NHL adds Meldonium to banned substances list

By Stephen Whyno (AP)

The NHL has added meldonium to its list of banned substances.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the addition in an email to The Associated Press on Wednesday. It was first reported by the Russian news agency TASS.

The change goes into effect for the upcoming season. The NHL and NHL Players' Association had to agree to add meldonium to its list of prohibited substances.

Daly says that decision was made for the same reason the World Anti-Doping Agency banned meldonium on Jan. 1.

Tennis star Maria Sharapova and swimmer Yulia Efimova have tested positive in recent months for the endurance-boosting drug. Sharapova is appealing her two-year ban.

Russia switched out its roster for the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 tournament in the spring over fears that players could test positive for meldonium. Russia used its U17 team in the tournament instead

The drug, which is typically used for heart conditions, is not approved for use in the United States. It increases blood flow, which improves exercise capacity by carrying more oxygen to the muscles. There is significant debate among doping experts over whether meldonium, also known as mildronate, actually enhances performance.

Blues Name Leadership Group for 2016-17

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Blues named the five players that will represent the leadership group for the 2016-17 season during a press conference Thursday afternoon at Scottrade Center.

Alex Pietrangelo was named the 21st captain in Blues history. Alexander Steen, Paul Stastny, Vladimir Tarasenkoand Kevin Shattenkirk will serve as assistant captains.

“Ken (Hitchcock) and I talked about that, and we brought (Associate Coach) Mike Yeo into the equation to get his thought process,” general manager Doug Armstrong said. “What you're looking for in assistant captains is a lot of the same characteristics we look for in a captain.”

“You only give a ‘C’ or ‘A’ to players if you think they can handle it,” Armstrong added. “Just because you’re a good player doesn’t make you a good leader. For some people, it’s a burden to wear a letter. We think these guys are the leaders of the team. They want to pull everyone together and that’s going to be their responsibility.

Here’s what Armstrong had to say about why each captain was chosen:

On Pietrangelo: “He touches every facet of our team: power play, penalty kill, shutting games down, trying to score at the end of the game. He’s just an elite player. When his name comes up for Team Canada (in international tournaments), he’s a lock when I talk to Mike Babcock and coaches around the League. He’s viewed as a top player. We’re certainly lucky to have him, and when you add the character - I think he’s going to be a great captain for the Blues.”

On Steen: “Alexander Steen has been an assistant captain and probably is our most complete two-way player, so it was natural for him to continue down that path.”

On Stastny: “I thought something clicked in early October where Paul got extremely comfortable here and I thought he was one of our better players, and a very good player for us in the playoffs. I’m really excited to have him and his leadership. He went through growing pains in Colorado and now he’s on a team that’s pushing. We got closer to our ultimate goal but not close enough, so he’s excited about helping us get there. He’s another guy that has a good feel for the temperature of the team.”

On Tarasenko: “Vladimir Tarasenko is someone just coming into his own now. We know what he can do on the ice, but now his responsibility is to pull players along and make sure he’s doing everything that’s right for the team. It’s a leadership thing I know he’s excited about.”

On Shattenkirk: “Kevin Shattenkirk has been a captain all the way through up until the NHL, and I think he’s just a natural fit for us as an assistant captain. He’s got great communication skills with his teammates, great communication skills with the coaching staff. He’s a guy we really rely on.”

Sidney Crosby Named Team Canada's Captain for World Cup of Hockey 2016

TORONTO/NEW YORK (Aug. 25, 2016) – Hockey Canada announced today that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby will serve as Team Canada’s captain at the World Cup of Hockey 2016. Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will support Crosby as Team Canada’s alternate captains.

Crosby, 29, has won two Stanley Cup® championships since becoming captain of the Penguins during the 2007-08 season. The 2016 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has registered 338 goals and 938 points in 707 career NHL games. Crosby captained Team Canada to gold at both the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and the 2015 IIHF World Championship.

Toews, 28, has been the Blackhawks’ captain since the 2008-09 season, leading the club to Stanley Cup® championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He has registered 251 goals and 564 points in 645 career NHL games.

Weber, 31, will serve as an alternate captain with the Canadiens this season and spent the previous six years as captain of the Nashville Predators. Weber has registered 166 goals and 443 points in 763 career NHL games.

Team Canada General Manager Doug Armstrong and Head Coach Mike Babcock will host a media conference call today at 12:30 p.m. ET to preview Team Canada’s preparations for the World Cup of Hockey 2016. Dial-In: (877) 385-4099; Passcode 74697#

Eight teams -- Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Europe, Team Finland, Team North America, Team Russia, Team Sweden and Team USA -- will compete in the two-week tournament, featuring more than 170 of the best players in the NHL. All tournament games will be played at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rangers sign UFA forward Brandon Pirri

The New York Rangers on Thursday signed UFA Center Brandon Pirri to a one year deal worth $1.1 million.

Pirri had 14 goals and 15 assists in 61 games last season for Florida and Anaheim. Two seasons ago, he scored 22 goals for Florida in 49 games.

The 6'0", 185-pounder split his third full NHL season with Anaheim and Florida, collecting 14-15=29 points with 30 PIM in 61 games set career highs in points, assists and games played. He earned a career-tying 1-2=3 points on Mar. 24 in his hometown of Toronto for his first points as a Duck.

Pirri missed the final five games of the regular season with an upper-body injury was also sidelined for his first 13 games with the Ducks recovering from an ankle sprain, and he recorded 2-5=7 points along with a +5 rating during a career-high five-game scoring streak with the Panthers from Dec. 8-17 capped the streak with his first career three-point game (1-2=3) in a 5-1 win on Dec. 17 at the Devis.

Jared Bednar Named Avalanche Head Coach

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the appointment of Jared Bednar as the franchise’s new head coach. Bednar becomes the seventh head coach in Avalanche history and the 15th in franchise history.

“After profiling the type of coach I wanted for our team and going through an interview process with several good candidates, I believe that Jared Bednar is the best person to lead this team behind the bench,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President/General Manager Joe Sakic. “Jared’s track record of success as a head coach in the American Hockey League speaks for itself and he is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming coaches in our business.”

“Even though we had to accelerate the process with training camp approaching, we feel we met some real strong candidates with a lot of potential to become head coaches in the NHL in the near future, continued Sakic. “I would like to thank the general managers who gave us permission to talk to key staff members at such a precarious time.”

Bednar, 44, guided the Columbus Blue Jackets’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, to the 2016 Calder Cup as AHL champions this past season. The Monsters finished second in the Central Division with a 43-22-6-5 record (97 points) and then proceeded to go 15-2 during the postseason, sweeping both the Western Conference Final and Calder Cup Final.

The 2015-16 campaign marked Bednar’s 14th season in professional coaching, his sixth as a head coach and fourth as a head coach in the AHL. He owns a 251-158-42 (.603) record as a head coach, which includes two seasons in the ECHL. Prior to leading the Monsters to their title, Bednar served as the head coach of the Blue Jackets’ previous AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, in 2014-15. He also spent two seasons as the head coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen from 2010-12.

“My family and I are thrilled to be heading to Denver to begin this new challenge,” said Bednar. “I feel ready for this role with the Avalanche and I am grateful for the trust that (Avalanche President) Josh Kroenke, Joe (Sakic) and the organization has shown me. This is a great sports market with a passionate fan base and I can’t wait to get to work. I would also like to thank Columbus Blue Jackets organization for the opportunity they gave me.”

Bednar began his coaching career as an assistant with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL in 2002-03. He took over the Stingrays’ head coaching job in 2007-08 and in his second season led South Carolina to the 2009 Kelly Cup as ECHL champions. He posted a .654 winning percentage (89-45-9) in two years as an ECHL head coach.

The Yorkton, Saskatchewan, native was an assistant coach in the AHL with Abbotsford in 2009-10 and later served two seasons as an assistant with Springfield from 2012-14.

Bednar played nine seasons of professional hockey, a career that spanned parts of six seasons in the ECHL with the Huntington Blizzard and South Carolina Stingrays (1993-2002), parts of three seasons in the AHL with the St. John’s Maple Leafs and Rochester Americans (1996-2000), and one season in the IHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 1998-99. The defenseman was part of two Kelly Cup championship teams as a player, 1997 and 2001 with South Carolina. Prior to turning pro, Bednar spent three seasons in the Western Hockey League from 1990-93, competing with the Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders.

Coyotes Acquire Crouse & Bolland from Florida in Exchange for Draft Choices

GLENDALE, ARIZONA -- Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka announced today that the Coyotes have acquired forwards Lawson Crouse and Dave Bolland from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Arizona’s conditional third round draft choice in 2017 and Arizona’s conditional second round draft choice in 2018.

“We are very pleased to acquire Lawson,” said Chayka. “He's a big, physical, power forward who is a strong skater with good hands. Players of his caliber and profile are extremely hard to find.”

The 19-year-old Crouse registered 23-39-62, a plus-13 rating and 56 penalty minutes (PIM) in 49 games with the Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) last season. Crouse ranked second on the Frontenacs in points and assists and third in goals. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound native of Mount Brydges, Ontario has recorded 67-73-140 and 190 PIM in 168 career games with Kingston.

Crouse won the U-20 Gold Medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2014-15 and recorded 2-3-5 in 5 games. He played in the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2014-15 and was named to the OHL Second All-Rookie Team in 2013-14.

Crouse was originally drafted by the Panthers in the first round (11th overall) in the 2015 Entry Draft.

Bolland registered 1-4-5 with 16 PIM in 25 games with the Panthers last season and has collected 85-123-208 in 433 career NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Panthers.

Rangers agree to terms with Jimmy Vesey

New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has agreed to terms with free agent forward Jimmy Vesey.

Vesey, 23, skated in 33 games with Harvard University this past season, registering 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points, along with a plus-11 rating and six penalty minutes. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey in 2015-16, becoming the fourth player in Harvard’s history to win the award. Vesey ranked fourth in the NCAA in goals per game (0.73), tied for seventh in goals, and ranked eighth in points per game (1.39) in 2015-16. In addition, Vesey led Harvard in goals, points, and shots on goal (148), ranked second in power play goals (six) and game-winning goals (five), and tied for second in plus/minus rating this past season. He recorded a point in 24 of the 33 games in which he played in 2015-16, including a goal in 18 of those contests. Harvard posted a 17-6-1 record in games which Vesey notched a point, including a 15-2-1 record in contests which he registered a goal.

The 6-3, 203-pounder was also a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award during the 2014-15 season, as he established collegiate career-highs in games played (37), goals (32), assists (26), points (58), and plus/minus rating (plus-23). Vesey led the NCAA in goals and goals per game (0.86), and he ranked third in the NCAA in points in 2014-15. He was selected to the NCAA (East) First All-American Team and was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year. Vesey notched a point in 34 of the 37 contests in which he played during the season, and he tallied a goal in 26 of those 37 games. In addition, Vesey helped Harvard win the ECAC Championship in 2014-15, and he was named Most Valuable Player of the ECAC Tournament.

Vesey skated in 128 career collegiate games over four seasons at Harvard (2012-13 – 2015-16), registering 80 goals and 64 assists for 144 points, along with a plus-17 rating and 66 penalty minutes. Over his last two seasons at Harvard, Vesey recorded 104 points (56 goals, 48 assists) in 70 games, averaging 0.80 goals per game and 1.49 points per game over the span. Vesey’s 56 goals in 2014-15 and 2015-16 led all collegiate players over the two seasons. In addition, he tallied a point in 58 of 70 games over his final two seasons of collegiate hockey, including a goal in 44 of those 70 contests. Vesey ranks fifth on Harvard’s all-time goals list and is tied for 12th on Harvard’s all-time points list. 

Internationally, the North Reading, Massachusetts, native has represented the United States at several tournaments. Vesey helped the United States earn a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, as he tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in seven games while playing alongside current Ranger J.T. Miller. In addition, he recorded three assists in nine games while helping the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.

Vesey was selected by Nashville in the third round, 66th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Flames sign Sean Monahan to seven-year extension

CALGARY, AB -- The Calgary Flames announced today that they have signed Sean Monahan to a seven-year contract extension.

Monahan will be entering his fourth season in the NHL with the Flames after posting three consecutive seasons of 20+ goals to start his career (2013-14: 22G, 2014-15: 31G, 2015-16: 27G).

The 21-year-old will represent Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey next month following a 2015-16 campaign where he eclipsed career-highs in points (63) and assists (36).

Penguins Re-Sign Forward Matt Cullen to a One-Year Contract

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Matt Cullen to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford.

The one-year contract is worth $1 million.

Cullen, 39, helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup last season, the second championship of his career. He also won a title with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound center was one of Pittsburgh’s most consistent performers in 2015-16, tallying 16 goals, 16 assists and 32 points in all 82 games. Cullen’s 16 goals were his most since 2009. He was one of just three Penguins to play all 82 games.

A native of Virginia, Minnesota, Cullen’s best work came during the regular-season stretch drive when he produced 10 points (5G-5A) over the final 11 games, before going on to score four times, and totaling six points, in 24 playoff games.

Cullen scored the game-winning goal in two of Pittsburgh’s four wins against the New York Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs after notching four game-winners during the regular season, his highest total in 10 years. He was also a key member of the NHL’s fifth-best penalty killing unit, and the Penguins’ most-reliable faceoff man with a regular-season success rate of 55.7 percent.

Originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (35th overall) of the 1996 NHL Draft, Cullen has compiled 658 career points (235G-423A) in 1,294 regular-season games with Anaheim, Florida, Carolina, the New York Rangers, Ottawa, Minnesota, Nashville and Pittsburgh.

The graduate of St. Cloud State has added 47 points (16G-31A) in 98 career NHL playoff games.

Penguins Statement.

Blue Jackets sign center Sam Gagner to one-year contract

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Sam Gagner to a one-year contract for the 2016-17 National Hockey League season, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Gagner, who turns 27 on August 10, has posted 124 goals and 228 assists for 352 points with 297 penalty minutes in 615 career NHL games over nine NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers. He has finished in his team’s top-three in scoring five times and registered 40-plus points in six of his eight full campaigns.

“Sam has scored 350 points and played in 600 games in the NHL and is still a young player who can be a solid contributor on our team,” said Kekalainen. “He is a talented, right-handed shot center who will add to our skill and depth at that position.”

The London, Ontario native collected 8-8-16 with 25 penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating in 53 games with the Flyers during the 2015-16 regular season and added 0-2-2 and eight penalty minutes in six postseason contests. He also tallied 1-5-6 with four penalty minutes and was +3 in nine games with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Edmonton’s first pick, sixth overall, in the 2007 NHL Draft, Gagner registered 101-194-295 and 244 penalty minutes in 481 games with the Oilers from 2007-14, hitting the 40-point mark in each of his first five seasons and setting a personal best in goals with 18-29-47 in 75 contests in 2011-12. He joined the Coyotes via a trade prior to the 2014-15 campaign and notched 15-26-41 in a career-high 81 games in his only season with the club.

The 5-11, 202-pound center registered 35-83-118 with 36 penalty minutes and was +32 in 53 games with the London Knights in 2006-07 and added 7-22-29 and 22 penalty minutes in 16 playoff contests. He earned Canadian Hockey League All-Rookie Team and Ontario Hockey League First All-Rookie Team honors in his lone season of major junior hockey. Gagner has represented Canada at three international tournaments. He suited up for the Canadians at the 2008 IIHF World Championships, the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships (gold medal) and the Canada Ontario U17 squad at the U17 World Hockey Challenge.

CBJ Press Release.