The Alex Ovechkin-to-the-Olympics saga seems to be - finally - nearing its end, as the head of the Russian Hockey Federation said Wednesday that Ovechkin needs to accept that he won't be able to participate.

"What is there for Ovechkin to do now? Nothing. Play for Washington," Tretiak told R-Sport, as translated by The Washington Post. "He has to accept that."

While Ovechkin has remained adamant about competing in Pyeongchang come February despite the NHL not participating, it seems more and more unlikely that his dream of representing Russia at this Winter Games will come to fruition.

Despite having the support of Caps owner Ted Leonsis to take part, the fact remains that if Ovie indeed makes the trip in February, he would miss a significant portion of Washington's schedule.

Ovechkin has suited up for the Red Machine at three different Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014), and most recently captained Russia at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

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The City of Calgary is about to put its hockey team under the microscope.

In response to the Calgary Flames' withdrawal from negotiations to fund a new arena in the city, mayor Naheed Nenshi plans to release each side's proposal to the public.

"I was certainly a little bit surprised because we have been at the table," Nenshi told Shawn Logan of the Calgary Herald. "We didn't get any advance warning of this.

"The city has a very fair offer on the table, one that … most Calgarians will see as eminently reasonable, and there's another offer on the table that most Calgarians will see as imminently unreasonable, and I will have the opportunities to share details of those … in the upcoming days."

According to the Herald, the two separate proposals call for the city and the Flames to each cover one-third of the project costs, with the remainder funded via ticket surcharges.

On Tuesday, Flames president and CEO Ken King stated the team is willing to move away from its original proposal, CalgaryNEXT, to be situated in the city's west village, in favor of a city-preferred Victoria Park location.

A multi-stadium proposal, CalgaryNEXT was unveiled in August 2015 at a projected cost of $890 million, however an April 2016 report issued by the city of Calgary estimated the project would cost more than double that figure, coming in at $1.8 billion.

While Nenshi did not give a date on when he will make the two proposals available for public consumption, he was given the green light to do so Wednesday after city council approved the maneuver.

Calgary is home to the NHL's oldest arena that has not undergone a major renovation, with doors to the Scotiabank Saddledome first opening in 1983.

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David Pastrnak isn't expected to be in Boston when Bruins training camp opens Thursday.

The restricted free agent remains in his native Czech Republic while he waits to sign a new contract, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Meanwhile, communication between the team and Pastrnak's representatives continues, Johnston adds.

Pastrnak is believed to be using an eight-year, $68-million deal recently signed by Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl as a point of comparison. His agent recently confirmed the max term has been discussed, but the Bruins appear reluctant to make him the highest-paid player on the team at this stage of his career.

The Bruins will kick off their preseason schedule Monday against Montreal.

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The Colorado Avalanche will raise a sixth jersey to the rafters this season.

The club will retire former Avalanche captain Milan Hejduk's No. 23 jersey on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 prior to a game against Minnesota.

"Milan was a tremendous player, a great teammate, a winner and a true professional in every sense," said Avalanche president and general manager Joe Sakic.

"Milan was one of the most humble players I ever had the privilege of competing with," continued Sakic. "He was a quiet leader who led by example and always represented this organization and himself with class. His number 23 certainly belongs in the Pepsi Center rafters."

Hejduk played all 14 of his NHL seasons with the Avalanche, and helped the team win the 2001 Stanley Cup. He finished his career with 375 goals and 805 points in 1,020 games, and served as team captain for one season. He also won the 2003 Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer that season.

Hejduk's No. 23 will join the numbers of Joe Sakic (19), Peter Forsberg (21), Patrick Roy (33), Adam Foote (52), and Ray Bourque (77) as those retired by the club.

"I am truly honored to have my jersey raised to the rafters alongside those great Avalanche players," Hejduk said.

"I realized my lifelong dream of not only playing in the NHL but also winning a Stanley Cup and to spend my entire career in Colorado was very special. Thanks to all the Avalanche fans for your support, I can't wait to see everyone on January 6th."

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The Calgary Flames aren't leaving town if they don't get a new arena. At least not in the short term.

On Tuesday, Flames president and CEO Ken King announced the team is no longer pursuing plans to construct a new facility in Calgary, classifying recent meetings with city officials as "spectacularly unproductive."

The update comes after King revealed the two sides have not sat at the negotiation tables in more than a month, despite a willingness from Flames' ownership to move away from its CalgaryNEXT proposal in favor of the city's preferred Victoria Park site.

"We would not say we're not interested (in Victoria Park)," King told reporters. "In fact, we're interested enough to put up a very, very substantial participation, but apparently it's not enough.

"It's unfortunate, because I really thought we had something that would work, and it would seem pretty clear that it's not. It doesn't look like we're going to get there, and I think it's time that we stopped pretending and were a little more direct and a little more honest with our fans and with our city about that fact."

There is frustration on the part of Flames' ownership, particularly when their Alberta counterpart, the Edmonton Oilers, unveiled the new Rogers Place last season, a project that was largely publicly funded and came to fruition after Oilers owner Daryl Katz considered Seattle as a possible new home for the team if it was unable to land a new arena in Edmonton.

"This is the business side. It's the boring side (but) it's important. You've got to be viable, you've got to be able to secure your long-term future," King added. "But I think our fans want to know if our two new goalies can stop pucks, if we can compete, and if we can beat the guys up north. Apparently we can't beat them on the building front but maybe we can beat them on the ice."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, on hand for the announcement, echoed King's sentiments on the city's inability to see value in a new arena.

"One of the dynamics here that strikes me as a different, particularly say from Edmonton, I don't get a sense from the city that there is a commitment to or a belief in the importance of having the right infrastructure and having a major league sports team," Bettman told reporters. "I don't see the same level of city commitment here that I've seen in other places.

"This team needs a new arena. This city needs a new arena. But there is no realistic prospect of it coming forward based on everything that has and has not transpired. The city was made aware last February as to what it would take to do an arena; it was their best shot at getting it done. The city is nowhere close to embracing that, so there was no point in continuing."

While negotiations appear to be at a standstill, with King stating he does not see an immediate arena resolution on the horizon, he added that the possibility of relocating from Calgary is not something ownership has discussed.

That was most evident in June, when King shot down relocation talk after Flames' president of hockey operations Brian Burke mentioned Quebec City as a potential landing spot for the franchise.

"In the short term, nobody should doubt the Flames' or their ownership's commitment to the community," Bettman added. "But at some point, I envision without a new building there will be consequences that everybody is going to have to deal with."

The Flames came to Calgary in 1980 after spending the franchise's first eight seasons in Atlanta. In 1983, the team then made its home at the Scotiabank Saddledome, currently the NHL's oldest arena, save for the since-renovated Madison Square Garden.

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Alberta's hockey rivalry is filtering off the ice.

On the day of the Calgary Flames' annual golf tournament, team president Ken King announced they are no longer pursuing a new arena to replace the 36-year-old Saddledome.

For the players, the news came as a surprise, and sparked a touch of arena envy after playing a few games up in Edmonton's brand new rink last season.

"The hope for the players and being part of the city, you want a new rink and what Edmonton has," Matt Stajan said Tuesday, per Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. "It's a little bit of a shock, and it's disappointing, but hopefully, we'll end up getting what we all want."

The Flames, of course, want a building that lives up to 2017 standards, while the city of Calgary is reticent to help them out with the use of public funds.

Defenseman Michael Stone is well versed in this scenario, having previously played with the perennially unstable Arizona Coyotes. That the Flames are a core part of Calgary's identity should help resolve the matter, he believes, and shouldn't keep players from wanting to join the team in the future.

"I just experienced this is Arizona - I can't imagine the uncertainty affecting this market as much as it does down there in terms of getting players to come, but down there it was a problem for some guys," said Stone.

"I guess it's kind of shocking and disappointing, not just for us but for everybody in the city that wants this to happen. It's disappointing for everybody who sees what other cites are getting. I think everybody still has hope something is going to get done."

Edmonton's Rogers Place, it should be noted, was not built without the benefit of public funds, help that was approved after Oilers owner Daryl Katz floated the possibility of the team relocating to Seattle.

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Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:

100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1

Voter List

• James Bisson, National Sports Editor
• Josh Wegman, NHL News Editor
• Sean O'Leary, NHL News Editor
• Esten McLaren, NHL News Editor
• Lucas Casaletto, News Editor
• Michael Amato, Senior News Editor
• Craig Hagerman, NHL News Editor
• Lanny Foster, Senior Social Media Editor
• Arun Srinivasan, News Editor

60. 2015-16 Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh was no slouch in '15-'16 - ranking third in the NHL in goals scored and sixth in goals against - but with Washington rolling to 56 wins and 120 points, many believed it was the Capitals' year. The Penguins put that thought to rest in round two, eliminating the Capitals in six games before outlasting Tampa Bay and defeating San Jose in six games to claim the title.

59. 1942-43 Detroit Red Wings

Still stinging from blowing a 3-0 lead to Toronto in the Stanley Cup final a season earlier, the Red Wings left no doubt this time around. Detroit finished atop the regular-season standings, then exacted its revenge with a six-game elimination of Toronto before sweeping the Bruins in the final. Carl Liscombe had 14 playoff points while Sid Abel (No. 12, shown above) added 13.

58. 1939-40 New York Rangers

Most modern NHL fans don't know who Dave Kerr is - but they should. The Rangers netminder had a season to remember in '39-'40, posting a 1.54 goals-against average while playing all 48 regular-season games for New York. He was just as sensational in the playoffs, going 8-4 with a 1.56 GAA and three shutouts as the Rangers rolled to their third Stanley Cup title.

57. 1945-46 Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens looked merely above average for most of the season - sitting 18-13-3 as late as Feb. 3 - before catching fire. Montreal finished the regular season on a 10-4-2 run and continued that red-hot play into the postseason, outscoring Chicago 26-7 in a four-game rout of the Blackhawks before subduing the rival Bruins in five games in a one-sided final.

56. 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning combined a high-powered offense with surprisingly strong defense and goaltending to post the best record in the Eastern Conference. They needed just nine games to upend the Islanders and Canadiens in the first two rounds, but went the distance with Philadelphia before doing the same in a thrilling Cup triumph over Calgary.

55. 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins

Repeating as champion in the salary cap era has proven to be difficult - and while the Penguins showed it can be done, it wasn't easy. After storming past Columbus in five games in Round 1, Pittsburgh needed seven games in both the second and third rounds to upend Washington and Ottawa, respectively. A six-game triumph over Nashville in the final gave the Pens their fifth title.

54. 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens

The '92-'93 Canadiens won't be remembered as one of the greatest teams in NHL history, but their run to the Stanley Cup will likely stand as the most improbable of all-time. After losing the first two games to Quebec in Round 1, Montreal was victorious in its next 11 and established a record with 10 straight OT wins while capturing its 23rd Stanley Cup (read more about it here.)

53. 1956-57 Montreal Canadiens

With Detroit (88) and Boston (80) joining Montreal in reaching the 80-point plateau, the Stanley Cup title was considered a three-team race. Montreal drew the easier first-round matchup - eliminating the fourth-place Rangers in five games - and used that momentum to send Boston packing in a five-game final.

52. 1962-63 Toronto Maple Leafs

The regular-season standings were tight in '62-'63 - four playoff teams finished within five points of each other - but that didn't carry over to the postseason. Toronto barely broke a sweat in a 4-1 semifinal series win against Montreal, limiting the Canadiens to six goals in five games. The Leafs then claimed their 11th Stanley Cup with a five-game win over Detroit.

51. 1930-31 Montreal Canadiens

The defending champions picked up right where they left off, scoring the second-most goals in the regular season to finish first in the Canadian Division. A narrow 3-2 semifinal win over Boston set up a final showdown with Chicago, which Montreal rallied to win in five games. Howie Morenz finished with 51 regular-season points while Aurele Joliat (shown above) added 35.

50. 1961-62 Toronto Maple Leafs

If nothing else, this write-up lets us show Frank Mahovlich hoisting the Stanley Cup in button-down underwear. Mahovlich and the Maple Leafs finished second in the league during the regular season but were given a huge break in the playoffs, as Chicago knocked off the heavily-favored Canadiens. Toronto downed the Rangers, then beat the Blackhawks in the six-game title series.

49. 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks

One generous vote skewed where this team ended up in the overall rankings; that said, this was still an impressive Anaheim roster. The Ducks finished top-7 in the league in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed in the regular season, and were not given a serious challenge in the playoffs - going on an incredible 16-5 run capped by a five-game rout of Ottawa in the final.

48. 1953-54 Detroit Red Wings

With eight future Hall of Famers on the roster, it's no surprise the Red Wings finished atop the regular-season table while ranking second in goals scored and goals against. Gordie Howe's three goals guided Detroit past Toronto in a five-game semifinal, while unheralded winger Tony Leswick scored the overtime winner in Game 7 of the final to lift the Red Wings past Montreal.

47. 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings

The win-loss record might not amaze, but the Red Wings were one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, scoring the sixth-most goals while surrendering the second-fewest. Detroit followed that up by putting together one of the most dominant Stanley Cup runs in history, posting a 16-4 record highlighted by a Stanley Cup sweep of the shell-shocked Flyers.

46. 1999-2000 New Jersey Devils

This might surprise some, but New Jersey actually finished second in the NHL in goals during the '99-'00 season. Don't let the offensive outburst fool you, however, as come playoff time it was all about Martin Brodeur - who went 16-7 with a 1.61 goals-against average to lead the Devils to their second championship.

45. 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings rosters of the late-1990s were well-oiled machines guided by one of the greatest coaches in history in Scotty Bowman. And just as it had done a year earlier, Detroit was methodical in building one of the top regular-season records in the Western Conference, then ousting Phoenix, St. Louis, and Dallas before capping its Stanley Cup repeat with a sweep of Washington.

44. 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago was a Western Conference power from start to finish, ranking in the top five in goals scored and fewest goals allowed en route to a franchise record in victories. And with the bitter sting of a loss in the conference finals a year earlier still fresh, the Blackhawks left nothing to chance, rolling to a 16-6 postseason record for their first Stanley Cup title since 1961.

43. 1928-29 Boston Bruins

The Bruins had it all in '29-'30 - a potent offense led by a trio of double-digit goal scorers, an airtight defense led by Hall of Fame blue-liner Eddie Shore, and a goaltender in Tiny Thompson (shown above) who stopped nearly everything in his path. Thompson saved his best for the playoffs, recording three shutouts in five games as Boston romped its way to the title.

42. 1947-48 Toronto Maple Leafs

When you have a quartet of future Hall of Famers leading your offense, you're in good shape - just ask the Maple Leafs, who rode the scoring exploits of Syl Apps (shown above, 26 goals), Ted Kennedy (25), Max Bentley (23) and Harry Watson (21) to top spot in the standings. Toronto steamrolled through Boston and Detroit in the playoffs, winning eight of nine games to claim the Cup.

41. 1949-50 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit was far and away the highest scoring team in the league, potting 229 goals - 26 more than runner-up Chicago. But it was the goaltending that led the Red Wings past Toronto in the semis, as Harry Lumley posted shutouts in Games 6 and 7 to help Detroit rally. Pete Babando played the hero in the final, scoring the winner in double overtime of Game 7 against the Rangers.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Dice rolls in the later rounds of your draft can pay off handsomely - if you've bet on the right players.

And while the smart gambles can prove their worth, it's also important to avoid those players who are not worth the risk.

Here are three players who will be major gambles at the draft table:

Claude Giroux

An off year is one thing. And even two poor seasons can be explained. But five full seasons in decline? Place your bets elsewhere.

The Philadelphia Flyers captain has seen his point totals plummet in the past half-decade, from a high of 93 points in 2011-12, to just 58 points last season. Worse yet is that time away can't be an excuse for Giroux. He's been extremely healthy since his career year, missing just 10 games over the past six seasons.

A rebound season from Giroux's likely linemate, Jakub Voracek, would help trigger a bounce-back year. After posting a career-high 81 points in 2014-15, Voracek skidded to 55 and 61 points over the past two campaigns, respectively. Better seasons are needed from two players looked upon to carry much of the Flyers' scoring.

Ales Hemsky

The Montreal Canadiens are banking on Hemsky having something left in the tank.

In search of affordable scoring, the Canadiens inked Hemsky to a one-year deal, hoping he can rediscover his days as an offensive force with the Edmonton Oilers. But to do so, he'll first need to tackle the injury bug. The Czech winger missed almost all of last season, playing just 15 games in his third season with the Dallas Stars.

Whether Hemsky can produce is secondary to whether he can stay on the ice. The 34-year-old has missed 97 games over the past five seasons, and during his 14-year career, he's appeared in 75 or more games just four times. The good news for the Canadiens is Hemsky came cheap - signing for $1 million. Still, there are better draft bargains to be found elsewhere.

Patrick Sharp

The Chicago Blackhawks got the band back together this summer, re-acquiring Brandon Saad from the Columbus Blue Jackets and later adding Sharp as a free agent. The two were part of Chicago's Cup-winning teams in 2013 and 2015. Sharp also won with the Blackhawks in 2010.

While the additions could help Chicago rekindle its glory days, expecting an aging Sharp to find his old magic could be too high of a bar for the veteran winger. The 35-year-old was a mixed bag through two seasons in Dallas, finishing his first year with 55 points but falling to 18 last season as concussion issues and then hip surgery limited him to 48 contests.

The Blackhawks are counting on a declining and injury-prone Sharp to return to form, but it doesn't mean your fantasy team should take the same gamble.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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