The NHL board of governors voted in favor of the sale and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah for the 2024-25 season.

The league is giving control of the franchise to Ryan and Ashley Smith while awarding former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo the right to reactivate the team should he secure a fully constructed NHL-appropriate arena within five years.

The Smiths run the NBA's Utah Jazz, and the two organizations will share the Delta Center beginning next season, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. The arena has a hockey capacity of 12,000. The franchise collected 11,000 season-ticket deposits within hours of the sale announcement, notes The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

"As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"The NHL's belief in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game."

Smith said his Utah team won't rush picking a name and could go into its inaugural season without one, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Relocation talks for the Coyotes picked up steam earlier this month after years of rumors. The league's flip of the franchise to Smith was first reported last week. Smith has pushed hard to land a franchise and made a formal request to the NHL for an expansion club in January.

Coyotes players and staff were informed of the move last week. All of Arizona's hockey assets, including its full reserve list, roster, draft picks, and hockey operations will be transferred to the Utah franchise.

The Coyotes were unsuccessful in landing a new arena deal after moving to Arizona State's Mullett Arena ahead of the 2022-23 season. Scottsdale mayor David Ortega publicly opposed the Coyotes' latest plans to purchase a plot of land in North Phoenix for a new arena and entertainment district, calling the idea "not feasible."

Arizona players bid an emotional farewell to their home crowd Wednesday night after their season finale, a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that they signed defensive prospect Cade Webber to a two-year, entry-level contract worth $875,000 per season.

Toronto acquired Webber's rights from the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the trade deadline for a sixth-round pick in 2026. The 6-foot-7 blue-liner was a fourth-round draft selection of the Hurricanes in 2019 and recently finished his collegiate career with Boston University.

Webber, 23, notched six points in 38 games for the Terriers this past season, helping the school reach the Frozen Four. He was named Hockey East's top defensive defenseman in 2023-24.

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The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Vasily Podkolzin to a two-year contract extension Thursday.

The deal is worth $1 million per season, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Podkolzin, the 10th overall pick in 2019, made 18 appearances for the Canucks this season, managing two assists. He also recorded 28 points in 44 games for AHL Abbotsford.

"We are happy with how hard Vasily has worked on his game to try and become a more consistent player," general manager Patrik Allvin said. "While there is still room for him to grow, starting the year in Abbotsford and working his way back up to Vancouver shows the type of commitment and dedication we want in all our players."

Podkolzin has 35 points in 136 NHL games since making his debut in 2021. He played three KHL seasons with SKA St. Petersburg before making the move to North America.

The Canucks qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2020 this season after winning the Pacific Division.

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Erik Karlsson offered a blunt assessment of the Pittsburgh Penguins' campaign after officially being eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday night.

"We are a huge disappointment," Karlsson told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "We underachieved so much, and it's very disappointing. There's no other way to say it."

He added: "I think it's been an underachieving season for a lot of us. I think we're a much better team than what we've displayed in 81 games this season. But at the same time, we did all of this to ourselves. That's what is frustrating."

The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 last season and were expected by many to bounce back this year after acquiring Karlsson in a blockbuster trade with the San Jose Sharks over the summer.

The 33-year-old took a huge step back from his 101-point, Norris Trophy-winning 2022-23 campaign, with only 11 goals and 44 assists so far in his debut season with Pittsburgh. Karlsson's arrival was supposed to help resurrect the Penguins' putrid power play, but the club converted at a measly 14.3% rate this season.

"We couldn't get our minds out of the situation," Karlsson said of the slumping man advantage.

"That's what happens. When you're into something so incredibly deep like we all were on the power play, I think it actually becomes harder to see and figure out what the solution is. You try to get yourself out of that mindset. You try and try. You want to get rid of this feeling that you have, that something's not right on the power play, and you want to fix it. But we couldn't."

Karlsson is under contract for three more seasons at a $10-million cap hit. The Penguins have a projected $12.74 million in cap space over the summer to make improvements, and general manager Kyle Dubas previously said the club intends to compete for the playoffs while captain Sidney Crosby is still in the picture.

Karlsson hopes the current group is given another shot to prove themselves.

"I just hope we're together for a bit longer, because that way, we would get another chance to show just what we are capable of doing," he said. "I think we've learned a lot this season."

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New York Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe pledged to dial back on reckless hits after serving the first suspension of his young career.

The 21-year-old was handed a four-game ban earlier this month for elbowing New Jersey Devils blue-liner Jonas Siegenthaler in the head. Rempe has also drawn criticism for hits on Nathan Bastian and Ilya Lyubushkin during his short NHL tenure but is adamant the latest incident was a lesson learned.

"More control of my body, just stuff like that. If a guy is pulling out of a hit, just got to be careful," he told Mollie Walker of the New York Post. "It was an accident. I thought I was going to hit the wall ... Never want to see a guy get hurt or anything like that. I'm still going to play super hard, play the same way. I'm just going to make sure my hits are clean, like, keep everything compact, keep everything tight. It will be good. Just live and learn."

He added: "Obviously, watching back, I did. I made a mistake ... I thought I hit the wall, but I ended up hitting him. That was unfortunate. I'm sorry about that."

Rempe was called out by Siegenthaler's teammate, Kurtis MacDermid, for not fighting after the hit, but the New York rookie said he had instructions not to drop the gloves. Rempe's already recorded four fights since joining the Rangers for his first game on Feb. 18.

Head coach Peter Laviolette said he hopes Rempe remains physical - within the rules - when he draws back into the lineup.

"He likes to hit," Laviolette said. "He's a good hitter. So he's got to make sure he's doing things the right way. That one got away. Every other hit has been pretty good. They've been heavy and physical, and he brings that presence to the team."

The Rangers drafted Rempe 165th overall in 2020. He's chipped in two points and 30 hits in 10 games so far as an NHLer.

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After discussing potential tweaks to three-on-three overtime at Monday's general managers meetings, the NHL appears content to leave things as is.

League executive Colin Campbell revealed in November that GMs are exploring changes to the current overtime format to prevent teams from continuously exiting the offensive zone with puck possession. Possible solutions included a shot clock or implementing an over-and-back line, but the ideas apparently haven't gained much traction.

"I think it's working," New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said of the system in place, per NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. "I don't think there's any need to make changes. I think if the regroups were causing it to go into a shootout, then you'd have to."

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said potential changes could overcomplicate OT.

"All of a sudden, now I've got the puck at center ice, and you come and poke it. Did it go over the line? Did it not go over the line? Do we have a video replay on that? It just opens up a can of worms," Nill said.

"Now we're going to have another clock? It's not worth it."

The NHL is on pace to have 70% of its games this season end in overtime, which would mark a new record. In 2014-15, the final campaign before the league implemented three-on-three, 44% of games finished in the extra frame.

"We've looked at it, and we've looked at the percentage, and it hasn't been a problem, we think," Campbell said. "And we think it's exciting."

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Saturday's clash between Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers and Nathan MacKinnon's Colorado Avalanche is one the reigning MVP is looking forward to.

"I'm always motivated to go up against the league's best, and he would certainly fall under that category," McDavid said of MacKinnon on Friday.

"A bunch of them would over there: (Mikko) Rantanen, (Cale) Makar, (Devon) Toews. They've got an elite group over there, and I love testing myself against those types of guys."

McDavid and MacKinnon are two consensus front-runners for the Hart Trophy but haven't faced each other yet this season. MacKinnon is considered by many to be the favorite to capture his first career MVP, as he leads the league with 115 points. McDavid, who won for the third time in his last seven seasons in 2023, currently ranks third in the scoring race at 106 points.

On top of individual brilliance from their top players, the Oilers and Avalanche enter the contest as two of the hottest teams in the NHL. Both clubs have won seven of their last 10 games, and Colorado will roll into Edmonton on a five-game winning streak.

McDavid said the matchup will be a good test for the Oilers.

"I think it's a great thing," he said. "Of course, these guys are as good as anyone in the league. It's good to test where your team's at and where your game's at against one of the league's best."

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Evgeny Kuznetsov felt the love from his new fans after burying his first goal with the club in Thursday's win over the Florida Panthers.

Kuznetsov fired a wrister past Sergei Bobrovsky in the second period and broke out his patented bird celebration in front of a raucous PNC Arena. He was named the game's first star after the victory.

"I just want to say thanks to the fans. I almost cry a little bit," Kuznetsov said after the game, per Bally Sports.

"It's been a long time for me, I've been dealing with some big issues. That support is huge for me. My wife was here tonight, kids watching, parents. So that's all for them."

Thursday marked Kuznetsov's fourth game with the Hurricanes since being acquired from the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old played 11 seasons in the U.S. capital but has endured a difficult 2023-24 campaign. Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February and was then placed on waivers.

He believes landing in Carolina has been the reset he needed.

"It's been phenomenal for me," Kuznetsov said. "I'm living my best days, trying to take it day-by-day. I'm enjoying it."

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The Chicago Blackhawks and former forward Corey Perry reached a settlement after the player and NHLPA alleged his contract was improperly terminated, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

The Blackhawks are expected to receive a small charge to their salary cap, Seravalli adds. Perry was eligible to file a grievance but didn't.

Chicago signed Perry to a one-year, $4-million deal last June but terminated his contract after only 16 games, citing unacceptable conduct. After taking time off to receive help, Perry signed a one-year pact with the Edmonton Oilers for the remainder of the current season.

The 38-year-old has recorded seven points in 20 games since joining the Oilers.

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov had some high praise for Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon ahead of Wednesday's marquee matchup, calling his former teammate the best player in the world.

Zadorov's comments came in response to a question about how MacKinnon compares to the league's two most recent Hart Trophy winners - Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

"If I were to build a team, I would build around (MacKinnon) over those other two guys," he said. "Because he's a winner. He won the Stanley Cup."

MacKinnon helped Colorado win a championship in 2022, eliminating McDavid's Edmonton Oilers along the way in the Western Conference Final.

The Avalanche star has built a strong case for his first Hart Trophy this season with a league-leading 113 points in 66 games entering Wednesday.

McDavid's won three MVPs and five scoring titles since entering the NHL in 2015. He sits third with 103 points this season after a career-high 153-point output last year.

Matthews leads all skaters with 54 goals this season and ranks 10th with 80 points, but he hasn't enjoyed the same level of playoff success as MacKinnon and McDavid.

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