Detroit News

Mark Falkner   | The Detroit News Wes McCauley’s rise to the top of the National Hockey League officiating ranks began to take shape as a freshman on the campus of Michigan State in 1989. He just didn’t realize it at the time. Now the NHL’s most animated official whose dramatic pauses and amusing calls after disputed goals

John Niyo   | The Detroit News Show Caption Hide Caption Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman on why signing players to short-term deals is preferable Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman discusses why he is preferring to sign players to short-term deals. It helps to have a clean sheet of ice. The passes are crisper, the turns

Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow  |  Associated Press Alex Pietrangelo is Vegas bound, and the Golden Knights are shuffling the deck to fit him in. Pietrangelo signed a $61.6 million, seven-year deal with Vegas on Monday that carries an $8.8 million annual salary cap hit through 2027. It’s the fifth-biggest cap hit for a defenseman

John Niyo   | The Detroit News Show Caption Hide Caption Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman on why signing players to short-term deals is preferable Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman discusses why he is preferring to sign players to short-term deals. It helps to have a clean sheet of ice. The passes are crisper, the turns

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — Two pieces of important business for general manager Steve Yzerman to tackle are new contracts for two of his most important players. Restricted free-agent forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha are both without contracts, but Yzerman sounds optimistic something will get done. In the grand scheme of

The Detroit News Ted Kulfan takes a look at Red Wings’ free agent additions Thomas Greiss, Bobby Ryan and Jon Merrill, and the NHL’s first female player Manon Rheaume is the special guest on episode 39 of OctoPulse, taking the pulse of Year 2 of Steve Yzerman’s rebuild. Here are some of the highlights from Saturday’s

John Wawrow  |  Associated Press Buffalo, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres are banking on Taylor Hall to turn what was a long and unsettled offseason into a far brighter immediate future. Buffalo became the surprise team to win the Hall free-agency sweepstakes by signing the 10th-year forward and six-time 20-goal-scorer to a one-year, $8 million

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The Red Wings added to their weekend haul of free-agent signings Sunday with another local touch. Forward Vladislav Namestnikov signed a two-year contract worth $4 million ($2 million salary cap hit). Namestnikov, 27, is the nephew of former Red Wing Slava Kozlov, is represented by local agent Dan Milstein,

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The Red Wings added to their weekend haul of free-agent signings Sunday with another local touch. Forward Vladislav Namestnikov signed a two-year contract worth $4 million ($2 million salary cap hit). Namestnikov, 27, is the nephew of former Red Wing Slava Kozlov, is represented by local agent Dan Milstein,

Associated Press  |  Associated Press Denver — The Colorado Avalanche acquired rugged winger Brandon Saad in a multiplayer trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Colorado sent defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm to Chicago for Saad and defenseman Dennis Gilbert. The Blackhawks also will retain $1 million of Saad’s $6 million salary for next

Stephen Whyno  |  Associated Press Taylor Hall went unsigned during the first day of free agency. Same with Alex Pietrangelo and Mike Hoffman. A handful of the top free agents are still available, but NHL teams aren’t waiting for those big fish to sign to make other moves. Boston paused its pursuit of Hall to

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — Red Wings restricted free agent forward Tyler Bertuzzi is filing for arbitration. Bertuzzi, 25, led the Wings with 21 goals last season, the second straight season he’s scored 21. Bertuzzi just completed a two-year contract worth $2.8 million ($1.4 per season). More: Red Wings add Thomas Greiss,

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The Detroit Red Wings have gotten their goalie and another defenseman. The Wings on Saturday signed free agent Thomas Greiss to a two-year contract worth $7.2 million and defenseman Troy Stecher to a two-year contract worth $3.4 million. Greiss, 34, is 6-foot-2, 232 pounds and has 11 years in

The Detroit News Ted Kulfan takes a look at Red Wings’ free agent additions Thomas Greiss, Bobby Ryan, Jon Merrill and the NHL’s first female player Manon Rheaume is the special guest on episode 39 of OctoPulse, taking the pulse of Year 2 of Steve Yzerman’s rebuild. Here are some of the highlights from Saturday’s

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The Detroit Red Wings have gotten their goalie. The Wings on Saturday signed free agent Thomas Greiss to a 2-year contract worth $7.2 million. Greiss, 34, is 6-foot-2, 232-pounds and has 10 years in the NHL experience with San Jose, Arizona, Pittsburgh, and the New York Islanders. Last

John Wawrow  |  Associated Press It didn’t take long for the bubble to begin bursting on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup party. The effects of a flat salary cap took its toll on the Lightning less than two weeks after winning their second Stanley Cup. Tampa Bay bid farewell to defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The Red Wings jumped into the free-agent market Friday and signed forward Bobby Ryan and defenseman Jon Merrill. But general manager Steve Yzerman said Friday night they aren’t done acquiring players. “Obviously we still have some positions to fill that we will continue to pursue,” Yzerman said. “We

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — It took one conversation, one discussion with general manager Steve Yzerman, and Bobby Ryan was sold. Ryan, an unrestricted free agent, spoke 45 minutes with Yzerman and was coming to the Red Wings. “The passion that comes through for the Red Wings through him is contagious,” said

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The excitement and anticipation in Jon Merrill’s voice was easy to notice. The Grand Blanc native is a veteran defenseman in the NHL, having played 356 games between New Jersey and Vegas. But signing a one-year contract with the Red Wings Friday, his hometown team, the one the

Ted Kulfan   | The Detroit News Detroit — The Red Wings made their first dip into free agency on Friday, signing local defenseman Jon Merrill and forward Bobby Ryan. A Grand Blanc and Brighton native, Merrill signed a one-year contract worth $925,000, according to TSN. Merrill, 28, played in 49 games last season with Vegas,