Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson opened up about his mental health struggles in an Instagram post on Friday, saying his arrest last year stemmed from a relapse after 23 months of sobriety.

The soon to be 27-year-old voluntarily entered the NHL's substance abuse program after the events that unfolded in June 2018.

"I am currently sober and committed to living a healthy lifestyle so that I can be the father, partner, teammate, and person I want to be," Watson's post read.

Watson - who admitted to dealing with anxiety, depression, and alcoholism since the age of 18 - was handed an 18-game suspension after being arrested for domestic assault.

He pleaded no contest and agreed to a judicial diversion program that would dismiss the charge if he served three months probation and completed treatment and batterer's intervention programs.

Both Watson and his partner Jennifer struggle with alcoholism.

"Jennifer and I are in a good place. We are healthy, happy and committed to our own individual sobriety as well as continuing to strengthen our relationship. We have learned from our mistakes and are excited to move forward in our relationship. We wish only to raise our daughter Olivia in the most healthy and loving atmosphere as we can provide."

The NHL initially suspended Watson for 27 games but an arbitrator reduced the suspension to 18. He was reinstated in November and has six goals and two assists in 28 games with the Predators this season.

Here is Watson's full statement:

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The Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltender Casey DeSmith to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.25 million, the team announced Friday.

"Casey has excelled for us at every level, first in Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and now here in Pittsburgh," general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement.

The 27-year-old is enjoying his longest stretch of games in the NHL after just 14 appearances with Pittsburgh last season. In 26 games in 2018-19, DeSmith has gone 12-7-4 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average.

DeSmith's extension will keep him with the Penguins through the 2021-22 season.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are hoping to put a recent incident that saw the former Vezina Trophy winner benched Thursday in the rear-view mirror.

A day after the club announced Bobrovsky was being held out against the Nashville Predators for failing to meet certain "expectations and values," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told TSN's Pierre LeBrun that the issue has been resolved and the Blue Jackets are "moving on" from the situation.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Kekalainen refused to divulge what exactly the incident entailed, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. The club's GM wouldn't comment on whether the team had asked Bobrovsky to waive his no-movement clause.

Bobrovsky was back with his teammates at practice Friday and spoke to reporters at its conclusion.

"Tuesday night against Tampa was a tough loss for everybody, so ... it was emotional," Bobrovsky said. "We might play them in the playoffs. I let my emotions get to me when I shouldn't. So, yeah. We had the meeting with the team.

"I've been always ... I pride myself to be a good teammate all the time, wherever and whomever I've played. I addressed that to the team. It is what is it. What happened has happened. We cleaned the air and we're ready to move on. It's unfortunate for the fans, too, that it happened. But it's going to stay in the room and between us and that's it."

Bobrovsky will travel with the team to Washington for a game against the Capitals on Saturday night, though Portzline notes there's no word yet on whether the Russian will get the start.

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Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon says his outburst directed at head coach Jared Bednar during Wednesday's game was unacceptable.

The 23-year-old was seen screaming at Bednar on the bench in a game the team dropped 5-3 to the Calgary Flames.

"That's unacceptable on my part," MacKinnon said on Friday, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "I can't be doing that stuff... I was just really frustrated, but I love playing for Bedsy."

"We spoke after the game and Bedsy’s the least sensitive guy ever, so it’s all good."

MacKinnon said he became frustrated when the Avalanche didn't pull their goalie with the team trailing by two goals late in the game.

Bednar, meanwhile, held no hard feelings toward MacKinnon, and was happy to see his star player show passion.

"All of us, at the time, were frustrated. I thought we played two really good games, could've come out with four points," Bednar said. "To me (the outburst) didn't bother me at all. That's what I love about Nathan and about certain guys on our team is the fire and passion and emotion they play with, they have. That's what you need in this game... that’s what makes him so good, so I never want to curb that."

The club has lost eight of its last nine games, which could also be causing some frustration. The Avalanche will look to get back into the win column Saturday when they take on the Canadiens.

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Six-time NHL All-Star Rick Nash is retiring, citing ongoing concussion symptoms and the risk of further brain injuries, his agent announced in a statement Friday.

The 34-year-old most recently played for the Boston Bruins in the 2017-18 season after being acquired ahead of the trade deadline from the New York Rangers. Nash suffered a concussion in March 2018 and missed the end of the regular season, but returned for the playoffs. Boston was eliminated in the second round.

He was an unrestricted free agent this summer. Leading up to July 1, he informed teams that he would forgo the process, since he hadn't decided whether he would return for another season.

In October, Nash said that while he missed the game, there was a good chance that he wouldn't return.

Nash captured the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (along with Ilya Kovalchuk and Jarome Iginla) during the 2003-04 season. He also enjoyed incredible success on the international stage, winning two Olympic gold medals for Canada and three silvers at the World Championship.

The 2002 first overall pick still ranks first in Blue Jackets history in games played (674), goals (289), assists (258), and points (547).

Nash concludes his career with 437 goals and 805 points in 1,060 games split between the Blue Jackets, Rangers, and Bruins.

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Connor McDavid singlehandedly saved the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

The superstar forward tied the game against the Florida Panthers just before the end of regulation, converting a Leon Draisaitl feed with eight seconds remaining in the third period.

After overtime settled nothing, McDavid took matters into his own hands once again, potting the eventual winner in the shootout by out-waiting Panthers goaltender James Reimer.

McDavid scored twice and added an assist in regulation.

His first goal of the night knotted the contest at 2-2 and came with 22 seconds left in the second period.

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Brad Marchand and Lars Eller chirped each other through the media after a heated Thursday night tilt between their clubs.

The dynamic Boston Bruins pest and the Washington Capitals forward criticized each other after a 4-2 Capitals victory, during which Eller tried to instigate a second-period fight that Marchand refused.

"Everyone saw what he is," Eller said postgame, according to The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan. "There's not a lot of integrity in his game."

Marchand was ready with a response when asked about it shortly thereafter.

"I really don't feel the need to try to prove anything," he said, according to the Boston Herald's Marisa Ingemi. "He plays 10-12 minutes a night and I'm playing 20."

Eller received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his role in the sequence.

Marchand had a typically eventful game, jawing with Capitals agitator Tom Wilson after Washington defenseman Dmitry Orlov was hurt in a collision with the Bruins' Ryan Donato.

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St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn is drawing trade interest around the league, TSN's Pierre LeBrun said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

The underachieving Blues are in "full listening mode," according to LeBrun, including in conversations concerning the team's core players.

Schenn would be more than just a rental if he's moved before the Feb. 25 trade deadline; he's signed through next season at a $5.125-million cap hit.

The 27-year-old set career highs in both goals (28) and assists (42) last season - his first in St. Louis. Like most of the Blues, he's regressed in 2018-19 with just nine goals and 15 assists in 37 games.

Nonetheless, Schenn's ability to play both center and wing while providing a physical presence in a team's top six certainly makes him an attractive commodity.

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