Penguins name former Maple Leafs GM Dubas as club's new director of hockey operations

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kyle Dubas didn't stay out of work for long. The Pittsburgh Penguins named Dubas as the club's president of hockey operations on Thursday. The move comes less than two weeks after Dubas was fired as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. ...

Betting interest expected to be down with NBA, NHL finals lacking marquee matchups

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA Finals could've featured glamour teams like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and conventional thinking before the NHL playoffs stated the dominant Boston Bruins and star-studded Edmonton Oilers were on a near-collision course to meet in the Stanley Cup Final. ...

Seattle Kraken sign GM Ron Francis to 3-year extension through 2026-27 season

SEATTLE (AP) — Ron Francis was initially approached about extending his stay as the general manager of the Seattle Kraken back in the winter, but putting finality to the decision took longer than expected. The Kraken kept winning and pushed what was mostly a formality to a...

Stars set solid foundation in DeBoer debut with core group intact for next season

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Coach Pete DeBoer couldn't get a third different team to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season, though the Dallas Stars came close. The Stars still set a promising foundation in DeBoer's debut with a core group of players — both young and old — that...

Predators come full circle with Andrew Burnette hired as 4th coach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — David Poile built the Nashville Predators from the bottom up as their first general manager for the expansion franchise. Now the man Poile hired as his first coach here has brought back another original Predator. Incoming general manager Barry Trotz...

Hurricanes evaluate next steps after falling in Eastern Conference Final sweep

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes must balance two offseason questions following a return to the Eastern Conference Final. Was the season-ending sweep due to key injuries catching up to them? Or is this an indication of still-pressing needs to fill before being able to...

For the Florida Panthers, celebrations getting a bit hairy, just in time for the Stanley Cup Final

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The tradition of hockey’s playoff beard goes back to at least the mid-1980s, with the Detroit Red Wings widely credited with beginning the facial hair phenomenon. The playoff beard rub might have started last month by accident. Go back to April...

2 teams, 2 chances at titles: Heat, Panthers ready for their finals tests

DENVER (AP) — They were No. 8 seeds. They barely got into the playoffs after up-and-down regular seasons. They had to face the No. 1 overall seeds in Round 1 of the postseason. They had to win Game 7s in Boston just to keep their seasons alive. They are Eastern Conference champions. They are each...

Predators fire coach John Hynes more than 6 weeks after missing playoffs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators fired coach John Hynes on Tuesday, moving on from him more than six weeks after missing the playoffs. Incoming general manager Barry Trotz announced his decision hours after reports emerged that Hynes had been informed he was out and...

Nashville Predators fire coach John Hynes more than 6 weeks after missing playoffs