Senators’ Ryan spent summer in Idaho to escape rumor mill

When you need to get away from it all, head to the Gem State.

That was the offseason destination of choice for Ottawa Senators winger Bobby Ryan, who, along with his wife and two children, packed his bags for quaint Coeur d'Alene, Idaho as a way to escape the rampant rumor mill.

"Honest to God, I wanted to throw a dart at the map and be off the grid as much as I could. Somewhere remote so nobody wanted to visit," Ryan told Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "There's no people. I need(ed) to get away from hockey for a couple months. I need(ed) to recharge."

Ryan's name was thrown around throughout the offseason as a possible addition to a potential Erik Karlsson trade.

Karlsson was ultimately shipped to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 13, while Ryan, who has four years and $30 million remaining on the seven-year pact he signed in 2014, is still a Senator.

With Karlsson gone and the offseason in the rearview mirror, Ryan has returned to the Canadian capital for training camp and is ready to start anew after a 2017-18 campaign in which he tallied just 33 points.

There will be plenty of opportunity for Ryan, as the Senators usher in a new era with coach Guy Boucher readying a more offensive game.

"I'm really encouraged. I had a couple meetings with coach, and he showed me what's going to change, where we're going from here," Ryan said. "It's stuff I think our team will relate to and get. It's going to be very simple and it's going to work."

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

Canadiens associate coach Muller signs 2-year extension

Montreal Canadiens associate coach Kirk Muller isn't going anywhere, as he and the team agreed to a two-year contract extension on Sunday.

Muller spent the past two seasons behind the Canadiens' bench, working alongside former coach Michel Therrien and current bench boss Claude Julien.

Previously, Muller spent two years as an assistant with the St. Louis Blues and parts of three seasons as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. He was also an assistant coach with the Canadiens from 2006-11.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, the longtime NHL veteran skated in 1,349 games, including four seasons with Montreal, where he served as a captain during the 1994-95 campaign.

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

Jets sign Morrissey to 2-year deal

The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenseman Josh Morrissey to a two-year extension worth $3.15 million per year, the team announced Sunday.

Morrissey was the Jets' only remaining restricted free agent.

In 81 games with Winnipeg last season, the 23-year-old netted seven goals and 19 assists. He also finished fourth among Jets defensemen with just over 20 minutes in average ice time.

In 164 career games, Morrissey has notched 13 goals and 33 assists.

The Jets selected Morrissey with the 13th overall pick in the 2013 draft.

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

Hurricanes’ Rask will be out months says Brind’Amour

It could be some time before Victor Rask joins his Carolina Hurricanes teammates on the ice.

The 25-year-old underwent surgery on his fourth and fifth fingers on his right hand Thursday after slicing them while making food. The team ruled Rask out indefinitely, but head coach Rod Brind'Amour says "it's going to be months."

"It's not going to be quick," he added, according to Hurricanes.com's Michael Smith.

Brind'Amour noted that Rask cut tendons in the fingers, according to Chip Alexander of The News Observer.

Rask is coming off a down 2017-18 season that saw him post a career-low 31 points in 71 games.

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

Humboldt assistant GM Jason Neville resigns: ‘I will always be a Bronco’

Humboldt Broncos assistant general manager Jason Neville is leaving the organization.

Neville announced the move in a statement Saturday night, writing that "this was not an easy decision, but I know it is the right choice for me." He concluded by saying that, although there is nothing specific lined up, he plans to stay in the hockey world and will always have reverence for Humboldt. "I do know I will always be a Bronco," he wrote.

Both the Broncos' official Twitter account and general manager/head coach Nathan Oystrick offered thoughts on Neville's decision as well.

Neville was instrumental in assembling the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team for the upcoming season following the tragic bus crash in April that left 16 dead and 13 injured.

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

Humboldt assistant GM Jason Neville resigns: ‘I will always be a Bronco’

Humboldt Broncos assistant general manager Jason Neville is leaving the organization.

Neville announced the move in a statement Saturday night, writing that "this was not an easy decision, but I know it is the right choice for me." He concluded by saying that, although there is nothing specific lined up, he plans to stay in the hockey world and will always have reverence for Humboldt. "I do know I will always be a Bronco," he wrote.

Both the Broncos' official Twitter account and general manager/head coach Nathan Oystrick offered thoughts on Neville's decision as well.

Neville was instrumental in assembling the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team for the upcoming season following the tragic bus crash in April that left 16 dead and 13 injured.

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

Tavares responds to Lou: ‘I have no regrets in the way I performed’

John Tavares acknowledges that he deserves blame for the New York Islanders' shortcomings during his tenure, and wishes the team had accomplished more, but he's at peace with his contributions.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward expressed as much when asked if he was surprised by Islanders president of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello's comments from earlier this week in which the former Leafs GM said there was "no aftermath" in the wake of Tavares' departure, and that it would be different if the Isles had won championships.

"In the nine years (I was there) we made the playoffs three times and got past the first round once, so we obviously fell short of where we wanted to get to and we didn't have as much consistent success as we (would have liked)," Tavares said to reporters, including TSN's Mark Masters, on Saturday.

"Being the captain there as long as I was, I should shoulder a lot of that responsibility in not doing a good enough job and leading that team," he added. "I wish I could have done a better job, but I know I gave it everything I had, and looking back, I have no regrets in the way I performed ... I just obviously wish we'd had more success and done a better job."

Tavares departed the Islanders ranking fifth on the club's all-time points list and seventh all time in goals, despite sitting outside the top 10 in games played.

He signed a seven-year, $77-million contract with the Maple Leafs as a free agent on July 1.

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