Zemgus Girgensons is dodging rumors in a way that would make Neo proud.

The Buffalo Sabres forward had an amusing response to a Latvian report claiming he was considering a deal with KHL club Dinamo Riga.

Girgensons is a pending restricted free agent who carried an NHL cap hit of about $830,000 last season.

The 22-year-old had his worst campaign from a production standpoint, posting only 18 points in 71 games.

Girgensons recorded 70 points in 202 contests in his first three seasons with the Sabres, who drafted him 14th overall in 2012.

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Brent Burns has been named one of four finalists for ESPN's Sports Humanitarian of the Year award.

The San Jose Sharks defender is being recognized for his contributions with various organizations that help veterans and active duty members, as well as assisting families with members who died or were injured during their services.

A noted military buff, Burns was motivated to help families affected by service, by his grandfather, who fought in World War II.

Tina Charles of the WNBA's New York Liberty, Carlos Dunlap of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers are the other nominees.

The winner, announced July 12, will receive a $100,000 grant for their charity.

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As rain delayed Thursday's opening round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont, some players got a close look at the trophy recently captured by the local hockey team.

The Stanley Cup made an appearance in the locker room at Oakmont Country Club just outside Pittsburgh. The hometown Penguins won the franchise's fourth championship Sunday.

Forwards Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel were both present as golfers took photos with the trophy.

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Joakim Nordstrom is doing his part to ensure Sweden and Ireland continue their friendly relations during Euro 2016.

William Keane told Connor Heneghan of JOE.ie that he was at a bar in Paris with some friends watching Sunday's Northern Ireland-Poland match when three Swedish brothers walked by. After some "good-natured taunts" from the Irish, the Swedes decided to join them for a beer.

Related: Irish, Swedish fans sing ABBA's 'Dancing Queen' ahead of match

"The eldest of them, Joakim, happened to mention that he was a hockey player but at the time nothing more was thought of it," Keane said. "After a couple of more songs and a beer, the bar man in Quigley's Point informed us that there was a drink for the house paid for by Joakim.

"As you can imagine, this was met with a huge cheer and everyone went over to thank him for his huge generosity. I estimate the round must have cost him around €500, so it was very generous indeed."

Keane didn't realize how well Nordstrom's hockey career was going until he got a Twitter notification the next day that the Swede was now following him, and had nearly 13,000 Twitter followers of his own.

"No wonder he was able to buy a round for the house," Keane said.

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If the Colorado Avalanche are poised to make a major splash in the trade market, it won't be Tyson Barrie heading the other way.

Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has informed Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that the able puck-moving defender will not be dealt. Rather, Sakic hopes to sign Barrie long term, but will go to arbitration if the two sides fail to iron out a more substantial commitment.

"Either way, he'll be here," Sakic said.

Barrie's quietly been one of the most efficient offensive defensemen over the last two years, and hasn't relied heavily on the power play to produce offense. He's one of just seven defenders with 100 points over that span, and ranks fifth in even-strength contribution behind Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Roman Josi, and P.K. Subban.

That sort of production will see no shortage of suitors, but at the same time make it challenging for the team to the keep the price point manageable on a defender limited in certain aspects.

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The Calgary Flames are reportedly looking into the availability of a certain Stanley Cup-winning goaltender.

Flames general manager Brad Treliving has been in contact with Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford about Marc-Andre Fleury, reports Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun.

Matt Murray supplanted Fleury as the Penguins' starter in the playoffs and led Pittsburgh to its fourth title Sunday.

Fleury's cap hit is $5.75 million for each of the next three seasons. He signed a four-year, $23-million extension in the fall of 2014.

Murray's on the books for $620,000 before potentially becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

The Penguins are about $2.4 million over the cap ceiling, according to General Fanager.

Related: Penguins to qualify Beau Bennett, but not Justin Schultz

Rutherford said Thursday that "in a perfect world," he'd love to keep both Fleury and Murray, according to DKPittsburghSports.com's Josh Yohe.

Given the Penguins' cap situation, that utopian scenario seems somewhat unrealistic.

- With h/t to Pro Hockey Talk

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The Los Angeles Kings have named forward Anze Kopitar the 14th captain in team history, general manager Dean Lombardi announced Thursday.

The 28-year-old has played his entire 10-year NHL career with the Kings, recording 234 goals and 441 assists. He also helped the franchise win its first two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

A three-time All-Star, Kopitar's been nominated for both the Lady Byng and Frank J. Selke Trophy in the past two seasons. He's under contract with the Kings through the 2023-24 season.

The Slovenia native has served as an assistant captain since 2008. He inherits the captaincy from teammate Dustin Brown, who's worn the "C" since 2008 and won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2014. The 31-year-old is under contract until 2022.

Kings insider Jon Rosen believes defenseman Drew Doughty will wear an "A," and the Kings are now "Kopi and Drew's team."

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It's "only game," but Ilya Bryzgalov is looking to play it professionally again.

“I feel the passion inside and the fire in my eyes. I want to face new challenges and I want the chance to play in the best league," the eccentric goaltender told Chris Lomon of the NHLPA.

“When I told my son I was looking to play in the NHL again, his eyes lit up," Bryzgalov said. “He was so excited. Now he’s older and he understands the game more. It would be great if he could watch me play again, maybe to learn some things that can help him.”

The 35-year-old netminder last played with the Anaheim Ducks in 2014-15, posting a 4.19 GAA and .847 save percentage in eight games.

Bryzgalov yearned to return after watching the 2016 postseason unfold.

"I watched a lot of hockey, but when it came to the playoffs, that’s when it really hit me,” offered Bryzgalov. “I realized I really needed to feel that excitement again, the rush of playing, the challenge of trying to stop the most talented players in the world. I was really missing all of that. The more I watched, the more passion I had inside of me."

His time away from the game allowed him to recharge and spend quality time with his family.

“I was able to rest, both spiritually and mentally, and I also had the opportunity to spend time helping my wife and spend time with our kids,” he continued. “So, it was nice to have that year to recharge the batteries. Right now, I feel amazing. I feel great. I kept myself in shape and worked out a lot.”

Bryzgalov's agent believes his client is ready to return to the form he displayed playing nine playoff games for the Minnesota Wild in 2014.

"Having worked with (Hall of Fame goalie) Dominik Hasek on his return after a year off and knowing the training Ilya has in place for the summer, there is no doubt in my mind he will perform at the level he did leading the Wild to the playoffs two years ago,” Rich Winter said.

“With Ilya prepared to play for a modest salary and take most of his compensation in bonuses, this will be a unique opportunity for a team looking for an experienced goaltender to challenge for a starting job.”

Whether the aging netminder is still capable of contributing in the crease is one thing, but the NHL could certainly benefit from having his personality back.

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