Hockey News

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens signed minor-league defenceman Chad Anderson to a one-year contract, the club announced Wednesday.

Anderson, a 26-year-old free agent, signed a two-way contract and will likely play for the Hamilton Bulldogs next season. The six-foot-four, 217-pound blue-liner played for the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms last season, where he had two goals and 11 assists and was plus-11.

The Canadiens have been restocking their top farm club with veterans.

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MONTREAL - Josh Gorges, who played his way into a starting role on the Montreal defence last season, signed a US$3.3 million, three-year contract with the Canadiens on Wednesday.

Gorges, 23, played a career-high 62 games after being a healthy scratch for most games early in the season. He played in the club’s final 52 regular-season games and all 12 playoff contests.

“Josh established himself as a key member of our defensive squad last season,” general manager Bob Gainey said in a statement. “His reliability and solid play made him one of our most improved players.”

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BUFFALO - The Buffalo Sabres have added some depth to their blue-line.

The NHL team acquired defenceman Craig Rivet and a seventh-round draft pick from the San Jose Sharks on Friday for a pair of second-round choices. “We are very excited to add such a quality veteran player to our roster,” Sabres GM Darcy Regier said in a statement. “He is a great character player that will provide our club added leadership and experience.”

Rivet spent parts of the last two seasons in San Jose but became expendable after the Sharks signed Rob Blake on Thursday and brought over Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich in a trade from Tampa on Friday.

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PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Flyers agreed to multi-year deals with defenceman Randy Jones and forward Riley Cote on Wednesday, keeping two key players who helped them reach the Eastern Conference finals.

Jones agreed to a two-year contract, and Cote signed a three-year deal.

“Randy is a young player and key component of our defensive core, and can play in any type of situation,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “Riley has developed tremendously over the course of last season and will continue to be an important part of this team moving forward.”

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WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals are keeping the dynamic young star with the sparkling end-to-end moves but not the goaltender whose outstanding play helped lead the late surge to the playoffs.

The guy with the moves? No, not Alex Ovechkin. He’s already under contract. It was Mike Green’s day Tuesday as the NHL’s top scoring defenceman was rewarded with a four-year, US$21-million contract.

Washington also added free-agent Jose Theodore, signing the former Montreal and Colorado goalie to a two-year, $9-million contract. Theodore, the 2002 NHL MVP, was courted after the Capitals were unable to reach a deal with Cristobal Huet, who signed instead with the Chicago Blackhawks.

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OTTAWA - The Toronto Maple Leafs were in unfamiliar territory when they drafted Luke Schenn.

The bruising defenceman was selected by the Maple Leafs with the fifth pick on Friday night, making him the team’s highest-drafted player since Scott Thornton was taken third in 1989.

Toronto has missed the playoffs the last three seasons and Schenn will now be seen as one of the players who can help turn the franchise around in years to come.

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EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers traded defenceman Danny Syvret to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday for forward Ryan Potulny.

Syvret, a 22-year-old native of Millgrove, Ont., has recorded one assist and 12 penalty minutes in 26 NHL games over two seasons. He had 20 points (2-18) and 43 penalty minutes in 63 regular-season games for the Springfield Falcons and Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League last season.

“Danny is a puck-moving defenceman that sees the ice well and will improve our depth,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “He had some success playing with (Flyers) Jeff Carter and Mike Richards at the 2005 world junior championship as a member of Team Canada.”

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VOORHEES, N.J. - Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Brandon Coburn was ruled out Thursday for a second straight game after his swollen left eye didn’t show enough improvement.

Coburn was struck in the face by a puck in the opening minutes of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final last Sunday and sat out Tuesday when the Flyers lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins to fall into an 0-3 hole. Coburn didn’t break any bones, but severe swelling forced his left eye to close. He was able to practise Wednesday and hoped to play in Game 4.

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PITTSBURGH - Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn was struck in the face with a shot by Pittsburgh’s Hal Gill early in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night.

Gill took a shot from the left point that apparently deflected off Evgeni Malkin’s stick and struck Coburn near the left eye less than two minutes into the first period. Coburn dropped to the ice, bleeding, but soon got up without assistance and went to the dressing room with a towel held to his face.

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MONTREAL - There was a surprise skater on the ice for the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday morning - injured defenceman Francis Bouillon.

Bouillon wasn’t ready to play in Game Two of the NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final against the Boston Bruins, but wanted to test his sore right ankle in a 15-minute skate with his teammates.

Only on Friday, coach Guy Carbonneau had said Bouillon would need up to four days off skates because his recovery had encountered a setback.

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