The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Derek Clancey as assistant general manager of player personnel, the team announced Tuesday.

Clancey had served as assistant GM of the Canucks since December 2021, overseeing Vancouver's professional and amateur scouting staff.

The Pittsburgh Penguins hired Clancey as a pro scout in 2007, and he remained with the organization for 14 seasons, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the franchise (2009, 2016, 2017).

He was promoted to Pittsburgh's director of player personnel in 2019.

Clancey is the fifth assistant GM on the Maple Leafs' staff, joining Brandon Pridham, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser (player development), Ryan Hardy (minor league operations), and Darryl Metcalf (hockey research and development).

Running the show is Brad Treliving, who replaced Kyle Dubas in late May following a nine-year stint with the Calgary Flames.

"We are excited to add Derek to our hockey operations department," Treliving said. "I feel Derek is one of the premier talent evaluators in our game. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and will play a big role as we continue our goal of building a championship team."

Treliving also brought in former NHLer Shane Doan as a special adviser to the GM in June.

Prior to joining the Canucks, Clancey served as a pro scout for the Flames to start the 2021-22 season while Treliving was GM.

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Denis Malgin is heading home.

The former Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs forward is signing a five-year contract with the Swiss National League's ZSC Lions, the team announced Tuesday.

Malgin produced 13 goals and eight assists in 65 contests split between the Maple Leafs and Avalanche last season. He failed to record a point in seven playoff games with Colorado.

The 26-year-old also added six points in six games with Switzerland at the World Championship.

Malgin has proven to be a star overseas. Over his last two campaigns in Switzerland from 2020-22, he recorded 40 goals and 54 assists in 93 games.

The 5-foot-9 forward has totaled 41 goals and 40 assists in 257 career NHL games.

The Florida Panthers drafted him in the fourth round in 2015.

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Former NHL goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff will see his number raised to the rafters of the Scotiabank Saddledome when the Calgary Flames retire his No. 34 in a ceremony March 2, the team announced Tuesday.

"I loved my time in Calgary," Kiprusoff said. "The fans are amazing, and it's a wonderful place to live and play. Hockey really means something here, and I was proud to wear the Flaming C and call Calgary my home for nine years.

"I would like to thank the Flames ownership, the organization, and the fans for my time in Calgary and for this tremendous honor."

Kiprusoff played for the Flames from 2003 up until his retirement in 2013. He's the franchise leader in games played by a netminder (576), wins (305), shutouts (41), save percentage (.913), and goals against average (2.46).

Kiprusoff also registered 45 wins during the 2008-09 campaign, the most by a Flames goalie in a single season.

The Finn took home the Vezina Trophy in 2006 and was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player. He posted a 42-20-11 record to go along with a .923 save percentage, 2.07 goals against average, and 10 shutouts in 2005-06.

Kiprusoff will join Jarome Iginla, Lanny McDonald, and Mike Vernon as the only Flames to have their numbers retired.

"To have my name and number hanging next to those great Flames players, and especially my friend and legendary goalie Mike Vernon, is truly a highlight of my career," Kiprusoff said.

Kiprusoff, 46, was selected in the fifth round of the 1995 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. The Flames acquired him from the Sharks in November 2003 in exchange for a 2005 second-round pick, which San Jose used to draft Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

Calgary made the playoffs five times during Kiprusoff's tenure and lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.

Overall, Kiprusoff owns a career .912 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average in 623 regular-season appearances.

The Flames will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 2 at 10 p.m. ET.

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The San Jose Sharks denied claims by former forward Martin Kaut that a coach from the club's AHL affiliate pressured him to fight opponents.

"Let us be unequivocally clear that no such direction was ever given or insinuated by the members of the Sharks or Barracuda coaching or hockey staffs," the Sharks said in a statement obtained by Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

Kaut left the Sharks organization this offseason to sign in his native Czechia. In an interview with Czech news outlet iDNES, he said one of his AHL coaches picked an opponent each game for him to fight. Kaut claimed when he refused, the coach said that's why he isn't in the NHL.

"One time, he pointed to (Calgary Wranglers forward) Adam Klapka," Kaut said. "Wow, the kid's 230 pounds, 6-foot-8, and I'm supposed to fight him? My countryman on top of it? Hell no."

Kaut endured numerous injuries after the Colorado Avalanche drafted him 16th overall in 2018.

"I've had three concussions and injured my shoulder twice," Kaut said. "If I fought the guys they picked for me, I'd go down and still get hurt. He made me fight anyway, it really bothered me.

"I would have fought for any good reason, no question. When the game's sold out, it escalates, or when you're defending a teammate. But to fight someone just for the sake of it? I'm supposed to be on the ice to score goals."

Colorado traded Kaut to San Jose in January. He suited up in nine games for the Sharks and 19 contests in the minors. He's made 56 career NHL appearances and notched 11 points.

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Matt and Blake look back our Friday's poll regarding Tony DeAngelo's availability and whether or not he'd fit with the Canucks; Connor Bedard signing with the Blackhawks on his 18th birthday; and how the Canucks' chances of making the playoffs next year would be greatly enhanced if Calgary and Winnipeg continue re-tooling this summer. Burnaby's Nabil Karim joins to talk about his journey in sports media that has taken him to suburban Atlanta covering the NBA and NHL for TNT. He tells us about the Rick Tocchet he knows from working together on the NHL panel, and previews a big summer for Canadian hoops at the FIBA World Cup. Vanni Sartini is back from punishment and will be on the touchline Friday for the Whitecaps' Leagues Cup match against Mexican side Club León. He talks about Saturday's 4-2 win over LA Galaxy, assistant Mike D'Agostino running the bench, and Lionel Messi coming to MLS. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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The Colorado Avalanche signed restricted free-agent forward Ross Colton to a four-year contract, the team announced Monday.

Financial terms weren't officially disclosed, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports the contract features a $4-million average annual value.

Colton had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 27. The Avalanche acquired him from the Tampa Bay Lighting in late June for a second-round pick and promptly gave him a significant raise, as he earned $1.125 million annually on his previous deal.

"Ross is a hardworking two-way center with a championship pedigree," general manager Chris MacFarland said. "He has physicality to his game, is ultracompetitive, and his versatility will make him a valuable addition to our lineup in a lot of ways."

The Bolts selected Colton in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. He broke into the NHL during the 2020-21 season and scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in his debut campaign.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old has registered 83 points in 190 career games, including 16 goals and 16 assists this past season.

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The New York Islanders re-signed restricted free-agent forward Oliver Wahlstrom to a one-year deal, the team announced Monday.

Wahlstrom agreed to his qualifying offer, a source told The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. His qualifying offer was worth $874,125, per CapFriendly.

The 23-year-old winger recorded seven goals and nine assists in 35 games with the Islanders last season. He missed the second half of the season with a lower-body injury.

Wahlstrom has tallied 61 points in 161 career NHL games across parts of four seasons. He showed plenty of promise during the 2020-21 campaign when he potted 12 goals in 44 contests.

The Islanders selected Wahlstrom 11th overall at the 2018 NHL Draft.

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The Arizona Coyotes aren't hesitating to put pressure on forward Dylan Guenther.

"We have huge expectations for Dylan," Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny said, according to NHL.com's Alan Robinson. "He will be a leader on the team, and a leader of our young generation. We believe he already has our DNA. We want him to be an example for the other guys, the way he conducts himself in the gym, the lunch room, the therapy room, in every meeting, on the ice."

Guenther was selected ninth overall by the Coyotes in the 2021 NHL Draft. Arizona acquired the pick in the trade that sent Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Vancouver Canucks.

The 20-year-old winger is coming off a highly eventful 2022-23 campaign during which he spent 33 games with the Coyotes and recorded 15 points. The Edmonton native helped Canada win gold at the world juniors, tallying seven goals and three assists in seven games, including the OT winner in the final against Czechia. He also notched 57 points in 39 combined regular season and playoff games with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, who lost in the Memorial Cup Final.

Guenther believes the experience of playing with multiple teams throughout a season will help his development in the end. However, he's focused on solidifying himself as a full-time NHL player in Arizona next season.

"Absolutely, I want to be here," Guenther said. "I think playing in all those different leagues, all those different situations, playing with and against so many different players, so many good players … it was a lot. It was different, but busy is good."

Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong is counting on Guenther to make strides in his game for 2023-24.

"You'll really see his game get to the next level (now)," Armstrong said. "It's an exciting time for him. You're going to see a lot of growth in him. He's one of those kids that can win in the championships and he doesn't give up much. He's a pretty exciting kid."

The Coyotes improved up front with the additions of Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot, and Nick Bjugstad, but there's still room for Guenther to carve out a featured role for himself.

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