CAROLINA HURRICANES. NEWS CLIPPINGS July 29, Carolina Hurricanes top pick Hanifin has eyes on NHL, but team in no rush

Carolina Hurricanes top pick Hanifin has eyes on NHL, but team in no rush By Chip Alexander calexander@newsobserver.com Noah Hanifin first took the ice to play for Boston College as a 17-year-old freshman defenseman last season. Not many 17-year-olds can do that, and not at Boston College, Eagles coach Jerry York said. You re playing against 22- and 23-year-old men. It s a big adjustment. In a few months, Hanifin will try to make an even bigger jump at 18. The first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes will seek to play in the NHL, against the best players in the world. York said he hoped to have Hanifin return for a second season at BC. But Hanifin has signed his entry-level contract with the Canes, ready to begin his professional career. He s a terrific young man and a terrific prospect, York said. He s a world-class skater. He wants to learn. He works hard. He s a very humble kid with no ego to him. To me, he s a 15-year pro. But like all 18-year-old defensemen, there s an adjustment period when they move to the NHL. (They) need patience. In the past month, Hanifin has been drafted fifth overall by the Hurricanes and attended the team s prospect training camp. He ll next go to USA Hockey s national junior team evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., with an eye toward playing for the U.S. in the 2016 World Junior Championship. Not that Hanifin necessarily wants to play in the World Junior again. He would like to be playing regularly for the Hurricanes in late-december, when the championshipbegins in Finland. But is he NHL-ready at 18? We don t want to force him in there if he s not ready, Canes general manager Ron Francis said. We ll give him time to develop. I m certainly not ruling it out, but we want to be careful and make sure we do what s right for Noah. York, who has won five national championships during his coaching career, has been at Boston College since 1994. Among the players he has sent to the NHL are defensemen Brooks Orpik of the Washington Capitals, Rob Scuderi of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Canes forward Nathan Gerbe. York said Hanifin had to feel his way and figure it out during his freshman season, making steady progress. We were patient with him, just as Ron Francis and the Hurricanes will be. He s got the hockey sense, he s got the tools. It s a matter of him understanding and making plays. Canes director of defensemen development Glen Wesley on Noah Hanifin Glen Wesley, the Canes director of defensemen development, liked what he saw of Hanifin at the prospect camp at PNC Arena. Just his composure, Wesley said. He skates real well and he s going to continue to fill out and get stronger. He s got the hockey sense, he s got the tools. It s a matter of him understanding and making plays. Nowhere to hide Wesley was the third overall pick of the 1987 NHL Draft. He prepared for his first training camp with the Boston Bruins when he was 18. He played 79 games as a rookie, plus another 23 playoff games as the Bruins reached the 1988 Stanley Cup Final. It was a different circumstance for me, Wesley said. I broke in with a veteran team with a veteran back end. They were able to kind of ease me in. You can hide a little bit when you re breaking in. The Bruins defensemen included Ray Bourque, Reed Larson, Gord Kluzak and Michael Thelven. Larson was 31, in his 13th NHL season. But Hanifin may not be able to hide or ease in. He could join a Canes back end that could include young or inexperienced defensemen such as Ryan Murphy, Michal Jordan and Rasmus Rissanen. A year ago Carolina drafted 18-year-old Haydn Fleury with the seventh overall pick. He came to training camp hoping to make the jump to the NHL, only to spend another season in junior hockey. We re a younger team in transition, and there are some disadvantages of (young defensemen) taking a beating playing in your own end, Wesley said. That s the biggest thing. If you want someone coming in to play, you want them to understand how to play in your own end and be able physically to handle the battles while being able to move the puck quick in transition. Rough play

Hanfin can move the puck. And at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, he appears to have a sturdy enough frame to take some of those defensive-zone beatings. He also has spent time analyzing video of such NHL defensemen as Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks or Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, noticing how they re able to skate the puck out of trouble. He also studied former Detroit Red Wings star Nicklas Lidstrom s his ability to take away time and space. Hanifin said he can play rough if he needs to, but he would rather rely on his skating, smarts and body positioning like Lidstrom. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad, 19, of the Florida Panthers was able to make the quick transition last season. The first overall pick of the 2014 draft, he made the jump from the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, played 81 games and earned the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. The old school says you don t know what you have with a defenseman until he s 23 or 24 but we re seeing more young defensemen step in and have success, Francis said. I know he was (drafted) first overall, but Ekblad didn t miss a beat. Rough moments Newly hired Charlotte Checkers coach Mark Morris worked with Ekblad last season an assistant coach with the Panthers. While few doubted Ekblad s talent, work ethic or dedication, Morris said the Panthers had a plan for handling the young D- man. With Ekblad, we tried to put him out there in some situations where we knew he d probably be successful, Morris said. At the same time, you have to throw them a bone, so to speak, and put them in pressure situations and see how they handle it. You can t give them too much, too early. They ll lose confidence. Ekblad had a few rough moments in preseason but was paired with veteran defenseman Brian Campbell early in the season. It was a fairly smooth year as Ekblad finished with 12 goals, 27 assists and a plus-12 rating. After the U.S. camp in Lake Placid, Hanifin will compete for the Hurricanes in the prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich., a September event hosted by the Red Wings. Then it s the Canes training camp and preseason exhibition games. He certainly looks strong enough and skates well enough, Francis said. It s tough in the one week of (prospects) development camp. There s not a lot of real reads. When we get to Traverse City, we ll get a look at that group of young defensemen together there and then into camp against the big guys. Hanifin, who will turn 19 on Jan. 25, could start the year with the Canes or with the Charlotte Checkers, Carolina s American Hockey League affiliate. But he clearly wants to be with the Canes. My goal is to play in the NHL, he said. I don t want to play in the American (Hockey) League. That s what my focus is. NBCSN to televise one Canes game By Chip Alexander calexander@newsobserver.com The NBC Sports Group announced Monday it will televise 105 NHL regular-season games in the 2015-2016 season. The Carolina Hurricanes will be on one. The Canes home game Jan. 26 against the Chicago Blackhawks, the 2015 Stanley Cup champions, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network. The Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Pittsburge Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues will each make 12 appearances on NBC and NBCSN. There will be a total of 12 games on NBC and 93 on NBCSN.

Three Canes on SI.com's List of Greatest NHL Players by Jersey Number Friday, 07.24.2015 / 11:15 AM ET / Tracking the Storm By Michael Smith Sports Illustrated s Allan Muir recently compiled a list of the 100 greatest NHL players by jersey number, some that were perhaps more obvious than others; after all, Wayne Gretzky s No. 99 is one of the most iconic jersey number in all of sports. Included in the SI.com list were three Carolina Hurricanes players, both former and current: Jussi Jokinen at No. 36, Jeff Skinner at No. 53 and Chad LaRose at No. 59. No. 36: Jussi Jokinen Jokinen joined the Canes in February of 2009, just months before the Hurricanes would make a run to the Eastern Conference Final. Jokinen proved to play a key part in the Canes postseason magic, as he tallied seven goals and 11 points in 18 games. In total, Jokinen skated in 288 regular-season games and 18 playoff games for the Hurricanes. He posted career highs in goals (30) and points (65) in the 2009-10 season. Muir on Jokinen: The one-time shootout king blossomed into a 30-goal scorer for Carolina in 2009-10. No. 53: Jeff Skinner Top-10 draft pick. Two-time 30-goal scorer and the first player in Hurricanes history to have two 30-goal seasons before turning 22 years old. All Star and the youngest All- Star in league history. Calder Trophy winner and the youngest player in NHL history to do so. And he is still just 23 years old, as of May. Muir on Skinner: The two-time 30-goal scorer and 2011 Calder winner is also the youngest player ever to appear in an NHL All-Star Game. No. 59: Chad LaRose An undrafted, undersized forward, Chad LaRose never played like he was undrafted or undersized. The quick-footed winger was pesky and gritty, and his No. 59 became a staple in the Canes lineup. LaRose logged eight seasons and 508 games with the Hurricanes, and after playing 21 games in the 2006 playoffs, his name is etched on the Stanley Cup. Muir on LaRose: The speedy forward has played bigger than his size (5-8, 185 pounds) during his eight seasons in Carolina, which were highlighted by a Stanley Cup in 2006. *** Check out the full list of greatest NHL players by jersey numbers on SI.com. It s hard to top Guy Lafleur, but you could probably make an argument for Ron Francis at No. 10. Any more Hurricanes you would add to the list? Hurricanes wary of rushing Hanifin into fray FOX Sports JUL 26, 2015 6:52p ET The Carolina Hurricanes admittedly have high hopes for Noah Hanifin, but that doesn't mean they intend to rush the 18-yearold defenseman into action. Glen Wesley, the team's director of defenseman development, is wary about pushing Hanifan into the fray while the team continues to find its identity. "We're a younger team in transition, and there are some disadvantages of (young defensemen) taking a beating playing in your own end," Wesley told The News & Observer of Hanifin, who was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2015 draft. "That's the biggest thing. If you want someone coming in to play, you want them to understand how to play in your own end and be able physically to handle the battles while being able to move the puck quick in transition. Hanifin, however, has his sights set on contributing right out of the chute after collecting five goals and 18 assists in 37 games as a freshman with Boston College.

"My goal is to play in the NHL," the 6-foot-3, 207-pound Hanifin said. "I don't want to play in the American (Hockey) League. That's what my focus is." Canton's Wisniewski boosts Hurricanes' strong defense Helene St. James 11:12 p.m. EDT July 23, 2015 The frenzy has settled from free agency, trades are at a trickle, it's vacation time across the NHL. That makes for a good time to take a look around the Eastern Conference and evaluate each team and the chance it has of claiming one of the same eight playoff spots open to the Red Wings. Today's focal point: The Carolina Hurricanes Recent notable doings: Drafted defenseman Noah Hanifin. Added defenseman James Wisniewski, goaltender Eddie Lack and forward T.J. Hensick. Subtracted forward Alexander Semin, goaltender Anton Khudobin. Analysis: The Carolina Hurricanes finished with 71 points last season. The biggest moves they made in the off-season were on defense. The Hurricanes drafted Hanifin, an 18-yearold, 6-foot-3 puck mover considered core building-block material. He already has been signed to an entry-level deal. Add him to a group that includes 23-year-old Justin Faulk and the 'Canes potentially have two cornerstone D-men Norris Trophies in their futures. There's also 2014 first-round pick Haydn Fleury in the farm system. Wisniewski, from Canton, landed with his sixth NHL team when he was acquired from Anaheim. He's a good assists man and will help the power play, but he's not strong in his end. Lack was brought in to back up Cam Ward; both are in the last years of their respective contracts. The Hurricanes' forward group is headlined by Eric Staal, a consistent 20-goal scorer, though his numbers have tumbled the past few years. He's entering the last year of his contract, too. As good as the defense might be, especially if Hanifin makes the jump to the NHL out of training camp, it figures to be another tough year for the Hurricanes. They finished 27th last season with a 2.67 goals-per-game average, and while Metropolitan competitors such as Columbus, Pittsburgh, Washington made big splashes in early July, the 'Canes were busy ridding themselves of Semin's toxic contract. Making the playoffs threat level: Low. Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Be sure that you follow Freep Sports on Twitter (@freepsports) and Instagram and like us on Facebook.

United States to host '18 World Junior Championship Tuesday, 07.28.2015 / 3:16 PM / News NHL.com The IIHF World Junior Championship will return to the United States for the first time in seven years in 2018. USA Hockey on Tuesday revealed the five cities being considered to host the event: Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Tampa. The annual tournament, which features 10 countries and many of the NHL's future stars, is traditionally held in late December and early January. This year's tournament will be held Dec. 26, 2015, through Jan. 5, 2016, in Helsinki, Finland. The 2017 WJC will be held in Montreal and Toronto. "We had interest of varying levels from more than a dozen entities," said Mike Bertsch, assistant executive director of marketing, communications and events for USA Hockey. "In the end, we're extremely pleased with the group of finalists. The time and effort each put into the materials that were submitted is impressive and we look forward to continued conversations with each of the finalists." USA Hockey hopes to have the host city selected by the end of the year. "We'll likely further narrow the field in the next 60 days and then conduct in-person visits before making a final decision," Bertsch said. The United States has served as host of the WJC five times since the IIHF began staging the tournament in 1977: 1982 (Minneapolis/St. Paul), 1989 (Anchorage, Alaska), 1996 (Boston) 2005 (Grand Forks, N.D./Thief River Falls, Minn.) and 2011 (Buffalo/Niagara, N.Y.). NBC Sports Group announces 2015-16 schedule Monday, 07.27.2015 / 12:55 PM / News By NHL Public Relations STAMFORD, Conn. -- Coming off the second-most watched Stanley Cup Final on record, and the third-most watched NHL postseason in the last 18 years, NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 105 NHL regular-season games during the 2015-16 season, featuring 12 games on NBC and 93 games on NBCSN. The 105 regular-season games are the most ever scheduled across NBC Sports Group heading into a season. All games will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. Schedule highlights include: Opening Night doubleheaders on Oct. 7 on NBCSN, beginning with a Wednesday Night Rivalry Original Six matchup between the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers at 8 p.m. ET, as the Blackhawks raise their 2015 Stanley Cup Championship banner to the United Center rafters. Opening Night coverage continues with a Wednesday Nightcap at 10:30 p.m. ET, when the Los Angeles Kings host the rival San Jose Sharks. NBC will present the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins from Gillette Stadium, home of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, on Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET. NBC will air exclusive coverage of the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, featuring the Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Feb. 21 from TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota, and the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche at Coors Field, home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies, on Saturday, Feb. 27 in primetime. NBCSN will present coverage of the NHL All-Star Game from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., home of the Nashville Predators. NHL All-Star will take place Friday, Jan. 29 through Sunday, Jan. 31, and will include the NHL Fantasy Draft, NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the NHL All-Star Game. NBC airs the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown with a doubleheader on Black Friday, beginning at 1 p.m. ET when the Boston Bruins host the Rangers. Thanksgiving Showdown shifts to the west coast at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN with a rematch of the Western Conference Final, as the Anaheim Ducks host the Blackhawks.

NBC and NBCSN will combine to showcase a tripleheader on Hockey Day In America on Sunday, February 21. The action starts on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET, when the Buffalo Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by the NHL Stadium Series at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with the Wild and Blackhawks. Hockey Day In America shifts to NBCSN with an Original Six matchup to close out the tripleheader, as the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings. The 2015-16 regular season on NBCSN will feature 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry telecasts, plus six Wednesday Nightcaps that will showcase Western Conference teams, including the Kings, Sharks and Avalanche. NBCSN will air 12 Sunday Night Hockey matchups on NBCSN, beginning on January 10. Matchups include Penguins-Capitals, Lightning-Bruins, Blues-Wild, and Maple Leafs-Red Wings, in which first-year Toronto head coach Mike Babcock returns to Detroit to face the team he led for the past decade. The Blackhawks, Rangers, Penguins, Red Wings, Wild, Avalanche and Blues will each make 12 appearances across NBC and NBCSN, followed by four teams that will appear 11 times. The Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning will make eight appearances across NBC and NBCSN. NBC and NBCSN will air rematches of the 2015 Eastern and Western Conference Finals. NBC will present Blackhawks- Ducks as part of the Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader on Nov. 27 at 5 p.m. ET. NBCSN will present Rangers- Lightning on Wednesday, Nov. 30, and will also provide coverage of their matchup in New York on April 5, in what will be Tampa Bay's first visit to Madison Square Garden since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. Rangers-Penguins, Blackhawks-Wild, Capitals-Flyers, Penguins-Capitals and Kings-Sharks are the most featured regular-season matchups, each appearing three times across NBC and NBCSN. NBCSN will provide coverage of the first NHL matchup on U.S. soil between 2015 top NHL draft picks Connor McDavid (No. 1, Edmonton) and Jack Eichel (No. 2, Buffalo), when the Buffalo Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers on March 1. 57 of NBC and NBCSN's 105 telecasts feature at least one Western Conference team, and every U.S. team will appear on NBC or NBCSN in the regular season. Bonus games may be added to the schedule once the season is underway. NHL on NBCSN NBCSN will televise 93 NHL regular-season games this season, including the Opening Night doubleheader, 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry games, 6 Wednesday Nightcaps, 12 Sunday Night Hockey contests, and NHL All-Star coverage. NBCSN coverage begins on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live, NBCSN's live pre- and post-game show, leading into coverage of Rangers-Blackhawks Wednesday Night Rivalry game from United Center in Chicago, Ill., at 8 p.m. ET. Coverage shifts to Los Angeles immediately following Rangers-Blackhawks for the Wednesday Nightcap, featuring the Sharks and Kings. NHL ON NBC NHL on NBC coverage begins on Friday, November 27 at 1 p.m. ET, with the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown featuring the New York Rangers at Boston Bruins, marking the first of 12 games that will air on NBC during the regular season. Beginning on January 24, and continuing through the end of the regular season, NBC will present the NHL Game of the Week, generally occurring on Sunday afternoons. BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC AND COORS LIGHT NHL STADIUM SERIES The annual NHL Winter Classic will take place on January 1, 2016, at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Mass., and will feature the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Boston Bruins. The 2016 NHL Winter Classic will be broadcast on NBC at 1 p.m. ET. Created in 2008, the NHL Winter Classic has produced the five mostwatched NHL regular-season games in the past 39 years. In addition, NBC will present exclusive coverage of the NHL Stadium Series, featuring a pair of games this season. The first Stadium Series game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21 as part of NBC Sports Group's Hockey Day In America tripleheader, when the Chicago Blackhawks face the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The second Stadium Series game will be played at Coors Field, home of MLB's Colorado Rockies, in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, Feb. 27, featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche. WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY NBCSN's exclusive Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage will return for a third season and will feature some of the biggest rivalries in the NHL, including Flyers-Bruins, Blues- Blackhawks, Rangers-Islanders and Penguins-Capitals. The network will air exclusive coverage on Wednesday nights for 24 weeks, with games usually starting at 8 p.m. ET. WNR begins Wednesday, October 7 with Opening Night coverage between the Rangers and Blackhawks. Last year's Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage averaged 565,000 viewers, including NBCSN's opening night presentation of Bruins-Flyers, which averaged 956,000 viewers to mark the most-watched cable season opener on record. Seven of last year's 10 most-watched NHL regular-season games on NBCSN were Wednesday Night Rivalry matchups.

NBCSN 2015-16 NHL Wednesday Night Rivalry schedule (subject to change): Date Away Home Time (ET) October 7 N.Y. Rangers Chicago 8 p.m. October 14 Chicago Philadelphia 8 p.m. October 21 Philadelphia Boston 8 p.m. October 28 Pittsburgh Washington 8 p.m. November 4 St. Louis Chicago 8 p.m. November 11 Montreal Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. November 18 Washington Detroit 8 p.m. December 2 N.Y. Rangers N.Y. Islanders 8 p.m. December 9 Boston Montreal 7:30 p.m. December 16 Pittsburgh Boston 8 p.m. January 6 Pittsburgh Chicago 8 p.m. January 13 Boston Philadelphia 8 p.m. January 20 St. Louis Detroit 8 p.m. January 27 Philadelphia Washington 8 p.m. February 3 Detroit Tampa Bay 8 p.m. February 10 N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh 8 p.m. February 17 Chicago N.Y. Rangers 8 p.m. February 24 Pittsburgh Boston 7:30 p.m. March 2 Chicago Detroit 8 p.m. March 9 Chicago St. Louis 8 p.m. March 16 Philadelphia Chicago 8 p.m. March 23 Boston N.Y. Rangers 8 p.m. March 30 Washington Philadelphia 8 p.m. April 6 Philadelphia Detroit 8 p.m. WEDNESDAY NIGHTCAP In addition, NBCSN will present six games on Wednesday nights that will immediately follow Wednesday Night Rivalry matchups. These nightcaps will showcase one or two Western Conference teams. The first of these games will take place on Opening Night, when San Jose visits Los Angeles following Rangers-Blackhawks Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage. Following are the six Wednesday Nightcap games: Date Away Home Time (ET) October 7 San Jose Los Angeles 10 p.m. October 28 Nashville San Jose 10:30 p.m. December 9 Pittsburgh Colorado 10 p.m. January 20 Minnesota Anaheim 10:30 p.m. January 27 Colorado Los Angeles 10:30 p.m. February 24 San Jose Colorado 10 p.m. SUNDAY NIGHT HOCKEY ON NBCSN Beginning on January 10, NBCSN will present 12 Sunday Night Hockey matchups. These contests include Red Wings- Rangers, Lightning-Bruins, Blues-Wild and Capitals-Penguins. The Rangers and Wild lead the league with three Sunday Night Hockey appearances apiece. Following is NBCSN's Sunday Night Hockey schedule:

Date Away Home Time (ET) January 10 New Jersey Minnesota 8 p.m. January 17 Philadelphia Detroit 7:30 p.m. February 14 Philadelphia N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m. February 21 Detroit N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. February 28 Tampa Bay Boston 6 p.m. February 28 Los Angeles Anaheim 9 p.m. March 6 St. Louis Minnesota 8 p.m. March 13 Toronto Detroit 7:30 p.m. March 20 Washington Pittsburgh 6 p.m. March 20 Minnesota Chicago 8:30 p.m. March 27 N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. April 3 St. Louis Colorado 8 p.m. NHL ALL-STAR JAN. 29-31 -- BRIDGESTONE ARENA, NASHVILLE, TENN. NBCSN will present extensive coverage of the 2016 NHL All- Star from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., home of the Nashville Predators. NHL All-Star will take place January 29-31, 2016, and will include the NHL Fantasy Draft on Friday, January 29, NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday, January 30, and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, January 31. NBC SPORTS GROUP'S STATE-OF-THE ART STUDIOS NHL studio programming throughout much of the 2015-16 season will originate from NBC Sports Group's state-of-the-art International Broadcast Center, located in Stamford, Conn. NHL Live, NBCSN's live pre- and post-game show with highlights and analysis of NHL matchups, will air before and after most games. A 60-minute edition of NHL Live will air prior to most games, while a 30-minute post-game show, NHL Overtime, will air immediately following most games. NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA COVERAGE NBC Sports Live Extra -- NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs -- will stream comprehensive coverage of the NHL regular season via "TV Everywhere," giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the itunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store and Apple TV. NBC Sports Group 2015-16 NHL regular-season schedule (subject to change): Date Away Home Network Time (ET) Wed., Oct. 7 N.Y. Rangers Chicago NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Oct. 7 San Jose Los Angeles NBCSN 10 p.m. Thur., Oct. 8 Minnesota Colorado NBCSN 9 p.m. Tues., Oct. 13 Tampa Bay Detroit NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Oct. 14 Chicago Philadelphia NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Oct. 20 Dallas Philadelphia NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Oct. 21 Philadelphia Boston NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Oct. 27 Tampa Bay St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Oct. 28 Pittsburgh Washington NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Oct. 28 Nashville San Jose NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Tues., Nov. 3 Los Angeles St. Louis NBCSN 8:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 4 St. Louis Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Nov. 10 Buffalo Tampa Bay NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 11 Montreal Pittsburgh NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Tues., Nov. 17 Minnesota Pittsburgh NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 18 Washington Detroit NBCSN 8 p.m.

Wed., Nov. 25 Philadelphia N.Y. Islanders NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 25 Chicago San Jose NBCSN 10 p.m. Fri., Nov 27 N.Y. Rangers Boston NBC 1 p.m. Fri., Nov. 27 Chicago Anaheim NBCSN 5 p.m. Tues., Dec. 1 Minnesota Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Dec. 1 Pittsburgh San Jose NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 2 N.Y. Rangers N.Y. Islanders NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Dec. 8 Detroit Washington NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 9 Boston Montreal NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 9 Pittsburgh Colorado NBCSN 10 p.m. Tues., Dec. 15 Colorado Chicago NBCSN 8:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 16 Pittsburgh Boston NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Dec. 22 Montreal Minnesota NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Dec. 22 San Jose Los Angeles NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Tues., Dec. 29 Nashville St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Dec. 30 N.Y. Rangers Tampa Bay NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Dec. 30 Philadelphia San Jose NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 1 Montreal Boston NBC 1 p.m. Mon., Jan. 4 Los Angeles Colorado NBCSN 9 p.m. Tues., Jan. 5 Montreal Philadelphia NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Jan. 6 Pittsburgh Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Thur., Jan. 7 Philadelphia Minnesota NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., Jan. 10 New Jersey Minnesota NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Jan. 12 Tampa Bay Colorado NBCSN 9 p.m. Wed., Jan. 13 Boston Philadelphia NBCSN 8 p.m. Thur., Jan. 14 Chicago Montreal NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 17 Philadelphia Detroit NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 18 Pittsburgh St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Jan. 19 Chicago Nashville NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Jan. 20 St. Louis Detroit NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Jan. 20 Minnesota Anaheim NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 24 Pittsburgh Washington NBC 12:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 25 Buffalo N.Y. Rangers NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Tues., Jan 26 Chicago Carolina NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Tues., Jan 26 Colorado San Jose NBCSN 10 p.m. Wed., Jan. 27 Philadelphia Washington NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Jan. 27 Colorado Los Angeles NBCSN 10:30 p.m. Tues., Feb. 2 Florida Washington NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 3 Detroit Tampa Bay NBCSN 8 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 4 N.Y. Islanders Washington NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 4 Anaheim Los Angeles NBCSN 10 p.m. Sun., Feb. 7 Philadelphia Washington NBC 12 p.m. Tues., Feb. 9 Dallas Minnesota NBCSN 8 p.m. Wed., Feb. 10 N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., Feb. 14 Boston Detroit NBC 3 p.m. Sun., Feb. 14 Philadelphia N.Y. Rangers NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Tues., Feb. 16 Dallas St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 17 Chicago N.Y. Rangers NBCSN 8 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 18 Detroit Pittsburgh NBCSN 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 21 Pittsburgh Buffalo NBC 12:30 p.m. Sun., Feb. 21 Chicago Minnesota NBC 3:30 p.m. Sun., Feb. 21 Detroit N.Y. Rangers NBCSN 7 p.m. Mon., Feb. 22 San Jose St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., Feb. 23 Columbus Detroit NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 24 Pittsburgh Boston NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 24 San Jose Colorado NBCSN 10 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 25 Nashville Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 27 Detroit Colorado NBC 8 p.m. Sun., Feb. 28 Washington Chicago NBC 12:30 p.m. Sun., Feb. 28 Tampa Bay Boston NBCSN 6:30 p.m. Sun., Feb 28 Los Angeles Anaheim NBCSN 9 p.m. Tues., March 1 Edmonton Buffalo NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., March 2 Chicago Detroit NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., March 6 St. Louis Minnesota NBCSN 8 p.m. Mon., March 7 Arizona Colorado NBCSN 9 p.m. Tues., March 8 Pittsburgh N.Y. Islanders NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., March 9 Chicago St. Louis NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., March 13 Pittsburgh N.Y. Rangers NBC 12:30 p.m. Sun., March 13 Toronto Detroit NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Mon., March 14 Los Angeles Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., March 15 Detroit Philadelphia NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Tues., March 15 Boston San Jose NBCSN 10 p.m. Wed., March 16 Philadelphia Chicago NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., March 20 Washington Pittsburgh NBCSN 6 p.m. Sun., March 20 Minnesota Chicago NBCSN 8:30 p.m. Mon., March 21 Philadelphia N.Y. Islanders NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Tues., March 22 Los Angeles Minnesota NBCSN 8:30 p.m. Wed., March 23 Boston N.Y. Rangers NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., March 27 N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Mon., March 28 Buffalo Detroit NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Mon., March 28 Los Angeles San Jose NBCSN 10 p.m. Tues., March 29 Colorado St. Louis NBCSN 8:30 p.m. Wed., March 30 Washington Philadelphia NBCSN 8 p.m. Sun., April 3 Boston Chicago NBC 12:30 p.m. Sun., April 3 St. Louis Colorado NBCSN 8 p.m. Tues., April 5 Tampa Bay N.Y. Rangers NBCSN 7:30 p.m. Wed., April 6 Philadelphia Detroit NBCSN 8 p.m. Sat., April 9 Pittsburgh Philadelphia NBC 3 p.m. Sat., April 9 TBD TBD NBCSN TBD

TODAY S LINKS http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article28635790.html http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article28902265.html http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=775545&navid=dl CAR home http://www.foxsports.com/nhl/story/hurricanes-wary-of-rushing-hanifin-into-fray-072615 http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2015/07/23/james-wisniewski-carolina-hurricanes/30603683/ http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=775808 http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=775697 970330 Websites ESPN / Sources: Sean Couturier signs 6-year extension with Flyers with $4.3M AAV ESPN.com news services The Philadelphia Flyers have signed center Sean Couturier to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced Tuesday. The deal is for six years and carries an average annual value of $4.33 million, sources told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. Couturier had a career-high 15 goals to go with 22 assists while playing in all 82 games for the second consecutive season. The 22-year-old wrapped up his fourth year in the league and has played in 198 consecutive games. ESPN LOADED: 07.29.2015 970331 Websites Sportsnet.ca / Sutter acquisition raises questions for Canucks THOMAS DRANCE JULY 28, 2015, 3:40 PM In a surprising mid-summer trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Vancouver Canucks paid a premium to consummate a lateral move on the trade market. The Canucks swapped 27-year-old pivot Nick Bonino, prospect defenceman Adam Clendening, and the 2016 second-round draft pick that the club received from the Anaheim Ducks in the Kevin Bieksa deal, in exchange for defensive centre Brandon Sutter and their own 2016 thirdround pick, which has changed hands more frequently than Mike Sillinger. It s a trade that won t help us make sense of Vancouver s messy, halting rebuilding effort. NICK BONINO'S TWO-WAY GAME ISN'T PARTICULARLY GOOD IN MY OPINION. PLAYING WITH CHRIS HIGGINS AND ALEX BURROWS WILL PAPER OVER A LOT OF SINS. THOMAS DRANCE (@THOMASDRANCE) JULY 28, 2015 Sutter is an ace penalty killer who has been criticized for his lack of offensive production and his pedestrian performance by the shot-based metrics. Though the Penguins surrendered goals against at a very low rate when Sutter was on the ice at 5-on-5 relative to how they fared otherwise during his Pittsburgh tenure, it s fair to say that Sutter never really lived up to his billing as the centerpiece of the Jordan Staal trade. He s bigger and faster than Bonino, but he s less productive and more expensive. In the Canucks eyes though, he s a better fit. They have different skill sets, Canucks general manager Jim Benning told reporters Tuesday of the difference between Sutter and Bonino. Sutter is a good two-way player, a matchup guy. He brings us speed through the middle of the ice, and I think it solidifies our centre ice (position). In Benning s view, Sutter s speed and size is a key reason why he s an upgrade over Bonino, in spite of the latter s superior level of offensive production. I think the West has gotten real fast, Benning said. There are teams that are built one of two ways; there are big, strong, physical teams that control the puck and play a heavy game and the other thing that we ve seen is real fast teams teams that play with speed. I think Brandon s going to help us out in that area He ll help with our overall team speed. RUTHERFORD: BONINO S STRONGEST POSITION IS CENTER. THAT WOULD BE HIS PREFERENCE HE IS A STRONG PLAYER. HE ALSO KILLS PENALTIES." PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (@PENGUINS) JULY 28, 2015 It s hard to argue with Benning s reasoning here. Though the Canucks managed to hang with the Big Three California clubs last season, faster sides like the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars exposed them repeatedly.

Bonino may have exceeded reasonable expectations during his only season with the Canucks, during the regular season at least, but his lack of speed and size limited his effectiveness. He was, in no uncertain terms, a liability in Vancouver s first-round playoff series loss to the Flames. During a Tuesday availability with the media, Benning an old school hockey mind if ever there was one invoked the spectre of playoff performance in describing what he likes about Sutter s game. He s a playoff player, Benning said of Sutter. When the games mean something that s when he s at his best. Though Benning praised Bonino s contributions at length during Tuesday s conference call, it s hard not to hear an indirect criticism of Bonino s edgeless performance in the post-season. One can also detect an echo of Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau s comments last summer about upgrading from Bonino and Mathieu Perreault to Ryan Kesler and Nate Thompson. For a variety of reasons, the notion that Sutter may fit in better with the Canucks than Bonino did, particularly with 20-year-old pivot Bo Horvat positioned to take on more responsibility and the club desperate for a righthanded centre, appears to hold water. Certainly the club is high on Sutter, and intends to extend the 26-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season. What should be tougher to swallow for Canucks fans is the value of this deal. Bonino has his warts particularly when it comes to his overall twoway game but at worst he s a comparable player to Sutter, and his contract is among the most favourable in hockey. You won t find many other reliable, productive depth centres signed for the next two years for less than $2 million per. So why, exactly, were the Canucks left paying a premium in prospect wealth (Clendening) and draft picks? Benning s comments on Tuesday suggested strongly that this was Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford s play from the get go. His comments paint the Canucks as the reactive party, both in the initiation of trade talks right through to the haggling over specifics. Rutherford first approached me around the draft about this, so we ve been talking different scenarios, then the last couple days it kind of all came together. But we ve been working on it for a month, Benning said of the process that led to the trade. This is an asset that PIttsburgh asked about, inquired about, so to make the deal we put Adam in the deal, Benning later added of Clendening s inclusion. That the Penguins appear to have netted much of what they wanted in trading a comparable, more expensive asset with less term to the Canucks is made even more evident by the clever use of their newly created salary cap space to sign useful, unrestricted free agent forward Eric Fehr on Tuesday. Rutherford, it would seem, had a plan. If the Canucks have one, it s becoming harder to detect. I think some of the moves we made this summer were to help our team get better now and in the future, but also give us that edge we need to compete in the playoffs, Benning said Tuesday. Benning s Canucks occasionally appear to be rebuilding, except when they re trading excess assets in lateral trades. Because of his physical tool,s Sutter may be a better fit with the Canucks than Bonino was, but for the second or third time this summer following a trade, it s difficult to see where the value is for the Canucks in this deal. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.29.2015 970332 Websites Sportsnet.ca / Ryan Smyth looking for new role with Oilers? EMILY SADLER JULY 28, 2015, 11:07 AM A year away from the ice can bring a lot of perspective to a player. That s certainly the case for Ryan Smyth, who retired from professional hockey at the end of the 2014 season. In an article in The Edmonton Journal, the longtime Edmonton Oiler said he would love to return to the rink not as a player, but as a member of the team s front office personnel. I want to be involved in hockey but I don t know in what capacity, Smyth told the Journal, adding that he d welcome a conversation with Oilers Entertainment Group chief executive officer Bob Nicholson to see what they re thinking. Smyth, a fan-favourite and locker room leader throughout his almost 1,000 games with the Oilers, isn t limiting his off-ice prospects to the orange and blue. It s something I ve thought about, something I ve processed I ve also thought about Hockey Canada. Maybe that would be a good option. But I d like to talk to Bob (Nicholson), said Smyth, who suited up for Canada in two Olympic tournaments and plenty of World Championships when Nicholson was at the helm. While ideas about Smyth taking in Connor McDavid to his household as the young player adjusts to the NHL have circulated, the retired forward said it s all rumours and that he hasn t been contacted. I haven t put my name forward, he said. It s not that I haven t thought about it though. I want the Oilers to excel going forward and Connor is going to be a big part of it, but you also have to protect the kid. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.29.2015 970333 Websites Sportsnet.ca / Penguins sign UFA Eric Fehr to $6M deal EMILY SADLER JULY 28, 2015, 11:43 AM The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed UFA forward Eric Fehr to a threeyear deal worth $6 million, the team announced Tuesday. THE #PENS HAVE AGREED TO TERMS WITH FORWARD ERIC FEHR TO A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT. DETAILS: HTTP://T.CO/TSZQ7YPTE7 PIC.TWITTER.COM/7DZNYYIX1Q PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (@PENGUINS) JULY 28, 2015 The 29-year-old longtime Capital has registered 89 goals and 177 points in 419 games with Washington. ERIC FEHR IS A GREAT SIGNING FOR THE PENGUINS. INSTANT UPGRADE TO BOTTOM SIX GROUP. SCOTT LEWIS (@THESCOTTLEWIS) JULY 28, 2015 RUTHERFORD: "FEHR IS COMFORTABLE AS A TWO POSITION PLAYER. HE COULD DEFINITELY JUMP UP TO THE TOP-6 IF THE SITUATION PRESENTED ITSELF." PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (@PENGUINS) JULY 28, 2015 News of the signing came on a busy morning for the Penguins, just minutes before announcing a multi-player trade with the Vancouver Canucks that

saw Brandon Sutter and a 2016 third round pick head to Vancouver in exchange for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening and a 2016 second round pick. WELCOME TO THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS @NICKBONINO AND @CLENNY5! PIC.TWITTER.COM/HD3VBS8HR6 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (@PENGUINS) JULY 28, 2015 RUTHERFORD: "THE ANALYTICS ARE VERY STRONG ON BOTH @NICKBONINO AND @ERICFEHR IN ALL THE ASPECTS OF WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN ANALYTICS." PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (@PENGUINS) JULY 28, 2015 Fehr became an unrestricted free agent following the expiration of his twoyear deal with the Capitals at the end of the 2014-15 season. ERIC FEHR HAS 14 CAREER POINTS IN 24 GAMES AGAINST PITTSBURGH, TIED FOR HIS MOST AGAINST ANY TEAM (TBL IN 31 GAMES, FLA IN 34 GAMES). ALEX PREWITT (@ALEX_PREWITT) JULY 28, 2015 He is expected to miss the beginning of the season, as he underwent elbow surgery June 3, and has a recovery time of four to six months. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.29.2015 970334 Websites USA TODAY / Penguins bolster middle-six forwards, but questions still remain on defense Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 6:49 p.m. EDT July 28, 2015 When Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford makes a trade, it s always appropriate to ask, What s next? because he is never done dealing. Given his long history of aggressive managing, Rutherford s Tuesday boldness that added forwards Nick Bonino and Eric Fehr should be viewed as another step, and not the final piece, in the Penguins renovation project. I m comfortable with (our defense) going into the season, Rutherford said. But it is certainly the area we will watch the closest. Rutherford has significantly upgraded the offense this summer. Early on, he acquired 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel and signed intriguing Russian scorer Sergei Plotnikov. On Tuesday, Rutherford signed unrestricted free agent Fehr to a three-year, $6 million deal, plus dealt Brandon Sutter to the Vancouver Canucks for Bonino, a second-round pick and Adam Clendening. The Penguins gave up a third-round pick in the deal. What Rutherford hasn t done is making any moves to help a defense that lost Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff to free agency. Hopefully the younger guys can fall into place and do a consistent job, Rutherford said. If not, part of having more depth up front, is that it can help us in the long run because if we have to go get a defenseman we have those extra pieces. I m fully aware that at some point in time we may have to address that position. The key on defense is whether offensive-minded Derrick Pouliot is ready to step in and be a viable second-pairing defenseman. The Penguins also believe their defense will be better this season if Kris Letang and Olli Maatta can stay healthy. Letang missed 13 games last season; Maatta only played 20. The Penguins also liked Ian Cole s play after he came over from St. Louis. Ben Lovejoy, Tim Erixon, Brian Domoulin and Clendening are among those competing for spots on the Pittsburgh blue line. One reason why Rutherford has done so much up front is that he had better opportunities for change at that position. Kessel is one best scorers in the NHL. No one was offering the Penguins a defenseman that could help the Penguins as much as Kessel can impact the offense. Tuesday s deal was simply an opportunity to land two potentially key forwards while only giving up only one. Bonino is a center, but could move to the wing on either Sidney Crosby s or Evgeni Malkin s line. He had 15 goals and 39 points last season. Fehr, 6-4, 215 pounds, can take Sutter s job as No. 3 center. He recorded 19 goals and 33 points last season. (Fehr) was a very good shut down guy in that third center position, Rutherford said. Sutter has a $3.3 million cap hit, and he would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Penguins believed they wouldn t be able to resign him. Bonino makes $1.9 million, and the savings on exchanging those two players gave the Penguins the cap space required to sign Fehr, who also has the potential to play wing in the top six if the Penguins want size there. Believe it or not, (Sutter) is one of my favorite guys and I ve ended up trading him twice, Rutherford said. When Rutherford was with Carolina, he traded Sutter to Pittsburgh. Bonino, 27, has better offensive instincts than Sutter, but Sutter is a better defensive center. Sutter's advanced statistics showed him to be among the worst possession players on the Penguins, and he's never finished above 50% in his career. Bonino's possession numbers ranked sixth on the Canucks. Fehr rates well when assessing his puck possession. Rutherford: "The analytics are very strong on both @NickBonino and @EricFehr in all the aspects of what we look for in analytics." Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 28, 2015 Crosby presumably is penciled in to play with Kessel, and Malkin will play with Patric Hornqvist. That leaves Bonino, Pascal Dupuis, David Perron, Chris Kunitz and Plotnikov (36 points in 56 games in the Kontinental Hockey League) to compete for the other spots on those lines. In an era when general managers say trades are difficult to make, Rutherford always finds a way to make deals. The Penguins don t have any room under the cap. But no one would be shocked if Rutherford finds a way to deal for a defenseman before the season starts in October. USA TODAY LOADED: 07.29.2015