Several days after the Toronto Maple Leafs fired him, former general manager Kyle Dubas broke his silence Tuesday, saying he wouldn't address the details of his exit from the franchise.

"While I understand there is interest surrounding the circumstances of my departure, I will not get into the specifics of what I consider to be reasonable and consistent but private discussions," Dubas wrote in a statement on behalf of his family. "In the days that I felt I needed to assess and evaluate my own view to the future, both with respect to the necessary direction of the club and ensuring that I had the full support of my family for what I knew would be required in the offseason and years to follow, the organization, as is their right to do, decided to go in a different direction."

He added: "It was an honor to be able to work in such an inspiring place with dedicated, loyal people and an extremely passionate fan base. The impact of that and the relationships with all of the people at MLSE, from the board of directors through to the ushers at Scotiabank Arena, will forever hold a dear place in our hearts. ...

"We will roll from here," the statement concluded.

The Maple Leafs parted ways with Dubas on Friday following five seasons as the team's general manager. His contract expires June 30.

The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly already received permission to speak with Dubas regarding their open front-office positions.

In a candid press conference Friday, Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan outlined contract negotiations with Dubas dating back to last summer. Shanahan said the club had decided to bring the GM back and was nearing the completion of an extension prior to Dubas' end-of-season media availability Monday.

"While watching Kyle's (press conference), there was a dramatic shift in my thinking," Shanahan said. "Because Kyle might not want to be GM, and I have to take that very seriously."

Before Dubas was fired, he spoke openly about his undetermined future and unwillingness to move elsewhere.

"I definitely don't have it in me to go anywhere else," he said. "It'll either be here (with the Leafs) or it'll be taking time to recalibrate and reflect on the seasons here. You won't see me next week pop up elsewhere; I can't put (my family) through that after this year."

The Maple Leafs set franchise records for single-season wins and points with Dubas at the helm but failed to break through in the postseason. Toronto won its first playoff series since 2004 in May against the Tampa Bay Lightning only to be brushed aside in five games by the Florida Panthers in the second round.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins were given permission to speak with former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday's edition of "32 Thoughts."

Toronto decided to part ways with Dubas on Friday. His contract expires June 30, so teams wanting to talk to the 37-year-old before that date must get the Maple Leafs' permission.

Pittsburgh fired general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke in April.

The Penguins were very close to the end of their search for a new head of hockey operations before Dubas became available, Friedman added.

Buffalo's Jason Karmanos, Carolina's Eric Tulsky, Dallas' Steve Greeley, New Jersey's Dan MacKinnon, and Tampa Bay's Mathieu Darche are among the candidates believed to have been a part of Pittsburgh's second round of interviews for their GM vacancy, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Dubas was in the Maple Leafs' front office for nine years, operating as the team's GM for the past five. Toronto made the playoffs each year during his tenure at the helm and set single-season franchise records for wins and points. Despite the regular-season success, the Maple Leafs managed just one postseason series victory, which came this year against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Prior to being let go, a candid Dubas spoke about his uncertain future and a lack of interest in moving elsewhere.

"I definitely don't have it in me to go anywhere else," he said. "It'll either be here (with the Leafs) or it'll be taking time to recalibrate and reflect on the seasons here. You won't see me next week pop up elsewhere; I can't put (my family) through that after this year."

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In a shocking upset, Norway defeated Canada 3-2 in a shootout at the men's World Championships on Monday.

The victory is Norway's second win ever against Canada at the Worlds, with the first coming in 2000. Norway's roster has no active NHL players.

Thomas Olsen scored the decisive goal in the shootout for Norway.

Andreas Martinsen - a veteran of 152 NHL games across stints with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and Chicago Blackhawks - put Norway on the board first at 9:45 of the opening period. Former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Sondre Olden extended Norway's lead 1:52 into the second frame.

Milan Lucic drew Canada back within one before the midway mark of the contest. With 12 seconds remaining in regulation, Lawson Crouse tied the game on a feed from Michael Carcone to send the game to overtime.

Joel Hofer got his second start of the tournament for Canada, allowing four goals on five attempts in the shootout. Norway's Jonas Arntzen stopped 31 of 33 shots and denied two of four shootout attempts.

Projected 2023 No. 2 overall pick Adam Fantilli received a match penalty in the second period for illegal head contact.

Both teams had gone to one shootout in the tournament prior to Monday. Norway lost against Kazakhstan, while Canada survived an upset bid from Slovakia.

The winner of the Canada and Czechia matchup Tuesday will finish second in Group B. Norway can't advance to the quarterfinals.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are parting ways with general manager Kyle Dubas, the team announced Friday.

"I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as general manager," Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.

"Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff and consistently pushed to make our team better season over season. We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward and thank him for his valuable contributions."

Dubas made numerous significant splashes as Toronto's general manager. He added the likes of John Tavares and TJ Brodie in free agency and was active on the trade front, acquiring Jake Muzzin, Jack Campbell, Nick Foligno, and Ryan O'Reilly while notably dealing away Nazem Kadri.

He also signed Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly to their current contracts.

Dubas' deal with the Maple Leafs expires on June 30. The 37-year-old was visibly emotional while discussing his future during Monday's end-of-season media availability, raising the possibility he'd take some time away.

"I definitely don't have it in me to go anywhere else," he said at the time. "It'll either be here or it'll be taking time to recalibrate and reflect on the seasons here. You won't see me next week pop up elsewhere; I can't put (my family) through that after this year."

Rielly, the Maple Leafs' longest-tenured player, expressed support for Dubas on Monday.

"I think the world of Kyle," Rielly said. He added: "I'm not in charge of what happens with his contract, but everything he did was in the team's best interest, and he put us in a position where we had a chance to play and to win and to succeed. Ultimately, the players are the ones that were on the ice at the end of the season."

Shanahan will address the media Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

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Arizona Coyotes top prospect Logan Cooley will return to the University of Minnesota for the 2023-24 campaign, the school announced Friday.

The Coyotes drafted Cooley third overall in 2022. The 19-year-old dominated the NCAA last season, tallying 22 goals and 60 points in 39 games. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

Minnesota lost the championship game in heartbreaking fashion, as it was upset by Quinnipiac seconds into overtime.

Cooley's commitment is a major boost for the Golden Gophers, who will again be among the NCAA's top teams. Minnesota has lost top contributors Matthew Knies, Brock Faber, and Jackson LaCombe to the NHL.

The Golden Gophers previously announced the returns of fifth-year senior forward Jaxon Nelson and goaltender Justen Close. Minnesota's recruiting class is headlined by projected 2023 first-round pick Oliver Moore and Chicago Blackhawks first-rounder Sam Rinzel.

Cooley is eligible for the 2023 world juniors, where he will almost certainly star for Team USA again. He tallied seven goals and 14 points en route to a bronze medal in January. Cooley is four goals and seven points away from matching the all-time American record for each statistic.

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The opening contest of the NHL's conference finals didn't want to end. After nearly seven full periods of hockey, the Florida Panthers prevailed over the Carolina Hurricanes with just under 13 seconds remaining in quadruple overtime.

Here's a look at some notable numbers coming out of a marathon Game 1 in Raleigh.

0 - Paul Stastny was the lone player to not record a shot on goal in 24:11 of ice time. The 37-year-old scored the Hurricanes' overtime-winner in Game 6 of their first-round series against the New York Islanders.

1:58 - Game 1 ended at 1:58 a.m. local time, five hours and 48 minutes after it started at 8:10 p.m.

2 - Matthew Tkachuk ended the contest with his second overtime goal of these playoffs. He also scored the game-winner in Game 5 versus the Boston Bruins in the opening round. Only three players have ever scored three OT winners in a single postseason: Corey Perry in 2017, Maurice Richard in 1951, and Mel Hill in 1939.

5 - Florida remains undefeated in five overtime contests during these playoffs. The Panthers became the third team in NHL history to win their first five OT games in a postseason, joining the 2003 Anaheim Ducks and 2011 San Jose Sharks.

7 - The Panthers extended their postseason road winning streak to seven games. That's tied for the second longest in playoff history (with six other teams), only behind the 2012 Los Angeles Kings, who won 10 straight.

39 - Frederik Andersen made 39 saves in overtime. That's tied for the fourth most since 1955-56, only behind Joonas Korpisalo (46 in 2020), Ron Tugnutt (42 in 2000), and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (40 in 2003).

50 - Sergei Bobrovsky is the third goaltender since 1955-56 to record 50-plus saves in consecutive playoff games. Only Juuse Saros in 2021 and Curtis Joseph in 1993 previously accomplished the feat. Bobrovsky stopped 50 in Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and 63 in this series opener.

57:27 - Brandon Montour logged a game-high 57:27, the 10th most by a player since 1997-98 when ice time began to be recorded. Montour played more in Game 1 than teammate Zac Dalpe has totaled in nine postseason contests.

63 - Bobrovsky's 63 saves are the most in Panthers postseason history, surpassing John Vanbiesbrouck's 55-save performance in Game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. The total is tied for 10th most in a playoff game and is the most since Jake Oettinger's 64 saves in Game 7 against the Calgary Flames last year.

139:47 - It took 139:47 to find a winner, making the game the sixth longest in NHL history and the longest either team has ever played.

1951 - Game 1 was the first conference finals contest to go to quadruple overtime since Game 1 between the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings in 1951. Just like the Panthers, the Canadiens won the contest away from home on a goal from their star player - Maurice Richard.

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Should Kyle Dubas remain the Toronto Maple Leafs' general manager this summer, the team could be in store for significant changes.

"I would consider anything with our group here that would allow us a better chance to win the Stanley Cup," Dubas said Monday during the team's end-of-season availability, according to ESPN's Kristen Shilton. "I would take nothing off the table at all."

Dubas cited the Florida Panthers' blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames to acquire Matthew Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, among other assets, as an example, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

The Maple Leafs advanced to the second round for the first time since 2004 before flaming out in five games against the Panthers.

Dubas lauded head coach Sheldon Keefe's adjustments during the postseason but said that "there still needs to be a full evaluation of everything," according to TSN.

Dubas has been the Maple Leafs' GM since May 2018. His contract is set to expire this summer. He was noncommittal about his future in Toronto but said he wouldn't serve as general manager for another team this summer, per The Hockey News' David Alter.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly spoke of his admiration for Dubas earlier in the day.

"I think the world of Kyle," Rielly said.

"He's a world-class GM," he added. "I'm not in charge of what happens with his contract, but everything he did was in the team's best interest, and he put us in a position where we had a chance to play and to win and to succeed. Ultimately, the players are the ones that were on the ice at the end of the season."

Leafs president Brendan Shanahan is set to speak to the media later this week.

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Auston Matthews doesn't plan on leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"My intention is to be (in Toronto)," Matthews said Monday during the team's end-of-season availability, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.

"I think I've reciprocated that before, how much I enjoy playing here and what it means to me, the organization, my teammates. … The work that we're putting in to continue to strive for that end result is extremely motivating."

Matthews said signing an extension before next season is "important" and that a potential deal "will work itself out in due time."

He signed a five-year contract with a cap hit of just over $11.6 million in February 2019. That deal is set to expire after next season, which would make Matthews an unrestricted free agent.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon signed an eight-year contract extension in September that will give him the league's highest cap hit in the fall at $12.6 million.

After scoring key goals in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Matthews was unable to find the back of the net in Toronto's five-game series loss versus the Florida Panthers. He finished the postseason with five goals and 11 points after tallying 40 goals and 85 points in the regular season.

The 25-year-old said he was dealing with bumps and bruises throughout the 2022-23 campaign but noted it's his "job to push through that," per The Hockey News' David Alter.

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Toronto Maple Leafs trade deadline acquisition Ryan O'Reilly was disappointed with his postseason performance as he spoke to reporters Monday during the team's end-of-season media availability.

"I don’t think I created enough out there," O'Reilly said, according to The Hockey News' David Alter. "It’s disappointing."

The 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner scored three goals and registered nine points in 11 playoff games with Toronto. After a strong start with seven points in the opening four games of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, O'Reilly tallied just one goal and two points in the Maple Leafs' final seven games.

Toronto traded a 2023 first-round pick, three other draft picks, prospect Mikhail Abramov, and depth forward Adam Gaudette to acquire O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues in February.

O'Reilly sustained a broken finger late in the regular season that forced him to miss 14 games. He clarified that his finger felt fine in the playoffs and that he was not dealing with a big injury, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

A pending unrestricted free agent, O'Reilly also addressed whether he'd consider re-signing with the Maple Leafs.

"Yeah, absolutely," O'Reilly said. "I'm still reflecting on the loss, and coming forward here I have a lot to think about what I plan to do. This organization is incredible.

"I'm so thankful I was able to be brought into it. Obviously, sorry we couldn't get the result we wanted, but just to be part of this organization was an amazing thing. I'll have some decisions to make going forward."

The Maple Leafs are projected to have just under $7.5 million in cap space heading into the offseason, per to CapFriendly. O'Reilly's coming off of a seven-year contract that had a $7.5-million cap hit with the Buffalo Sabres.

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Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse was automatically suspended one game for instigating a fight with Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague in the final five minutes of regulation during Game 4, the league confirmed Thursday.

The NHL reviewed the penalty and had the option to overturn the suspension. Head coach Jay Woodcroft was also automatically fined $10,000 under the rule.

Nurse - the Oilers' most-used defenseman this postseason - will be unavailable for Saturday's Game 5.

In more fallout from Wednesday's game, Vegas' Alex Pietrangelo will have a hearing Thursday for his slash on Leon Draisaitl.

The second-round series is tied at two games apiece following Edmonton's 4-1 win.

Nurse was suspended for three games in 2016 for instigating a fight with Roman Polak.

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