NHL
Hossa gets 12-year deal from Hawks
The Chicago Blackhawks stunned the NHL on the first day of free agency yesterday by signing star winger Marian Hossa away from the Detroit Red Wings with a 12-year contract.
Hossa, who had taken a one-year deal with the Red Wings last summer, cashed in this time. The 30-year-old native of Czechoslovakia is a four-time all-star and 11-year NHL veteran. He led the Stanley Cup runner-up Red Wings with 40 goals last season and has averaged 40 goals and 82 points for the last six seasons.
No terms were reported.
Chicago also signed center Tomas Kopecky away from the Red Wings, who eliminated the Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals this spring.
Penguins. Pittsburgh signed checking-line forward Mike Rupp to a $1.6 million, two-year contract. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Rupp will make $825,000 each season.
Rangers. New York signed former Flyers enforcer Donald Brashear away from Washington after losing Colton Orr to Toronto.
The Rangers also signed flashy forward Marian Gaborik, who scored a career-high 42 goals in 2007-08 with Minnesota. Injuries limited him to 17 games last season.
Maple Leafs. Defenseman Mike Komisarek signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal to join Toronto, leaving the Leafs' ancient rival, Montreal.
Toronto earlier had given Orr, 27, a four-year deal.
Canadiens. Montreal signed center Mike Cammalleri and defensemen Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill.
One day after acquiring star center Scott Gomez from the New York Rangers in a six-player trade, the Canadiens signed Cammalleri to a five-year, $30-million contract, Spacek to a three-year deal worth $11.5 million, and Gill - fresh off a Stanley Cup title with Pittsburgh - for two years and $4.5 million.
Oilers. Edmonton signed 36-year-old goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to a four-year, $15 million deal. He will replace 39-year-old Dwayne Roloson, who signed earlier in the day with the New York Islanders for two years and $5 million.
Khabibulin is a former Stanley Cup winner who spent last season with the Blackhawks.
Panthers. Florida agreed to a six-year contract extension to retain forward David Booth. Defenseman Ville Koistinen also agreed to terms on a two-year deal, and the Panthers added goalie Scott Clemmensen, who played for New Jersey last season. Clemmensen agreed to a three-year deal.
Lightning. Free-agent defenseman Mattias Ohlund signed a seven-year deal worth $24.5 million with Tampa Bay after 11 seasons with Vancouver.
The Lightning also signed defenseman Matt Walker away from Chicago and re-signed defenseman Lukas Krajicek.
Thrashers-Leafs trade. Atlanta acquired defenseman Pavel Kubina from Toronto for defenseman Garnet Exelby and forward Colin Stuart.
Forward Tim Stapleton also was sent to Atlanta.
Noteworthy. After losing Gaborik to the Rangers, the Minnesota Wild signed right winger Martin Havlat to a six-year contract. Havlat was Chicago's leading scorer with 77 points last season. . . . Captain Scott Niedermayer, 35, signed a one-year deal worth $6 million to stay in Anaheim. . . . Daniel and Henrik Sedin agreed to five-year contract extensions with Vancouver. The Canucks gave the identical twins matching $30.5 million deals, keeping them with the team that drafted them second and third overall in 1999. . . . Buffalo signed Steve Montador to a two-year, $3.1 million contract. . . . Forward Byron Bitz, 24, signed a multiyear contract to stay with Boston. . . . Forward Erik Cole agreed to a two-year deal for $2.8 million in the coming season and $3 million in 2010-11, taking a pay cut from his $4 million deal to stay with Carolina. . . . Nashville re-signed forward Joel Ward to a two-year, $3 million contract. . . . Colorado signed free-agent goalie Craig Anderson to a two-year contract and forward David Koci to a one-year deal.
St. Louis signed free-agent goalie Ty Conklin, who played for Detroit last season, to an undisclosed deal. . . . New Jersey re-signed defenseman Andy Greene to an undisclosed contract. . . . Phoenix signed free-agent center Vern Fiddler to a two-year contract.
