – 4 years, $16.4 million and Scott Hartnell F – 1 year, $1 million

Carolina – Justin Williams F – 2 years, $9 million

Dallas – Martin Hanzal F – 3 years, $14.25 million

Detroit – Trevor Daley D – 3 years, $9.5 million

Vancouver – Sam Gagner F – 3 years, $9.45 million and Michael Del Zotto D – 2 years, $6 million

Colorado – Jonathan Bernier G – 1 year, $2.75 million

New Jersey – Brian Boyle F – 2 years, $5.1 million

Montreal – Karl Alzner D – 5 years, $23.1 million

Winnipeg – Steve Mason G – 2 years, $8.2 million

Chicago – Patrick Sharp F – 1 year, $1 million

Philadelphia – Brian Elliott G – 2 years, $5.5 million

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Who is left?

Montreal Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov heads the list.  Radulov is looking for a five year deal, and is rumored to be on the Dallas Stars list of players to get.  Long time San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau is also a key player up for grabs.  Marleau is said to be in search of a three year deal.  The 37 year old veteran has reportedly been offered a two year deal from the Sharks but it looks like Marleau is playing out all the options.  There are up to four teams expressing interest.  The Maple Leafs, Ducks, Stars and of course Sharks are all still in the mix.  Defenseman Andrei Markov may be the best defenseman up for grabs.  The Canadiens defenseman is looking for a two year $6 million dollar deal, and the Canadiens feel that is too high of a price tag.  The jury is still out on who is willing to pay that price tag.  Other notables searching for new homes include Thomas Vanek, Shane Doan, Drew Stafford, Jaroslav Halak, Roman Polak, Johnny Oduya, Jarome Iginla, Jaromir Jagr, Mike Fisher, Nail Yakupov, and Cody Franson.

TEAM-BY-TEAM SIGNINGS AND FREE-AGENTS

Anaheim Ducks

Signed

Goaltender Ryan Miller signs two-year contract with Ducks

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Max Gortz, Nick Sorensen.

Group 3 UFAs: Spencer Abbott,  (signed: COL), Jhonas Enroth, Ryan Garbutt, Nate Guenin, Matt Hackett, Jeff Schultz,  (signed: OTT)

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Emerson Etem, Ryan Faragher.

Arizona Coyotes

Signed

Defenseman Adam Clendening signs one-year contract with Coyotes

Forward Nick Cousins signs two-year contract with Coyotes

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs:  (re-signed), Anthony Duclair, Tyler Gaudet, Jordan Martinook

Group 3 UFAs: Shane Doan,  (signed: BUF),  (signed: TBL), Zbynek Michalek,  (signed: TOR), Chris Pronger,  (signed: FLA), Joe Whitney.

Group 6 UFAs: Craig Cunningham, Garret Ross, Jarred Tinordi.

UFAs:  (signed: VAN), Grayson Downing,  (signed: MTL), (signed: CAR), Jeremy Morin, Mitchell Moroz, Branden Troock.

Boston Bruins

Signed

Kenny Agostino, Paul Postma, Jordan Szwarz inked to one-year contracts

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Linus Arnesson, Austin Czarnik, Zane McIntyre, David Pastrnak, Tim Schaller, Ryan Spooner, Malcolm Subban.

Group 3 UFAs: Alex Grant, John-Michael Liles,  (signed: TOR), Zac Rinaldo, Drew Stafford.

Group 6 UFAs: Chris Casto, Brian Ferlin, Tyler Randell.

UFAs: Colton Hargrove, Joe Morrow.

Buffalo Sabres

Signed

Forward Benoit Pouliot signs one-year contract with Sabres

Goaltender Chad Johnson signs one-year contract with Sabres

Defenseman Matt Tennyson signs two-year contract with Sabres

Forward Seth Griffith agrees to one-year contract with Sabres

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, Robin Lehner, Evan Rodrigues.

Group 3 UFAs:  (signed: TBL), Erik Burgdoerfer, Cody Franson, Brian Gionta, Derek Grant,  (signed: WPG), Cody McCormick,  (signed: VAN),  (signed: MIN).

Group 6 UFAs:  (signed: NYR)

UFAs: Brady Austin, Jean Dupuy, Justin Kea.

Calgary Flames

Signed

Forward Marek Hrivik signs one-year contract with Flames

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Sam Bennett, Micheal Ferland, Garnet Hathaway, Brett Kulak, Curtis Lazar, David Rittich, Linden Vey, Tyler Wotherspoon.

Group 3 UFAs: Brandon Bollig,  (signed: PHI), Michael Kostka, Ladislav Smid, Dennis Wideman, David Wolf.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Alex Chiasson, Ryan Culkin, Kenney Morrison.

Carolina Hurricanes

Signed

Forward Justin Williams agrees to two-year contract with Hurricanes

Forward Josh Jooris agrees to terms with Hurricanes

Defenseman Brenden Kitchon agrees to terms with Hurricanes

Defenseman Dennis Robertson agrees to terms with Hurricanes

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Phillip Di Giuseppe.

Group 3 UFAs: Bryan Bickell, Danny Kristo,  (signed: TBL), Jay McClement,  (signed: BUF).

Group 6 UFAs:  (re-signed), Brendan Woods.

UFAs: Daniel Altshuller, Erik Karlsson, Andrej Nestrasil.

Chicago Blackhawks

Signed

Forward Patrick Sharp signs one-year contract with Blackhawks

Forward Tommy Wingels signs one-year contract with Blackhawks

Goaltender J-F Berube agrees to terms with Blackhawks

Forward Lance Bouma agrees to terms with Blackhawks

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Erik Gustafsson.

Group 3 UFAs: Brian Campbell, Andrew Desjardins, Lars Johansson,  (signed: NSH), Shawn Lalonde, Martin Lundberg, Brandon Mashinter, Johnny Oduya.

Group 6 UFAs: Mac Carruth.

UFAs: Dillon Fournier, Kenton Helgesen, Michael Latta, Dennis Rasmussen, Nolan Valleau.

Colorado Avalanche

Signed

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier signs one-year contract with Avalanche

Andrew Agozzino, David Warsofsky, Joe Cannata sign with Avalanche

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Gabriel Bourque, Felix Girard, Rocco Grimaldi, Matt Nieto, Duncan Siemens, Nikita Zadorov.

Group 3 UFAs: Rene Bourque,  (re-signed), Cody Goloubef, John Mitchell, Jim O’Brien, Mike Sislo,  (signed: CAR), Fedor Tyutin.

Group 6 UFAs: Mat Clark, Brendan Ranford.

UFAs: Troy Bourke,  (signed: DET), Eric Gelinas, Mikhail Grigorenko, Samuel Henley,  (signed: VAN)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Signed

Defenseman Cameron Gaunce signs two-year contract with Hurricanes

Defenseman Andre Benoit signs one-year contract with Hurricanes

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Josh Anderson, Alexander Wennberg, Daniel Zaar.

Group 3 UFAs: Marc-Andre Bergeron,  (signed: VAN), Brett Gallant, Lauri Korpikoski,  (signed: MIN), Jaime Sifers, Ryan Stanton.

Group 6 UFAs: TJ Tynan.

UFAs: Oscar Dansk, Oleg Yevenko.

Dallas Stars

Signed

Forward Martin Hanzal signs three-year contract with Stars

Defenseman Patrick Nemeth re-signs with Wild

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Radek Faksa,  (re-signed), Jamie Oleksiak, Brett Ritchie, Gemel Smith, Matej Stransky.

Group 3 UFAs: Ales Hemsky, Jiri Hudler, Travis Morin, Justin Peters,  (signed: CHI), Dustin Stevenson.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Mattias Backman, Nick Ebert, Justin Hache, Henri Kiviaho, Maxime Lagace.

Detroit Red Wings

Signed

Defenseman Trevor Daley signs three-year contract with Red Wings

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Andreas Athanasiou, Martin Frk, Xavier Ouellet, Robbie Russo, Tomas Tatar.

Group 3 UFAs: Drew Miller, Joe Vitale.

Group 6 UFAs: Mitch Callahan, Edward Pasquale.

UFAs: Jake Paterson.

Edmonton Oilers

Signed

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Leon Draisaitl, Joey Laleggia, Dillon Simpson, Bogdan Yakimov.

Group 3 UFAs: David Desharnais, Andrew Ference, Justin Fontaine, Mark Fraser, Jonas Gustavsson, Matt Hendricks.

Group 6 UFAs:  (signed: CHI), Tyler Pitlick.

UFAs: Anton Lander, Eetu Laurikainen, David Musil, Zach Pochiro, Jere Sallinen, Henrik Samuelsson.

Florida Panthers

Signed

Forward Evgeny Dadonov agrees to deal with Panthers

Forward Radim Vrbata agrees to one-year contract with Panthers

Forward Micheal Haley agree to two-year contract with Panthers

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Mark Pysyk, MacKenzie Weegar.

Group 3 UFAs: Reto Berra, Jaromir Jagr, Jakub Kindl, Brent Regner, Paul Thompson, Shawn Thornton, Thomas Vanek.

Group 6 UFAs: Sam Brittain, Brody Sutter.

UFAs: Graham Black, Tim Bozon, Steven Hodges,  (signed: MIN),  (signed: WPG), Colin Stevens, Adam Wilcox.

Los Angeles Kings

Signed

Forward Michael Cammalleri signs one-year contract with Kings

Defenseman Christian Folin agrees to one-year contract with Kings

Goalie Darcy Kuemper agrees to one-year contract with Kings

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Justin Auger, Jonny Brodzinski, Andrew Crescenzi, Kevin Gravel, Paul LaDue, Michael Mersch, Nick Shore.

Group 3 UFAs: Jarome Iginla,  (signed: TOR), Teddy Purcell,  (signed: WPG), Rob Scuderi, Devin Setoguchi.

Group 6 UFAs: Zach Trotman.

UFAs: Patrick Bjorkstrand, Joel Lowry.

Minnesota Wild

Signed

Goaltender Niklas Svedberg agrees to one-year contract with Wild

Defenseman Kyle Quincey signs one-year contract with Wild

Forward Kyle Rau signs one-year contract with Wild

Forwards Landon Ferraro, Cal O’Reilly sign two-year contracts with Wild

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Marcus Foligno, Kurtis Gabriel, Mikael Granlund, Steve Michalek, Zack Mitchell, Nino Niederreiter, Zach Palmquist, Mike Reilly.

Group 3 UFAs: Victor Bartley, Ryan Carter,  (signed: DAL),  (signed: LAK), Nate Prosser, Mike Weber, Ryan White.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Brady Brassart,  (signed: LAK), Guillaume Gelinas, Alexander Gudbranson.

Montreal Canadiens

Signed

Defenseman Karl Alzner signs five-year contract with Canadiens

Canadiens agree to terms on a two-year contract with Peter Holland

Canadiens agree to terms on a two-year contract with Byron Froese

Defenseman Matt Taormina agrees to two-year contract with Canadiens

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Max Friberg, Alex Galchenyuk.

Group 3 UFAs: Bobby Farnham, Brian Flynn, Dwight King, Andrei Markov, Magnus Nygren, Steve Ott, Alexander Radulov.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Connor Crisp, Joel Hanley, Ryan Johnston, Keegan Lowe, Mark MacMillan, Stefan Matteau, Nikita Nesterov, Dalton Thrower.

Nashville Predators

Signed

Forward Nick Bonino signs four-year contract with Predators

Forward Scott Hartnell signs one-year contract with Predators

Goaltender Anders Lindback signs one-year contract with Predators

Goaltender Matt O’Connor signs one-year contract with Predators

Forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie signs one-year contract with Predators

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Pontus Aberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Frederick Gaudreau, Ryan Johansen, Marek Mazanec, Austin Watson.

Group 3 UFAs: Vernon Fiddler, Mike Fisher, Brad Hunt, Mike Liambas, Adam Pardy, PA Parenteau, Mike Ribeiro, Harry Zolnierczyk.

Group 6 UFAs: Adam Payerl.

UFAs: Jonas Gunnarsson, Jaynen Rissling.

New Jersey Devils

Signed

Forward Brian Boyle signs two-year contract with Devils

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Blake Coleman, Vojtech Mozik, Mirco Mueller, Stefan Noesen, Blake Pietila, Kevin Rooney, Damon Severson, Ben Thomson, Scott Wedgewood.

Group 3 UFAs: Yohann Auvitu, Carter Camper, Luke Gazdic, Shane Harper, Jacob Josefson, Andrew MacWilliam, Marc Savard, Karl Stollery, Mattias Tedenby.

Group 6 UFAs:  (signed: NYI), Petr Straka.

UFAs:  (signed: STL)

New York Islanders

Signed

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Calvin de Haan, Christopher Gibson, Connor Jones, Adam Pelech.

Group 3 UFAs: Eric Boulton, Stephen Gionta, Ben Holmstrom, Bracken Kearns, Kirill Petrov.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Matthew Finn, Jesse Graham, Loic Leduc, Stephon Williams.

New York Rangers

Signed

Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk agrees to terms with Rangers

Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec agrees to terms with Rangers

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Daniel Catenacci, Jesper Fast, Nicklas Jensen, Mika Zibanejad.

Group 3 UFAs: Tanner Glass, Brendan Smith, Chris Summers.

Group 6 UFAs: Chris Brown, Magnus Hellberg,  (signed: CGY), Tommy Hughes.

UFAs: Taylor Beck,  (signed: ARI), Troy Donnay, Michael Paliotta, Brandon Pirri, Mackenzie Skapski.

Ottawa Senators

Signed

Forward Nate Thompson agrees to two-year contract with Senators

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Chris Driedger, Ryan Dzingel, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Patrick Sieloff, Mikael Wikstrand.

Group 3 UFAs: Stephane Da Costa, Nikita Filatov, Marc Hagel, Chris Kelly, Chad Nehring, Chris Neil, Viktor Stalberg,  (signed: CHI).

Group 6 UFAs: Casey Bailey, Brandon Gormley,  (signed: PHI)

UFAs: Jyrki Jokipakka,  (signed: NSH), Ryan Rupert.

Philadelphia Flyers

Signed

Goaltender Brian Elliott signs two-year contract with Flyers

Forwards Mike Vecchione, Corban Knight, Phil Varone sign two-year contracts with Flyers

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Cole Bardreau, Scott Laughton, Taylor Leier, Roman Lyubimov, Anthony Stolarz.

Group 3 UFAs: Chris Conner,  (signed: VAN), Boyd Gordon,  (signed: WPG), Andy Miele, Nick Schultz, Chris VandeVelde, Eric Wellwood.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Jesper Pettersson.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Signed

Goaltender Antti Niemi signs with Penguins

Defenseman Matt Hunwick signs three-year contract with Penguins

Defenseman Justin Schultz signs three-year contract with Penguins

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Josh Archibald, Frank Corrado, Jean-Sebastien Dea, Brian Dumoulin, Derrick Pouliot,  (re-signed), Conor Sheary.

Group 3 UFAs:  (signed: NSH), Matt Cullen,  (signed: DET), Pascal Dupuis,  (signed: CBJ),  (signed: TOR),  (signed: TBL), Kevin Porter, Tom Sestito, Mark Streit,  (signed: COL).

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Tim Erixon, Stuart Percy.

San Jose Sharks

Signed

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Barclay Goodrow, Marcus Sorensen, Chris Tierney.

Group 3 UFAs:  (signed: FLA), Dan Kelly, Patrick Marleau, Harri Sateri, Zack Stortini, Joe Thornton.

Group 6 UFAs:  (signs: WPG)

UFAs: Mantas Armalis, Nikita Jevpalovs, Patrick McNally.

St. Louis Blues

Signed

Forwards Chris Thorburn, Oskar Sundqvist, Beau Bennett to one-year contracts

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Jordan Binnington, Petteri Lindbohm, Colton Parayko,  (re-signed).

Group 3 UFAs: Sergey Andronov, Evgeny Grachev, Brad Malone, Scottie Upshall.

Group 6 UFAs:  (signed: BOS),  (signed: COL), Morgan Ellis, Alex Friesen, Reid McNeill.

UFAs: Jordan Caron, Jacob Doty,  (signed: MIN), Ty Rattie, Nail Yakupov.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Signed

Defenseman Dan Girardi signs two-year contract with Lightning

Goaltender Michael Leighton signs one-year contract with Lightning

Forward Chris Kunitz signs one-year contract with Lightning

Forward Alex Gallant signs one-year contract with Lightning

Defenseman Mat Bodie signs one-year contract with Lightning

Defenseman Jamie McBain signs one-year contract with Lightning

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Michael Bournival, Jake Dotchin, Kristers Gudlevskis, Tyler Johnson, Slater Koekkoek, Tye McGinn, Ondrej Palat, Matthew Peca, Tanner Richard.

Group 3 UFAs: Jaroslav Janus, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Mike McKenna,  (signed: MTL),  (signed: DET).

Group 6 UFAs: Stefan Fournier,  (signed: MTL), Mike Halmo, Greg McKegg, Joel Vermin.

UFAs: Dylan Blujus, Henri Ikonen, Jonathan Racine.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Signed

Goaltenders Curtis McElhinney, Garret Sparks sign two-year contracts with Maple Leafs

Defenseman Ron Hainsey signs two-year contract with Maple Leafs

Forward Dominic Moore signs one-year contract with Maple Leafs

Colin Greening, Chris Mueller, Vincent LoVerde sign with Maple Leafs

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Connor Brown, Justin Holl, Zach Hyman,  (re-signed)

Group 3 UFAs:  (signed: NJD), Andrew Campbell,  (re-signed), Teemu Hartikainen,  (signed: PIT), Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek, Steve Oleksy, Roman Polak, Stephane Robidas.

Group 6 UFAs: None.

UFAs: Antoine Bibeau,  (signed: BUF), Sergey Kalinin.

Vancouver Canucks

Signed

Defenseman Michael Del Zotto signs with Canucks

Forward Sam Gagner signs three-year contract with Canucks

Goaltender Anders Nilsson signs two-year contract with Canucks

Forward Alex Burmistrov signs one-year contract with Canucks

Defenseman Patrick Wierioch signs one-year contract with Canucks

Forward Anton Rodin signs one-yer contract with Canucks

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Reid Boucher, Michael Chaput, Brendan Gaunce, Bo Horvat, Joseph LaBate, Nikita Tryamkin.

Group 3 UFAs: Chad Billins, Philip Larsen,  (signed: ANA) Jack Skille.

Group 6 UFAs: Alexandre Grenier, Borna Rendulic.

UFAs: Joseph Cramarossa, Michael Garteig, Tom Nilsson, Drew Shore, Michael Zalewski.

Vegas Golden Knights

Signed

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Brendan Leipsic, Oscar Lindberg, Teemu Pulkkinen, Griffin Reinhart, Nate Schmidt.

Group 3 UFAs:  (signed: STL)

Group 6 UFAs:  (signed: CHI), Connor Brickley.

UFAs: None.

Washington Capitals

Signed

Forward Brett Connolly re-signs with Capitals

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Travis Boyd, Andre Burakovsky, Philipp Grubauer, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Liam O’Brien.

Group 3 UFAs:  (signed: MTL), Chris Bourque,  (signed: NYR), Tom Gilbert,  (signed: NYR),  (signed: CAR), Daniel Winnik.

Group 6 UFAs: Stanislav Galiev, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Thomas.

UFAs:  (re-signed), Cody Corbett, Darren Dietz.

Winnipeg Jets

Signed

Goaltender Steve Mason signs two-year contract with Jets

Forward Michael Sgarbossa signs one-year contract with Jets

Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov signs three-year contract with Jets

Forward Buddy Robinson signs one-year contract with Jets

Defenseman Cameron Schilling agrees to one-year, two-way contract with Jets

Free Agents

Group 2 FAs: Connor Hellebuyck, JC Lipon, Brandon Tanev.

Group 3 UFAs: Tomas Kubalik,  (signed: NYR),  (signed: WSH),  (signed: BOS), Brian Strait.

Group 6 UFAs: Brenden Kichton.

UFAs: Quinton Howden, Scott Kosmachuk, Ryan Olsen.

FREE AGENTS SUBJECT TO COMPENSATION AND RIGHT TO MATCH – GROUP 2

These players have been tendered a qualifying offer by their respective Clubs and are subject to draft-choice compensation and right to match. The draft choice compensation scale is based on compensation offered by the new Club:

OFFER / COMPENSATION

$1,239,226 or below / None
Over $1,239,226 to $1,877,615 / Third-round choice
Over $1,877,615 to $3,755,233 / Second-round choice
Over $3,755,233 to $5,632,847 / First-round and third-round choice
Over $5,632,847 to $7,510,464 / First-round, second-round and third-round choice
Over $7,510,464 to $9,388,080 / Two first-round choices, one second- and one third-round choice
Over $9,388,080 / Four first-round choices

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS – GROUP 3

These players have qualified for Group 3 Free Agency (age 27 or older or with at least seven Accrued Seasons) and are Unrestricted Free Agents.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS – GROUP 6

These players qualify for unrestricted free agency, having met the requirements for Group 6 free agency. This group is defined as players whose contracts have expired, are age 25 or older, have completed three or more professional seasons, and (i) in the case of a player other than a goaltender, have played fewer than 80 NHL games (regular-season and playoff), or (ii) in the case of a goaltender, have played fewer than 28 NHL games (regular-season and playoff). Please note that these amounts are subject to pro-rating due to the 48-game season in 2012-13.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

These players were not tendered a qualifying offer and are therefore Unrestricted Free Agents not subject to a right to match or draft choice compensation.

* Partial information provided via NHL Press Release

 

Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2017 Inductees

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Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2017 Inductees

Lanny McDonald, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame and John Davidson, Chairman of the Selection Committee, announced that seven individuals have been elected to Hockey Hall of Fame Honoured Membership, five in the Player Category and two in the Builder Category. The vote took place today at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto.

“The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these hockey legends as Honoured Members,” said Lanny McDonald. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.”

In the Builder Category: 

Clare Drake’s contributions to university hockey in Canada include six national championships in the 28 years he was head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The two-time Canadian university hockey coach of the year in 1967-68 also won a national championship as the school’s football coach.

“I am truly humbled to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame” said Drake. “As a Canadian university hockey coach this honour is truly special.”

Jeremy Jacobs has been Owner and Governor of the Boston Bruins since he purchased the team in 1975. The Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors since 2007, he won the Lester Patrick Award for service to hockey in the United States in 2015.

“Being elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame was the furthest thing from my mind when I purchased the team over 40 years ago,” said Jacobs. “To be honoured in the same way as former Flames’ governor Harley Hotchkiss is truly humbling.”

In the Player Category:

Dave Andreychuk played in over 1600 NHL regular season games in his more than 20 years in the NHL. After being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1982 Entry Draft, Andreychuk played 11 seasons with the Sabres before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he scored 50 goals in the 1993-94 season. By his retirement in 2006, he scored 640 regular season goals, while adding 698 assists.

“When I look back I always think of hockey as a team game and it was never about me.” said Andreychuk.” As a player it is how we are taught and that makes this individual award even more unique.”

Danielle Goyette’s career includes seven gold medals at the Women’s World Championships, and one silver and two gold medals at the Olympics. At the time of her retirement in 2008 she was the fourth all-time point scorer at the Women’s World Championships with 68 points.

“The Hockey Hall of Fame is where the people I have looked up to all my life are enshrined, “said Goyette. It will be an amazing honour for me to be with them.”

Paul Kariya was the 4th overall selection by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at the 1993 Entry Draft and went on to play nine seasons with the organization. With the Ducks, Kariya recorded over 100 points twice (1996 and 1999) and scored 50 goals in 1995-96.  A member of Team Canada at two Olympic Games, Kariya won gold and silver medals.

“I have to thank all of the countless people in my life who helped me get here,” said Kariya. “My parents sacrificed so that I could play the game and I wouldn’t be receiving this honour if it wasn’t for them.”

After a season in the IHL, Mark Recchi joined the Pittsburgh Penguins full-time in 1989 and began the fourth longest regular season NHL career in history, playing in 1,652 games. Recchi won his first Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh in 1991, and went on to add championships in Carolina in 2006 and Boston in 2011 – only the 10th player in NHL history to win Stanley Cups on three different teams.

“I can’t thank the Selection Committee enough for this recognition,” said Recchi. “It’s an incredible feeling and the icing on the cake after 22 years of playing the game.”

Teemu Selanne’s stellar rookie season in 1992-93 came four years after he was drafted 10th overall by the Winnipeg Jets, scoring 76 goals and winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. After being traded to Anaheim, Selanne won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He currently holds or is tied for 18 NHL records and is the all-time leading scorer in the Olympic Games.

“I’m lucky to have played with great people wherever I went in hockey,” said Selanne. “The game is a team effort and I have a long list of those who helped me.”

The 2017 Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 13th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.   For more information regarding the 2017 Induction Weekend/Celebration, visit http://www.hhof.com.

* Information provided via NHL Press Release

Thank You Marc-Andre Fleury!

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After winning his third Stanley Cup, Marc-Andre Fleury waved his no move clause. He explained that it was the best more for the organization.  A very unselfish move by superstar netminder.  He will forever be a Pens legend and a fan favorite.  Fleury was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft.  In true Fleury form he handled with grace and pride. There is no question that Fleury will never be forgotten in Pittsburgh…

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2016-17 NHL All-Rookie Team

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NHL ANNOUNCES 2016-17 ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

The National Hockey League announced the 2016-17 NHL All-Rookie Team, including the three players voted as finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the League’s top rookie: forwards Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as defenseman Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Also named to the 2016-17 NHL All-Rookie Team are forward Mitchell Marner of the Maple Leafs, defenseman Brady Skjei of the New York Rangers and goaltender Matt Murray of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Voting was conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season. Following is a summary of each NHL All-Rookie Team member’s outstanding campaign:

GOALTENDER

Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins

Murray, a third-round selection (83rd overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, went 32-10-4 with a 2.41 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and four shutouts in 49 outings to help the Penguins (50-21-11, 111 points) post their second-best season in franchise history. He became the first rookie to reach the 30-win milestone since 2010-11 (Corey Crawford), sharing 10th place in the NHL with 32 victories – 22 more than any other rookie. Murray also established a Penguins rookie record with his 32 wins, eclipsing the mark set by Gary Inness in 1974-75 (24). The 23-year-old Thunder Bay, Ont., native is Pittsburgh’s first All-Rookie Team selection since 2006-07 (Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal) and the third Penguins goaltender to receive the honor, following Patrick Lalime (1996-97) and Sebastien Caron (2002-03).

DEFENSEMEN

Brady Skjei, New York Rangers

Skjei, the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, ranked second among rookie blueliners with 34 assists, 39 points and a +11 rating in 80 appearances. His 39 points were the most by a Rangers rookie defenseman since 1988-89, when Brian Leetch collected 23-48—71. Skjei’s totals included a six-game assist/point streak from Oct. 30 – Nov. 8 (0-7—7), also the longest such run by a New York rookie blueliner since Leetch in 1988-89. The 23-year-old Lakeville, Minn., native is the Rangers’ first All-Rookie Team selection since 2009-10 (Michael Del Zotto) as well as the third defenseman in franchise history to earn the distinction, following Leetch (1988-89) and Del Zotto (2009-10).

Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Werenski, the eighth overall choice in the 2015 NHL Draft, led rookie defensemen in goals (11), assists (36) and points (47) in 78 games. He also paced all rookies with a +17 rating, while ranking in the top 10 among first-year players in power-play assists (t-1st; 17), power-play points (t-2nd; 21), assists (3rd; 36), shots on goal (5th; 188), average time on ice (5th; 20:54), points (7th; 47) and power-play goals (t-8th; 4). At age 19, Werenski registered the sixth-most points by a teenage defenseman in his rookie NHL season. He also set franchise rookie records for assists and points in one season, while collecting the second-most points by a blueliner (rookie or veteran) in club history. The Grosse Pointe, Mich., native is Columbus’ fourth All- Rookie Team selection and first since Steve Mason in 2008-09.

FORWARDS

Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets

Laine, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, ranked second among rookies with 36 goals and 64 points in 73 games – both single-season franchise records for a first-year player. He also led rookies in shooting percentage (17.6%) and shared first place in power-play goals (9), while placing in the top 10 in game-winning goals (t-3rd; 5), shots on goal (4th; 204), power-play points (6th; 14) and assists (8th; 28). Laine became the first player in NHL history to post three hat tricks prior to his 19th birthday as well as the first rookie (at any age) to notch three hat tricks in one season since 1992-93. The Tampere, Finland, native – who celebrated his 19th birthday April 19 – is the fifth All-Rookie Team selection in Jets/Thrashers history and first since Niclas Bergfors in 2009-10 (w/ ATL).

Mitchell Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs

Marner, the fourth overall selection in the 2015 NHL Draft, led all rookies with 42 assists and also placed among the top 10 in power-play assists (t-1st; 17), power-play points (t-2nd; 21), game-winning goals (t-3rd; 5), points (4th; 61), goals (t-7th; 19), shots on goal (7th; 176) and power-play goals (t-8th; 4) in 77 outings. His 42 assists were a Maple Leafs rookie record, eclipsing the mark set by Gus Bodnar in 1943-44 (40). Together with Auston Matthews (69) and William Nylander (61), Toronto became the second team in NHL history to have three rookies each collect at least 60 points in the same season (also 1980-81 QUE). The 20-year-old Markham, Ont., native – along with Matthews – is the first Maple Leafs All-Rookie Team selection since Jake Gardiner in 2011-12 and first Toronto forward to earn the honor since Mike Johnson in 1997-98.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews, the top pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, paced rookies with 40 goals and 69 points while appearing in all 82 games. His 40 goals also shared second place in the entire League, highlighted by a historic debut in which he became the first player in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to score four times in his first game. The 19-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz., native – who set franchise rookie records for goals and points – also ranked in the top 10 among first-year players in game-winning goals (1st; 8), shots on goal (1st; 279), power-play points (t-2nd; 21), power-play goals (3rd; 8), power-play assists (4th; 13), shooting percentage (7th; 14.3%) and assists (7th; 29). Matthews and Marner make the Maple Leafs the first club with multiple All-Rookie Team selections in the same season since 2013-14, when both the Ducks (Frederik Andersen and Hampus Lindholm) and Lightning (Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat) achieved the feat.

* Information provided via NHL Press Release