The Colorado Avalanche signed Boston University forward Shane Bowers to a three-year, entry-level contract, the Avalanche announced Friday.

The deal won't begin until the 2019-20 season, but Bowers will report to the AHL's Colorado Eagles on an amateur tryout contract.

The 19-year-old sophomore forward produced 11 goals and 21 points over 37 games with the Terriers this season.

Bowers was the Ottawa Senators' first-round pick in 2017. He was dealt to the Avalanche in the three-team swap involving Matt Duchene later that year.

A slew of Boston University players have turned pro since the team's 2018-19 season ended, including Dante Fabbro, Joel Farabee, Jake Oettinger, Bobo Carpenter, and Chad Krys.

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David Pastrnak's Dunkin' Donuts TV advertisement is popular around Boston, and it aired at the perfect time during the Bruins' meeting with the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

The commercial, which depicts Pastrnak going to the penalty box, was played while he received a (rare) real penalty against New York:

With just 30 penalty minutes on the season, Pastrnak is one of Boston's most disciplined players, so the odds of this happening were quite slim.

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Vancouver Canucks stud prospect Quinn Hughes is feeling healthy and ready for his NHL debut once he's medically cleared.

"If I'm not 100 percent, I'm very close," Hughes said Wednesday. "Skating these past five days has been great. I'm ready when my number is called."

Hughes signed a three-year entry-level contract with Vancouver on March 10 but has been sidelined with a bone bruise after blocking a shot while still with the Michigan Wolverines.

Canucks head coach Travis Green said he hasn't confirmed Hughes' status with the club's medical team but is hoping the 19-year-old will be cleared to debut Thursday versus the Los Angeles Kings, according to The Canadian Press.

Vancouver drafted Hughes seventh overall in 2018, expecting him to be a franchise cornerstone on the blue line as the Canucks continue to rebuild. Hughes notched a team-leading 33 points in 32 games with Michigan this season.

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Frederik Andersen hasn't been himself of late, but he's looking at the final push before the postseason as his chance to get back on track.

"These last games are as close to a preseason as you can be without being back there, but you're trying to get your swagger and get your confidence and feel good about yourself going into the playoffs," the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender told reporters Wednesday. "That's the main thing for everyone in this room."

The 29-year-old said he's not concerned with how many games he plays before the regular season concludes.

"I don't really care what that exact number is, that's a waste of time for me," he said.

Andersen is 35-15-5 with a .917 save percentage this season, but he only has two wins and an .841 mark over the last six contests, having allowed four goals or more four times in that span.

Despite an eight-game absence earlier this season, only seven netminders have played more minutes than Andersen in 2018-19.

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J.P. Barry is not happy about his client getting hurt in a seemingly unnecessary scuffle.

The prominent agent, who represents Montreal Canadiens winger Paul Byron, is questioning the unwritten rules of hockey that encourage players to settle scores by fighting.

Byron was injured in a fight with Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar on Tuesday night. The bout was apparently Weegar's response to Byron's high hit on him in January, which drew a three-game suspension.

"This wasn't a hockey fight," Barry texted to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Paul knew he had to deal with it then or likely later. Paul probably gives up five inches and 50 pounds to a very tough player - how is this the code?"

Barry added, "Player Safety already gave Paul three games for an improper check and now the 'code' gets to give him several more? ...

"This exact situation is Exhibit A for re-examining our current rules for fighting. If the fight is patently retribution for something that happened long before this game was ever played, how is that allowed to occur without being addressed?

The agent said he expected many others to praise Byron as a "warrior" who "answered the bell."

"These are the people that believe in the old 'code,'" Barry continued. "It's time for Player Safety to be the new 'code.' What really matters is eliminating avoidable concussions wherever we can."

Byron struggled to skate off the ice after the fight and didn't return to the game.

Weegar asked Byron whether he wanted to fight and the Canadiens forward said yes, the Panthers blue-liner told La Presse's Richard Labbe postgame.

Byron won't play on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets and he'll be evaluated on a daily basis, his club announced Wednesday.

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The Buffalo Sabres aren't parting with Phil Housley, but the team's owners say the bench boss has room for improvement.

Terry and Kim Pegula, who also own the Buffalo Bills, said as much at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona on Tuesday. They also acknowledged general manager Jason Botterill recently giving the head coach a vote of confidence.

"The season obviously hasn't finished yet. But, I think Botts has said it pretty well that he supports Phil," Terry told WIVB's Nick Filipowski. "Phil communicates with the players well. Are we happy with the way the season has gone? Absolutely not. So, something has to change. We don't know what but we're going to put our heads together and talk about it."

He was then asked about justifying bringing Housley back for a third season in 2019-20.

"He's a young coach," Terry said. "He was a great player and I think he can grow as a coach."

Kim echoed that sentiment.

"I don't think, anytime these things happen, it's usually not just one thing or just on one person," she said. "We'll figure all that out. Know that, Terry and I, our staff, everybody in the organization we want to get better, no doubt about it.”

The Sabres reeled off a 10-game win streak in November, but have since plummeted in the standings, sitting third-last in the Atlantic Division with the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Entering Wednesday's action, Buffalo ranks 26th in goals scored per game and ninth-worst in goals allowed per contest. The team also sits in the middle of the pack in power-play and penalty-kill efficiency.

Buffalo finished with a 25-45-12 record in 2017-18, Housley's first campaign as an NHL head coach. Despite adding Jeff Skinner and first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin for the 2018-19 season, the club has posted a 31-36-9 record with six games left.

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