Hockey News

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced today that the club has signed center Zack Smith to an entry-level contract. Smith, who attended the Senators’ development camp in late June, was the club’s third pick, 79th overall, in the 2008 NHL entry draft.

Last year Smith led the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos in scoring with 69 points on 22 goals in 72 games, while adding 136 penalty minutes. He added five goals, five assists and 29 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games for the Broncos, who were eventually defeated by the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL’s Eastern Conference semi-final.

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Steven Stamkos can hardly wait to get started for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The No. 1 pick in the NHL draft, already penciled in as the team’s second-line center, signed a three-year, $2.625 million contract that could be worth up to $11.175 million with incentives.

Stamkos relishes the opportunity to give the Lightning an immediate return on its investment, although the 18-year-old player realizes nothing - even a roster spot - will be handed to him in training camp.

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Syracuse, NY (July 15, 2008) - The Syracuse Crunch announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired a conditional draft pick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Joakim Lindstrom.

Lindstrom, 24, appeared in 49 games with the Crunch last season and led the team in scoring, collecting 25 goals, 35 assists and 68 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 25 games with Columbus last year, registering 3 goals, 4 assists and 14 penalty minutes.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -The San Jose Sharks traded veteran defenseman Craig Rivet to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday for two second-round draft choices.

The Sharks also gave up a seventh-round pick in 2010 along with Rivet, the longtime Montreal defenseman who joined the Sharks in a trade late in the 2006-07 season. San Jose gets a second-round draft choice in each of the last two drafts.

Rivet signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Sharks last summer. He had five goals and 35 points as a dependable performer on San Jose’s defense last season.

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OTTAWA - Sleep didn’t come easy for Philip McRae after sitting through the first round of the NHL draft without hearing his name called.

Fortunately, there was plenty of time for him to nap on Saturday because it didn’t take long to get selected on Day 2. The son of former NHLer Basil McRae was taken by his hometown St. Louis Blues with the third pick of the second round.

He was ranked 56th among North American skaters heading in, but thought he might get picked late in the first round.

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OTTAWA - Jimmy Hayes will have no shortage of NHL connections to tap into as he strives to make the Toronto Maple Leafs in future years.

The winger from Dorchester, Mass., was taken 60th overall by the Maple Leafs at the NHL draft on Saturday. He had originally been ranked higher but slipped a little after an off year with Lincoln in the United States Hockey League.

Hayes’ mother is cousins with St. Louis Blues forward Keith Tkachuk and former NHLer Tom Fitzgerald and he’s spent time around both guys while growing up.

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Syracuse, NY (June 23, 2008) - The Syracuse Crunch announced that the Columbus Blue Jackets wrapped up their ninth National Hockey League Entry Draft on Saturday, June 21 at Scotiabank Place in Kanata, Ontario. After taking left wing Nikita Filatov with the sixth pick during Friday’s first round, Columbus selected eight players during rounds two through seven today.

Columbus used its second round pick, 37th overall, to select University of Wisconsin defenseman Cody Goloubef. The Mississauga, Ontario native had 10 points (4g, 6a) and 36 penalty minutes in 40 games last season. The youngest player in the WCHA and the second youngest in Division I hockey, he ranked second on the club with three game-winning goals.

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Syracuse, NY (June 21, 2008) - The Syracuse Crunch announced that the Columbus Blue Jackets have selected left wing Nikita Filatov (pronounced nih-KEY-tuh FILL-uh-TOFF) with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry draft being held at Scotiabank Place in Kanata, Ontario.

Filatov, 18, appeared in 5 games last season with CSKA (Russian Super League). He also appeared in 34 games with CSKA Moscow’s Junior League team last season, registering 32 goals, 34 assists and 90 penalty minutes.

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OTTAWA (AP) -Maybe it was emotion. Perhaps it was for effect. Oren Koules, who heads the new ownership group approved to take over the Tampa Bay Lightning, is a Hollywood producer, after all.

Koules stepped to the podium at the NHL draft Friday night and announced the Lightning’s selection of center Steven Stamkos with the No. 1 pick.

“I can’t think of a better way to start things off,” Koules said, his voice suddenly cracking as if he was going to tear up.

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OTTAWA (AP) -Steven Stamkos can’t wait to play alongside the Tampa Bay Lightning’s other No. 1 draft pick, Vincent Lecavalier.

General manager Jay Feaster had even more to be excited about after the first round of the NHL draft on Friday night. Not only did he land the player he wanted for a month, Feaster is looking forward to working for the new ownership group, led by Hollywood producer Oren Koules, that’s ready to take over in Tampa Bay.

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