The Los Angeles Kings have signed 2017 first-round draft pick Gabe Vilardi to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.

Vilardi was drafted 11th overall after posting 61 points in 49 games with the Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires in 2016-17.

In 23 OHL contests this season, the 6-foot-3 pivot has registered 14 goals and 29 assists.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk shed some light on his future plans for the organization in a letter sent to its fans Thursday.

"This has been a disappointing season for our team," Melnyk said in the letter, per Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun. "Our place in the standings speaks for itself. Trust me, no one is more aware of this - and more frustrated by it - than I am."

The Senators sit 29th in the league and have endured a difficult season that began with the optimism of building off last season's run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

"Enduring a tough year has given us a chance for clear-eyed evaluation," Melnyk said. "This is an ongoing process, but I can tell you one thing: We are not looking to tweak our lineup, nor mortgage our future for stop-gap solutions."

"As a team, we need to get younger, faster, and more skilled."

Ottawa has undergone plenty of roster change over the course of the season, acquiring Matt Duchene for Kyle Turris and shipping off Derick Brassard at the trade deadline, while holding off on a potential Erik Karlsson deal that had the hockey world on the edge of its seat.

Melnyk made it clear he wants to shift the focus to his club's future, including developing a downtown arena at LeBreton Flats and making the Senators competitive once again.

"On a personal level, let me repeat that I have every intention of rebuilding the Senators to become the finest team in the NHL and bringing a Stanley Cup to Ottawa."

Melnyk's entire message can be read here.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks will be without forward Loui Eriksson for the remainder of the season as he deals with a fractured rib, head coach Travis Green announced Thursday.

Eriksson has only suited up in 50 games in 2017-18, in which he's recorded 10 goals and 13 assists. He also missed four weeks from mid-October because of a knee sprain.

The 32-year-old is in the second season of a six-year, $36-million contract he signed with the Canucks in 2016.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tim Leiweke says hockey fans in Seattle made a big-time statement Thursday.

The CEO of Oak View Group, which is overseeing the renovation of KeyArena, implied as much to Sportsnet's Irfaan Gaffar after fans made 10,000 season-ticket deposits in the first 12 minutes of the ticket drive and 25,000 overall on Thursday.

"Congratulations to Seattle. The fans have spoken, and now we'll go through the process with (NHL) Commissioner (Gary) Bettman to hit the other milestones that we need to hit and hopefully by June (we'll) be able to deliver a team to this town, because I think today they proved they want it and they're worthy of it, "Leiweke said.

The longtime sports executive admitted he was surprised by how quickly the goal of 10,000 was met after the season-ticket drive opened at 10 a.m. PST.

"I'm shocked ... 12 minutes, that's pretty amazing. It shows you the pent-up demand for hockey in the Northwest," Leiweke said, before adding that he really shouldn't have been too shocked considering the rapid growth of the Seattle market.

"We have 35 million people that are part of our base here, and so we're really excited about the ability to (possibly) be the regional team, but I think it also shows you how quickly Seattle's (growing)," he said.

"It's the fastest growing city in North America. When you drive around this city and you see the cranes, I don't think you should be surprised and shocked. It's an amazing place, it's an amazing city, and it has an amazing future in front of it, and we couldn't be prouder to be a part of it."

Leiweke also expressed pride in Seattle's hockey fans, specifically.

"(I'm) really proud of the marketplace. What a resounding message they (sent) back to the other 31 (team) owners and to Commissioner Bettman, but now the exciting part gets to start."

The prospective Seattle ownership group, which also includes renowned Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer and investment company billionaire David Bonderman, submitted its formal NHL expansion application last month.

O

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Things are looking promising in Seattle.

On Thursday, Oak View Group (OVG) conducted a season-ticket drive with overwhelming results. Three days prior, the prospected owners of the NHL's 32nd franchise released renderings of what the renovated Seattle Center Arena could look like once construction is complete.

The arena would house the NHL club as well as an NBA franchise if the league were to return to Seattle. It would also host the WNBA's Seattle Storm, in addition to concerts and other events.

OVG hopes to begin renovations sometime this year.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Kole Lind to a three-year, entry-level contract Thursday, the team announced.

The 19-year-old was taken in the second round - 33rd overall - in last June's draft. He recently amassed a 20-game point streak with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets between Dec. 9 and Feb. 2, wherein he tallied 15 goals and 38 points.

"Kole has had an outstanding season in Kelowna despite missing games due to illness and injury," general manager Jim Benning said in a release. "We've been impressed not only with his high-end offensive skill but also in the way he battles, sees the ice and makes plays in the defensive end. We're excited for him to continue his development and provide further forward depth for our organization."

Lind leads the Rockets in scoring with with 35 goals and 85 points in 51 games this season.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Seattle appears to be hungry for hockey.

The city's potential NHL team owners sold 10,000 season tickets in the first 12 minutes and sat at 25,000 total tickets sold about an hour into their ticket drive Thursday.

Seattle's investors include Oak View Group, led by former Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, as well as legendary Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer and investment company billionaire David Bonderman.

They began their season-ticket push at 10 a.m. PST, or 1 p.m. ET.

KeyArena's capacity is about 17,500, but OVG is renovating the facility, and that process is expected to be completed in time for the 2020-21 NHL season.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is taking notice of what Eric Staal is doing at age 33.

The Minnesota Wild forward was named the league's first star of the month for February on Thursday after piling up 13 goals and 21 points in 13 games and notching at least a point in 11 of those contests.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was named February's second star after scoring 10 goals and racking up 21 points in 12 games.

Reilly Smith of the Vegas Golden Knights earned third-star honors with eight goals and 20 points in 14 contests.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris has been named in a New York Times report regarding possible ethics violations by White House advisor Jared Kushner.

Harris, the founder of Apollo Global Management, met with Kushner on multiple occasions, sources told the Times' Jesse Drucker, Kate Kelly, and Ben Protess, in regard to a possible job for Harris in the White House. While that job did not materialize, Apollo reportedly loaned $184 million to Kushner’s family firm, Kushner Companies.

The loan could be a potential ethics issue due to Kushner’s decision not to divest from his private business interests when he took on an official role in the White House as senior advisor to President Donald Trump. Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, recently had his top-secret clearance downgraded by the National Security Council.

Harris has an estimated net worth of $3 billion. He became managing partner of the 76ers in 2011 and majority owner of the Devils in 2013.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils will get their No. 1 goalie back between the pipes on Thursday night with Cory Schneider getting the start against the Florida Panthers, the team announced.

Schneider has missed the team's last 16 games with a groin injury, having not played since Jan. 23 against the Boston Bruins.

The Devils have stayed afloat in Schneider's absence, having gone 9-7-0 during that time. The club sits with the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, just two points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.