The Vancouver Canucks are expected to add Hockey Hall of Fame executive Jim Rutherford to their front office in a key decision-making role, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

It's unknown if Rutherford will serve as president and general manager or just president, Dreger added.

More to come.

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The Arizona Coyotes may find themselves barred from their own building if they fail to settle their debts with the city of Glendale.

Last Friday, the Arizona Department of Revenue filed a tax lien notice in Maricopa County against IceArizona Hockey LLC - which owns the NHL club - stating the team owes $1.3 million in state and city taxes, The Athletic's Katie Strang reports.

If the Coyotes fail to settle their debt by Dec. 20, the city has told ASM - the company that manages Gila River Arena - not to let team employees or arena vendors into the facility.

A letter from city manager Kevin Phelps to Gutierrez said the team owes Glendale about $250,000 of that amount, with the rest owed to the state.

The Coyotes are entitled to an informal hearing if they request one in writing within 10 days. The Coyotes owe taxes dating back to June 2020, according to the tax lien notice.

Phelps said he apprised NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of the situation Wednesday.

The Coyotes' first home game after Dec. 20 is scheduled for three days later versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Glendale said in August that it planned to opt out of its lease agreement for Gila River Arena after this season, meaning the Coyotes will need a new building after June 30, 2022.

Two weeks after the city revealed its plans, the team filed a bid for land in nearby Tempe to be the site of a new arena.

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Toronto Maple Leafs veteran Jason Spezza is appealing his six-game suspension for kneeing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in the head, the NHL Players' Association announced Wednesday.

The NHLPA filed the appeal on his behalf.

The 38-year-old has never previously been suspended in his 1,203-game career.

Spezza hit a vulnerable Pionk while the blue-liner was bent down trying to swipe at the puck with his glove. Pionk injured Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin with a knee-on-knee hit earlier in the game.

Here's a look at the hit:

Pionk was able to stay in the game but entered concussion protocol on Tuesday. The 26-year-old was suspended for two games for kneeing Sandin.

The first stage of Spezza's appeal process will go through NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Spezza can then go for independent arbitration if he isn't satisfied with Bettman's ruling, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

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Pittsburgh Penguins star winger Jake Guentzel is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Wednesday.

Guentzel has been scorching hot, notching 12 goals in his past 12 games. The 27-year-old leads the Penguins in scoring this season with 27 points through 24 contests.

Pittsburgh has been decimated by injuries to key players all year, but the team currently holds the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 29 points and a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 showings.

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau hopes deploying Elias Pettersson on the penalty kill will provide an offensive jolt for the young superstar.

Pettersson has struggled to produce this season, registering just 13 points in 26 games. In Boudreau's debut behind the bench on Monday, Pettersson logged 39 seconds on the kill - a modest amount but still more than usual.

The veteran coach believes change can be a good thing.

"You look at good teams, a lot of their best offensive players are also better killers," Boudreau said, according to NHL.com's Kevin Woodley. "They get more ice time and they feel more into it, so it's a good thing as long as they're committed to doing the right things defensively."

Pettersson has only played 10:24 shorthanded in his career, but Boudreau thinks the responsibility of an expanded role can help rebuild the confidence his star has been missing this season.

"It's like a do-over," Boudreau said. "Sometimes new coaches come in and they put you in different positions, different roles, and it works for you."

The Canucks own the NHL's worst penalty kill this season, operating at a paltry 65.5%. They return to the ice Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins.

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Ian Cole was fined $5,000 for kneeing Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele during Tuesday's game, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.

Cole received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the knee-on-knee hit.

Scheifele was able to stay in the game. The 28-year-old had a slow start to the season but has heated up recently, entering Tuesday with 14 points in 18 games.

The Jets have been involved in multiple kneeing plays recently. Winnipeg blue-liner Neal Pionk was suspended two games for a knee-on-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin on Sunday. Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza was suspended six contests for kneeing Pionk in the head later in the same shift.

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NHL teams took a massive financial hit last year due to the pandemic with a shortened 56-game season and extremely limited attendance for most clubs. However, things are looking up, as the average team value has risen to $865 million - an increase of 32% from last year, according to Forbes' Mike Ozanian. That's the biggest one-year jump since 2013.

For the seventh straight year, the New York Rangers sit atop Forbes' annual list of team valuations, and they've become the first NHL franchise valued at $2 billion. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins round out the unchanged top five.

The Edmonton Oilers had the biggest jump of any team, doubling last year's $550 million valuation to $1.1 billion.

No teams decreased in value from last year. The team with the smallest increase - the Vancouver Canucks - saw a 14% rise in value from last year and an 18% rise over the last five years.

Here's the full list:

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