National Hockey League roundup
ByReuters
Published 01/01/2015 at 00:57 GMT
Dec 31 (The Sports Xchange) - Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen was fined a maximum $5,000 by the NHL on Wednesday for an illegal check to the head area on San Jose Sharks forward Tommy Wingels during Tuesday night's game.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Hansen received a two-minute minor penalty for the hit at 0:59 of the second period. Wingels left the ice after appearing to be shaken up but later returned to the game.
Hansen was previously suspended for one game after he delivered a shot to Chicago's Marian Hossa in February 2013.
In 34 games this season, Hansen has nine goals, six assists and six penalty minutes.
- - -
Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad signed a six-year contract extension, the Miami Herald reported.
The new contract reportedly would pay Bjugstad $4.1 million per season, starting with the 2015-16 season.
Bjugstad, 22, leads the Panthers with 13 goals and 21 points. He is in the final season of his entry-level contract and could become a restricted free agent after the season.
Bjugstad, the 19th pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, has 30 goals and 60 points in 121 games. As a rookie last season, he had 16 goals and 38 points to lead the Panthers in scoring.
- - -
The San Jose Sharks signed forward Rourke Chartier to a standard entry-level contract Wednesday.
Chartier, 18, currently leads all Canadian junior players (CHL) in goals (34) and ranks fourth in the Western Hockey League in points (53) in 31 games played this season.
- - -
The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Nikita Nesterov from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Nesterov has played in 32 games with the Crunch this season, recording three goals and 14 points with a plus-4 rating and 26 penalty minutes.
A native of Chelyabinsk, Russia, Nesterov has played in 86 career AHL games, all with Syracuse during the previous two seasons. He has registered seven goals and 30 points with 65 penalty minutes.
- - -
The Anaheim Ducks reassigned forward Max Friberg to the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Friberg, 22, made his NHL debut on Sunday against Vancouver, going scoreless in 8:47 time-on-ice with two hits. He collected five goals and six assists with eight penalty minutes in 14 games this season with Norfolk.
- - -
The Minnesota Wild activated goaltender Niklas Backstrom from injured reserve on Wednesday and reassigned goaltender John Curry to Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Backstrom, 36, is 5-3-3 with a 2.58 goals against average (GAA) and a .901 save percentage in 14 games with Minnesota this season. He missed the last three games due to illness.
Curry, 30, made 19 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to Winnipeg on Saturday in his only appearance with Minnesota this season. In 13 games with Iowa, he is 5-6-0 with a 2.84 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
The native of Shorewood, Minn., is 3-2-1 with a 3.60 GAA and a .883 save percentage in seven career NHL games with Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
- - -
The Dallas Stars recalled forward Brett Ritchie from the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.
Ritchie, 21, was a second-round draft pick in 2011 and leads Texas with 11 goals and a plus-10 rating.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement