Category: Breaking News

Jaccob Slavin of Hurricanes wins Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly conduct

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RALEIGH, NC – Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes won the Lady Byng Trophy on Thursday. The award is presented annually to the NHL player voted to best combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability.

“I think, first and foremost for myself, I want to give all the glory to God,” Slavin said on ESPN’s “The Point” on Thursday. “He’s given me the abilities to play this game and have the opportunity to do everything that I do. So, it’s a tremendous honor to win this award. I think for myself it means a lot.

“It is strange being a gentleman and trying to play really hard defense. But I greatly appreciate it. I think, for myself, just playing the game simple, playing the game hard, but obviously not taking any penalties. And then doing in it in a way where I respect everybody on the ice — officials, coaches, whatever it is — but making sure I’m doing my job out there and being hard to play against.”

Don’t Underestimate The Value Of A Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

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SEATTLE, WA – This sentence is a melancholy one to write, because it’s likely the last time “Pierre-Edouard Bellemare” and “Seattle Kraken” will appear together without the word “former.”

Not because the Kraken can’t find a better on-ice player than the 39-year-old pending free agent. They can, and they need to, just as every roster spot needs to be evaluated every year.

But under the category “intangibles,” whatever club employs Bellemare automatically earns a check mark.

Jacob Trouba named the 2023-24 recipient of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award

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NEW YORK, NY – New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba was named the 2023-24 recipient of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, which is presented “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.” Trouba is the first Rangers player to earn the annual Mark Messier Leadership Award since it was first presented on a season-by-season basis in the spring of 2007.

Since joining the organization ahead of the 2019-20 season, the 30-year-old defenseman has helped lead the Blueshirts to success on the ice and has taken pride in representing the club in the community. This past summer, he participated in the Rangers Youth Hockey Camp, signing autographs for and spending time with kids taking part in the camp. Now in his second year as team captain after being named to the position on Aug. 9, 2022, Trouba frequently hosts meet and greets following home games with kids from the Garden of Dreams Foundation, spending time with kids and occasionally taking them on a tour of the locker room.

Slavin, Matthews and Pettersson Voted Lady Byng Trophy Finalists

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NEW YORK, NY – Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Lady Byng Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.

Rangers Agree to Terms with Victor Mancini

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NEW YORK, NY – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Victor Mancini on a two-year, entry-level contract.

Mancini, 21, is coming off his junior season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he compiled four goals and six assists for 10 points in 40 games. He ranked tied for fourth on the Mavericks with a plus-7 rating and fifth in shots (78).

In his three collegiate seasons, the Hancock, Michigan native collected four goals and 19 assists for 23 points in 110 games. In 2022-23, he appeared in 32 games for the Mavericks where he logged a career-high eight assists and led all Mavericks with 41 blocked shots. That season he was named NCHC Academic All-Conference and a Distinguished Scholar.

Stars sign Justin Ertel to a three-year entry-level contract

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DALLAS, TX – Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today the club has signed forward Justin Ertel to a three-year entry-level contract. The contract will begin in the 2024-25 season.

Ertel, 20, has registered 66 points (25-41—66) in 61 regular-season games for the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season. Among team leaders, Ertel ranks fourth in goals (25), assists (41) and points. He also paces the club in shorthanded goals (4), shares first in power-play assists (15) and ranks fifth in plus-minus (+23).

Since joining the Battalion for the 2022-23 campaign, the 6-foot-2, 186-pound forward has amassed 39 goals and 102 points (39-63—102) in 107 regular-season contests. He also recorded six points (1-5—6) in 20 postseason contests for North Bay in 2023.

Predators Sign Austin Roest to Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract

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NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz announced today that the team has signed forward Austin Roest to a three-year, entry-level contract that will begin in 2024-25.

Roest, 20 (1/22/04), has 59 points (31g-28a) in 54 games for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips in 2023-24, his fourth season with the club. The 5-foot-11, 182-pound forward, who is captaining the Silvertips this season, shares the Everett lead and is tied for 17th in the WHL in goals with 31, two shy of passing his career high of 32, set in 2022-23. Roest has also recorded three of his four career WHL hat tricks this season, including his most recent one on Feb. 16 at Wenatchee.

Devils sign top college free agent Dylan Wendt to 2-year contract

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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Devils signed one of the top college free agents Thursday, with Western Michigan forward Dylan Wendt joining them on a two-year contract.

Wendt will initially join the Utica Comets, the Devils’ AHL affiliate, on an AHL amateur tryout for the remainder of the season. His two-year entry-level deal with the Devils will start in the 2024-25 campaign.

How ageless Ian Cole has played prominent playoff role

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VANCOUVER, BC – Ask Ian Cole what makes a fellow blueliner tick and you get more than just a short critique.

After all, he played with Nikita Zadorov in Colorado and Carson Soucy in Minnesota. He can fill your recorder with the past and present value of current teammates. You might need fresh batteries.

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