The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Noah Hanifin to an eight-year contract extension with a cap hit of $7.35 million, the team announced Thursday.
Hanifin will have a full no-trade clause for the first six seasons of the contract and a 15-team no-trade list in the final two years, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.
The 27-year-old will receive $29.4 million in signing bonuses over the next four seasons, LeBrun reports. He'll have a base salary of $5.7 million with no signing bonuses in the last four years of the contract.
The Golden Knights acquired Hanifin from the Calgary Flames before the trade deadline for defenseman Daniil Miromanov, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick. Vegas also sent a 2024 fifth-rounder to the Philadelphia Flyers for extra retained salary.
Hanifin has nine points in 16 games with the Golden Knights while playing 23:02 per contest. He has 13 goals and 44 points in 77 outings this season.
He was in the final year of the six-year, $4.95-million contract he signed in 2018. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Hanifin becomes the seventh NHL defenseman under contract through next season with the Golden Knights. Only Alex Pietrangelo has a higher cap hit among the team's blue-liners at $8.8 million.
36-year-old Alec Martinez is Vegas' lone remaining pending unrestricted free agent on the back end.
Hanifin was drafted fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015. He's accumulated 62 goals and 283 points in 675 games over his nine-season NHL career.
Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg is retiring from the NHL at the end of the 2023-24 season, the team announced Thursday.
Silfverberg, 33, has seven goals and 19 points in 78 games this campaign. The Swede is in the final season of the five-year contract he signed in 2019.
"Thank you to the fans around the league, specifically in Anaheim and Ottawa," Silfverberg said. "To spend 11 years in Orange County playing for the Ducks is something I will cherish every day, thanks in large part to all of you."
Silfverberg has accumulated 158 goals and 354 points in 769 contests with Anaheim. He tallied four 20-goal seasons and scored a career-high 49 points in 2016-17.
Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in 2013 in the Bobby Ryan trade, Silfverberg ranks fifth in games played and goals in Ducks franchise history.
"He was the ultimate character player for the Ducks, Senators, and his native Sweden, leading by example and always putting the team first," Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said. "His contributions on the ice and in the Orange County community will have a lasting impact."
Silfverberg performed well across seven postseasons. He scored 18 points in 16 games during the Ducks' 2015 run to the Western Conference Final, and he tallied a team-best nine goals in Anaheim's 2017 trip to the conference finals.
The Swede represented his nation on numerous occasions, most notably at the 2014 Olympics and 2016 World Cup. He captained Team Sweden at the World Championship last spring.
Drafted 39th overall in 2009 by the Senators, Silfverberg has totaled 168 goals and 373 points in 817 NHL games.
The NHL has prepared an option that would see the team sold to Smith Entertainment Group, owners of the NBA's Utah Jazz, and relocated to Salt Lake City, sources told Kaplan and Wyshynski.
The three parties have made significant progress on a framework agreement, and the NHL sent a memo to the board of governors updating the situation Wednesday, reports Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wouldn't divulge details when asked about the reports.
"The league is continuing to work on a solution to what has been a challenging and difficult situation," Daly told TSN's Pierre LeBrun. "But we are not in a position to comment beyond that."
The league still believes a team should be in Arizona but is skeptical about the Coyotes' newest arena plans, per ESPN.
The Coyotes announced last week their commitment to winning a land auction in the Phoenix area and building a privately funded arena and entertainment district on the 110-acre plot. However, Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega slammed the plans Monday, calling the concept "not feasible or welcome."
Winning the June 27 auction could allow the Coyotes to remain in Arizona long term. But the franchise could be based in another state by that date, as an announcement of the sale and relocation could come as early as April 18, the day after the Coyotes' final regular-season game, Seravalli adds.
Two versions of the NHL's 2024-25 league schedule are being drafted with the potential of the Arizona Coyotes relocating to Salt Lake City, Seravalli reported earlier Wednesday.
One schedule sees the Coyotes remain in Arizona for another season, and the other features the franchise playing at Utah's Delta Center.
Ryan Smith, owner of the Jazz, added to the speculation the franchise could be on the move last week when he asked fans on X for their opinion on a name for a Utah-based NHL team.
Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo selling control of the franchise would cost an interested buyer north of $1.2 billion, which includes the NHL's relocation fees, per Seravalli.
The Coyotes posted a video on X reiterating their commitment to remaining in Phoenix.
Committed to keeping Coyotes Hockey in the desert & building an arena in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/gJz4b4A8xO
The Atlanta Thrashers are the last NHL franchise to relocate, moving to Winnipeg in 2011. That sale and relocation was announced on May 31, and the team played in Winnipeg the following campaign.
The 2023-24 NCAA men's hockey season culminates this week in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Boston College, Boston University, Denver, and Michigan challenging for the Frozen Four title.
The No. 1 ranked Eagles take on the No. 10 underdogs from Ann Arbor in one semifinal, and No. 2 BU faces No. 3 Denver in a battle of two top seeds from the regional bracket in the other.
Here are 10 prospects to keep an eye on ahead of the tournament's action Thursday and Saturday.
BC's fab freshmen
When Boston College recruited the U.S. NTDP's entire first line from its 2005 age group, many expected the trio to be successful in the NCAA before long.
But the freshmen line of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perreault hasn't just been successful; They've arguably been the best line in all of college hockey.
Smith, drafted fourth overall last summer by the San Jose Sharks, leads the nation in scoring with 23 goals and 69 points in 39 games. Leonard (eighth by the Washington Capitals) and Perreault (23rd by the New York Rangers) aren't far behind.
Leonard has been a beast in the postseason. He scored two goals in each of the Eagles' regional wins and has recorded seven points in three games going back to the Hockey East final.
The Fresh Prince earns his crown 👑 (or in this case his cap)
By the way, Smith casually bagged four goals and five points in the Hockey East final.
The trio has obliterated every level they've played at. The USHL, Under-18s, World Juniors, and now the NCAA have all been brushed aside by the three of them as if it were supposed to be this easy.
With NHL contracts on the horizon, this weekend is likely the last time we see the dominant trio together for a number of years, if not ever. Enjoy the show before it leaves town.
The most hated man in Philadelphia
Michael Miller/ISI Photos / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Philadelphia Flyers surprised the hockey world when they traded Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in January.
The revelation that Gauthier refused to sign in Philadelphia only made the situation more shocking.
That saga has impacted a lot of people's opinion of Gauthier. But let's make one thing abundantly clear: The Boston College winger is a helluva hockey player.
Gauthier could be the best-drafted prospect who's not currently in the NHL. He led all American players with seven goals at the 2023 Worlds, paced Team USA in points at the world juniors, and is gunning for the best goal-scoring season in college hockey since the turn of the millennium.
Gauthier ticks every box a general manager could want in a prospect. He's got a pro frame at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds. The 20-year-old also plays a physical game and has a cannon of a shot, not to mention the puck-handling skills to go with it all. Gauthier can make a no-look assist like this appear simple:
Cut gets his second assist of the night as Gasseau finds net 🤌
And despite the success of his aforementioned freshmen teammates, those skills are why Gauthier is the Eagles player nominated for the Hobey Baker Award.
You'll get a taste of what we'll see for years to come on the Ducks' first line this weekend.
2024 draft prospects on display
Michael Miller/ISI Photos / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Macklin Celebrini entered the season as the favorite to go first overall in June but had competitors for the top spot.
However, he's gapped the field with a remarkable freshman campaign at Boston University to firmly establish himself as the No. 1 prospect in the class. We've seen great NCAA campaigns from draft-eligible prospects like Adam Fantilli and Jack Eichel, but Celebrini's age differentiates him.
Fantilli and Eichel turned 18 in October of their draft seasons. Celebrini celebrates his birthday in June.
Celebrini broke Craig Simpson's 39-year-old NCAA record for goals by a 17-year-old with a tally against RIT in Boston University's tournament opener. He also became the youngest player ever to be a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker, and there's a good chance he'll become the youngest to win the award.
The Vancouver native drives play in so many ways, whether with his prowess in transition, high-end skill and lethal shot in the offensive zone, or competitiveness and hard work in the defensive zone.
Come on, what is this wizardry?
Our freshman line has been absolutely electric to start the second! Chancer got things going with this equalizer.
He's not the generational prospect that Connor Bedard was, but he still projects to be an elite, star-caliber first-line center.
Celebrini isn't the only 2024 prospect on display, as Denver's Zeev Buium is expected to go in the top 12 this summer.
Buium is more of the typical NCAA draft prospect as a December birthday, but that doesn't diminish anything he's done on the ice this season. The left-shot blue-liner has 49 points in 40 games, making him the most productive draft-eligible defenseman in NCAA history.
Although Buium's defensive game needs to improve, his skating, ability in transition, and offensive zone prowess make him an electrifying player, especially at the college level.
Hutson's last hurrah
Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It can't be overstated how impressive Lane Hutson's last two seasons have been.
Not taken until the end of the second round in 2022 amid concerns over his size, Hutson immediately became a dominant offensive defenseman with Boston University as a freshman.
Hutson's put up a nearly identical stat line as a sophomore with 15 goals and 49 points in 37 contests, and he enters the Frozen Four on a seven-game point streak.
He's ridiculously good at the NCAA level with the puck on his stick. Hutson was the No. 1 college defender in primary assists and offensive zone entries (among other stats) this season, per SportLogiq. He also paced all NCAA players in completed passes to the slot.
Lane Hutson doing Lane Hutson Things™️ (30th Career Goal Version)
Hutson will likely turn pro and sign with the Montreal Canadiens after this weekend. The matchup against Denver and a potential Frozen Four final will be his last hurrah as a collegiate player before taking on his next challenge in the NHL.
Michigan's crew looks to play spoiler
Three of the four No. 1 seeds made it to the Frozen Four. The exception was Michigan State, who were upset by their rivals from Ann Arbor.
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Gavin Brindley took a huge step to become the Big Ten's best player. Winnipeg Jets first-rounder Rutger McGroarty has flourished in a bigger role.
But no player has taken a bigger step than Frank Nazar. The Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick had an underwhelming freshman season after returning from hip surgery, posting two goals and seven points in 13 games.
With 17 goals and 41 points in 40 contests this time around, it's been sophomore success for the Detroit native.
Nazar bagged two goals in the Big Ten final against Michigan State and helped sewer the rivals from East Lansing in the NCAA Tournament regional final with a remarkable between-the-legs assist.
Almost 50 NHL-affiliated prospects will compete in Thursday's semis across the four teams. Whether you're cheering for one of the schools or simply a fan looking to get a glimpse of the next generation before they arrive in the NHL, you won't want to miss what's sure to be an electrifying ending to the NCAA season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and Tampa Bay Lightning clinched Stanley Cup Playoffs berths Friday.
Toronto did so after the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals lost. Tampa Bay secured its spot moments later following the Detroit Red Wings' defeat.
Edmonton clinched with a 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
The Maple Leafs make the postseason for the eighth straight year. It's their longest streak in 43 years.
The Lightning head back to the playoffs for the seventh campaign in a row. Tampa has made the Stanley Cup Final three times during this span, winning it twice.
The Oilers were 10 points out of a playoff spot at American Thanksgiving. Edmonton stormed back up the standings after hiring Kris Knoblauch as head coach on Nov. 12 to secure a playoff berth for the fifth straight season.
Toronto and Tampa Bay join the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, and Carolina Hurricanes as Eastern Conference teams to have clinched postseason berths.
Edmonton is the fifth Western Conference club to secure a playoff spot, joining the Dallas Stars, Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks.
Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for elbowing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey on Thursday.
Pospisil caught Morrissey high with less than a minute remaining in the second period.
Martil Pospisil receives a five-minute major and game misconduct for elbowing Josh Morrissey. pic.twitter.com/wUKvZE9AoY
Morrissey didn't miss any time, finishing the contest with 27:07 of ice time. The Jets won 5-2 to clinch their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons and officially eliminate the Flames from postseason contention.
Pospisil had eight goals, 20 points, and 82 penalty minutes in 55 games coming into Thursday's contest.
The 24-year-old rookie was suspended three games in March for boarding Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn.
The Winnipeg Jets secured their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday with losses from the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild.
The Jets are the third Central Division team and the fourth club from the Western Conference to clinch a postseason berth.
Winnipeg will go to the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons, with the exception being the 2021-22 campaign. Forwards Adam Lowry and Mark Scheifele have played in every playoff appearance for the franchise since it returned to Manitoba.
The Jets emphasized clinching a postseason spot by beating the Calgary Flames 5-2. Gabriel Vilardi picked up his first NHL hat trick in the victory.
Winnipeg lost in five games against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round last year.
The ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers ceased operations on Tuesday, the team and league announced.
Newfoundland had been the Toronto Maple Leafs' ECHL affiliate since entering the league in 2018. Seven Growlers alumni went on to play in the NHL, including the Maple Leafs' Timothy Liljegren and Bobby McMann, as well as Boston Bruins forward Justin Brazeau.
The league cited "failure to fulfill obligations under the ECHL bylaws" as the reason for terminating the Growlers' membership.
Deacon Sports and Entertainment, owners of the Growlers and the Trois-Rivieres Lions, were given a league mandate to sell the teams by Tuesday. An agreement was made on a sale for the Lions, an affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, and the team will continue to play for the rest of the season.
"We are saddened to lose ECHL hockey in the Newfoundland market," league commissioner Ryan Crelin said in a statement. "We'd like to thank the Growlers fans and partners for their support of the team throughout their existence and are hopeful that hockey can return to the region for their dedicated and passionate fan base."
There had been issues regarding payments to the cities and the league for some time, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday. The owners have debts of $1.1 million to the city of Trois-Rivieres for the use of Colisee Videotron, per VOCM.
Players under contract with the Growlers become unrestricted free agents. Those signed to NHL or AHL contracts will return to their respective teams.
Goaltender Vyacheslav Peksa was the lone Maple Leafs prospect with the Growlers this season. Former Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay also featured regularly for Newfoundland.
The Growlers made the conference finals in every season they competed, winning the ECHL championship in their inaugural 2018-19 campaign. Newfoundland didn't play the 2019-20 or 2020-21 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team had six games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season and was battling for a playoff spot.
The Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks clinched Stanley Cup Playoffs berths Saturday.
The Canucks secured their spot with the St. Louis Blues' loss to the San Jose Sharks, while the Avalanche did so with a 7-4 comeback win against the Nashville Predators.
The Avalanche and Canucks join the Dallas Stars as Western Conference teams to have punched a ticket to the postseason so far.
Vancouver goes to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 in the COVID bubble. Rogers Arena last hosted a postseason game on April 23, 2015.
It's Colorado's seventh straight season making the playoffs, matching the second-longest streak in franchise history with the Quebec Nordiques' run from 1980-87. The franchise record is 11 consecutive postseason berths - from 1994-06.
Down 4-2 early in Saturday's second period, Colorado scored five unanswered to battle back and secure the 7-4 win. Yakov Trenin, who the Avs acquired from the Predators before the trade deadline, netted the game-winner against his former team.
Colorado pulled netminder Alexandar Georgiev after he allowed his fourth goal and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for shooting the puck into the crowd.
Mikko Rantanen hit the 100-point mark for the second year in a row with an assist on Nathan MacKinnon's empty-net goal.
Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear will be away from the team indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Wednesday.
Bear will return to the Capitals when cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.
The 26-year-old has one goal and four points in 24 games this season. He signed a two-year, $4.125-million contract with Washington on Dec. 28 after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the IIHF World Championship.
Bear has been a healthy scratch as of late. He hasn't played since March 13 against the Edmonton Oilers.
