Four days after firing their head coach, the New York Rangers announced on Wednesday that president and general manager Chris Drury has agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension.

• Terms were not disclosed, with the 48-year-old Drury saying in a news release that he is honored to continue in his role with the team the Connecticut native grew up supporting.

  "As I said when I began in this role nearly four years ago," Drury said, "there isn't a more special organization in hockey and I look forward to continuing our work this offseason to help us reach our goals for next season and in the coming years."

  A top priority is replacing Peter Laviolette, who was fired Saturday along with associate head coach Phil Housley after the Rangers went 39-36-7 (85 points) and finished six points out of a playoff berth. One season earlier, New York won the Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record (55-23-4, 114 points) before falling to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference final.

  Laviolette was hired in 2023 to replace the fired Gerard Gallant who, like Laviolette, lasted just two seasons in New York.

  Drury was promoted to team president and general manager in May 2021 after six seasons in the front office. The Rangers have gone 193-105-30 in regular-season games and qualified for the playoffs three times -- including runs to the conference finals in 2022 and 2024. The 193 wins are the most for the franchise over any four-year span.

  "Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic, and a tireless pursuit of excellence," James L. Dolan, MSG Sports Executive Chairman and CEO, said in the news release. "While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success."

  A former Rangers team captain, Drury played 892 games in 12 NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche (1998-2003), Calgary Flames (2002-03), Buffalo Sabres (2003-07) and New York (2007-11).

  --Field Level Media

Longtime New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday after 17 seasons.

• Clutterbuck, 37, spent his last 11 seasons with the Islanders before sitting out the 2024-25 season.

  "Hockey gave me everything -- a purpose, a brotherhood, and a lifetime of memories," Clutterbuck wrote on Instagram. "To (longtime linemates) Matt (Martin) and Casey (Cizikas) -- it was an honor to go to war with you night in and night out. What we built together means more than words can say. And to the Islanders faithful -- your passion, loyalty, and love made Long Island home. Thank you all. On to the next chapter."

  Clutterbuck, who is the NHL's all-time hits leader with 4,029, recorded 293 points (143 goals, 150 assists) and 698 penalty minutes in 1,064 career games with the Minnesota Wild and Islanders.

  The Ontario native was selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft.

  --Field Level Media

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk returned to action with two goals and an assist, and the Stanley Cup champs swiped home-ice advantage by thumping the host Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 to start their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

• Sidelined for the season's final 25 games with a lower-body injury, Tkachuk came back and tallied on two power plays. Defenseman Nate Schmidt added one on the man advantage and another at even strength as Florida went 3-for-3 on the power play.

  Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist apiece for Florida, and Aleksander Barkov posted two helpers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves.

  Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point scored, but Andrei Vasilevskiy surrendered six goals on just 16 shots.

  Maple Leafs 3, Senators 2 (OT)

  Max Domi scored at 3:09 of overtime, lifting Toronto over Ottawa and giving the hosts a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

  John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs. Morgan Rielly also scored and Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves.

  Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette scored for the Senators, who overcame a two-goal deficit to force overtime. Linus Ullmark stopped 18 shots.

  Hurricanes 3, Devils 1

  Jordan Martinook continued to haunt the Devils in the postseason, posting a goal and an assist as Carolina beat New Jersey in Raleigh, N.C., to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

  Martinook has four goals and 13 points in seven career playoff games against New Jersey. Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes, and Frederik Andresen stopped 25 shots.

  Jesper Bratt got the goal for the Devils. Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves.

  Wild 5, Golden Knights 2

  Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals and had an assist as Minnesota evened its series against Vegas with a victory in Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals in Las Vegas.

  Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist and Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello also scored for Minnesota, which scored four times over a seven-shot stretch while building a 4-0 lead. Filip Gustavsson finished with 30 saves for the victory.

  Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl scored goals and Adin Hill stopped 12 of 16 shots for Vegas. The best-of-seven series now moves to Saint Paul, Minn., for games on Thursday and Saturday.

  --Field Level Media

Edmonton forward Evander Kane could make his season debut in the Western Conference first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday.

• Kane, 33, has not played since Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on June 10 against the eventual champion Florida Panthers, who won in seven games. He had surgery on Sept. 20 to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias and two torn lower abdominal muscles. He also had arthroscopic knee surgery on Jan. 9.

  The Oilers trail the Kings 1-0 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles.

  "Kane is a possibility of coming back, whether that's for Game 2, Game 3 or Game 4. But it should be soon," Knoblauch said.

  The coach said Kane has not been cleared by doctors but he expects to see him play at some point in the series -- though targeting Game 2 "is a little premature."

  "I think Evander looks better today than he did in the (Cup) Final series against Florida," Knoblauch said. "He's skating better, he's moving better, his agility, all that stuff. He looks more explosive. Yeah, it's very difficult for a player to come back after a long stretch (out), but I think Evander has a little bit of an X-factor."

  Kane, recorded 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games during the regular season in 2023-24 and eight points (four goals, four assists) in 20 playoff games.

  He has totaled 617 points (326 goals, 291 assists) in 930 career regular-season games with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise (2009-15), Buffalo Sabres (2015-18), San Jose Sharks (2018-21) and Oilers. He was selected by the Thrashers with the fourth overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft.

  Knoblauch also said that defenseman John Klingberg (lower-body injury) is "very close" to returning to the lineup after missing the last 10 games of the regular season and the 6-5 loss to the Kings in Game 1 on Monday.

  "Yes, he definitely can be a player for us coming in Game 2," Knoblauch said. "Whether we make that decision tomorrow, but I would say we will see him at some point in the series."

  Klingberg, 32, signed as a free agent with Edmonton on Jan. 17. He has not played since March 27 in a 6-1 loss to the host Seattle Kraken. Klingberg has one goal, three assists, eight penalty minutes, 13 blocks and five hits in 11 games this season.

  He has 416 career points (82 goals, 334 assists) with 263 penalty minutes, 761 blocks and 434 hits in 644 regular-season games for the Dallas Stars (2014-22), Anaheim Ducks (2022-23), Minnesota Wild (2023), Toronto Maple Leafs (2023-24) and Oilers.

  --Field Level Media

The New York Islanders will not renew the contract of president and general manager Lou Lamoriello, the team announced Tuesday.

• Islanders operating partner John Collins will lead the search for Lamoriello's replacement.

  "The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years," the team said in a statement. "His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career."

  Lamoriello, 82, was hired in 2018 as New York's president of hockey operations. He fired Garth Snow and named himself general manager in Snow's place.

  The Islanders made the penultimate round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in back-to-back seasons early in Lamoriello's tenure, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in both the conference finals of the pandemic-interrupted 2019-20 season and the 2020-21 season.

  Lamoriello fired coach Lane Lambert during the 2023-24 season and hired NHL legend Patrick Roy as his replacement. The Islanders missed the playoffs in 2024-25, Roy's first full season, with a 35-35-12 record.

  Lamoriello is a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in the builders category (2009) for his work as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils. He also served as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015-18.

  --Field Level Media

New Jersey Devils defensemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon will sit out Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C.

• Coach Sheldon Keefe ruled out both players after neither participated in the morning skate on Tuesday.

  Hughes and Dillon sustained their respective, undisclosed injuries during New Jersey's 4-1 loss to Carolina in Game 1 on Sunday, with the latter exiting in the second period while the former was injured in the third.

  "We'll have to get back to Jersey after today and see where they're at, but they'll be out tonight," Keefe said Tuesday.

  Hughes, 21, had 44 points (seven goals, 37 assists) in 71 games this season.

  Dillon, 34, totaled 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) while playing in all 82 games this season.

  Simon Nemec, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and Dennis Cholowski are expected to play in the absence of Hughes and Dillon.

  Forward Cody Glass also is expected to play after taking an inadvertent stick to the legs from his teammate, goaltender Jacob Markstrom, in the third period in Game 1.

  --Field Level Media

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will be a game-time decision for Tuesday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series versus the host Tampa Bay Lightning.

• Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday morning that Tkachuk's availability will be determined after warmups.

  The Panthers then activated Tkachuk from injured reserve about four hours before the game.

  Tkachuk, 27, has been sidelined since sustaining a groin injury on Feb. 15 while playing for the United States during the 4 Nations Face-Off. He returned to action five days later and logged 6:47 of ice time in the Americans' 3-2 loss to Canada in the championship game.

  He totaled 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games this season for the Panthers.

  A 2024 Stanley Cup champion with Florida, Tkachuk has totaled 636 points (240 goals, 396 assists) in 642 career games with the Calgary Flames (2016-22) and Panthers.

  --Field Level Media

The Seattle Kraken elevated Hall of Famer Ron Francis to president of hockey operations on Tuesday and promoted Jason Botterill to executive vice president and general manager.

• The move comes one day after Seattle fired head coach Dan Bylsma following one season on the job. Botterill will lead the search for Bylsma's replacement, per the team.

  Francis, 62, was named the expansion Kraken's first general manager in 2019 after spending time as an executive with the Carolina Hurricanes.

  "In the league today, there are a lot more demands in the GM chair," Francis said. "And teams that I've talked to about this, in their experience it is a stronger model with two guys working together and trying to get things right."

  Botterill, 48, served as the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017-20. He was an assistant with the Kraken during the first four seasons of the franchise's existence.

  "I think what makes this a smooth transition is I've worked for the Kraken already, I know how we do things here and the people who make it happen," Botterill said.

  "So, it's not like a case where I'm somebody new coming in and have to learn how everything works. I already know our players, our prospects, our staff and we can just get down to work right away without us missing a beat."

  Prior to his stint with the Sabres, Botterill won Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017 as a front-office representative.

  --Field Level Media

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary will miss the remainder of the playoffs following meniscus surgery, the team announced Tuesday.

• Fehervary, 25, sustained the injury to his right knee during an April 15 game against the New York Islanders. He underwent the surgical procedure on Monday.

  "It's a massive loss for our team. Really feel for him," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said Tuesday. "My heart hurts for him because he's an unsung hero for our team. And if you know the Washington Capitals, and if you're around our team, and if you watch our team, he's someone that goes unnoticed, that the rest of the hockey world probably doesn't pay much attention to, but he is a big part of our team."

  Fehervary recorded career-high totals in assists (20), points (25) and rating (plus-18) in 81 games this season.

  He has totaled 75 points (22 goals, 53 assists) and a plus-13 rating in 299 career games since being selected by the Capitals in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

  Washington will look to Alex Alexeyev, Ethan Bear and Dylan McIlrath to help fill the void in his absence. The Caps lead 1-0 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens, with Game 2 on Wednesday night in Washington.

  "The worst part of this game is when guys get hurt like this and aren't able to be out during the most important time of the year," Carbery said. "But, I know our guys will pick up the slack."

  --Field Level Media

Alex Ovechkin scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series on Monday.

• It was Ovechkin's first career playoff overtime goal. He also notched an assist for Washington, which squandered a two-goal lead in the third period but rallied in the extra session. Anthony Beauvillier finished with a goal and an assist, and Dylan Strome logged three assists.

  Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored for Montreal, each on an assist from Lane Hutson.

  Ovechkin, 39, added another highlight to a magical season in which he surpassed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time goal scoring leader. He sealed the series opener after the Capitals won a faceoff in the offensive zone and Beauvillier found him open in front of the net. The tally was the 74th career playoff goal for Ovechkin, who finished the regular season with 897 career goals, three more than Gretzky.

  Kings 6, Oilers 5

  Phillip Danault scored his second goal of the game with 41.1 seconds remaining in regulation to give host Los Angeles a wild victory over Edmonton in their Stanley Cup playoff opener.

  Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe both collected one goal and two assists while Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala both registered one goal and one assist for the Kings. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 20 saves for the Kings, who held a 4-0 lead late in the second period and 5-2 edge in the third before the Oilers charged back.

  Connor McDavid scored once in a four-point game for Edmonton, while Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl each notched one goal and one assist. Mattias Janmark and Zach Hyman added a goal apiece, Evan Bouchard collected three assists, and Stuart Skinner stopped 24 shots.

  Stars 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)

  Colin Blackwell scored 17:46 into overtime to give Dallas a win over visiting Colorado, evening their first-round Western Conference playoff series at one victory each.

  Evgenii Dadonov, Thomas Harley and Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars in regulation, and Sam Steel had two assists, including the setup for the OT tally. Jake Oettinger stopped 34 of 37 shots.

  Logan O'Connor had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Jack Drury and Nathan MacKinnon also tallied for Colorado, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves.

  Jets 2, Blues 1

  Kyle Connor scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period for a second straight game to help Winnipeg to a win against visiting St. Louis in Game 2 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

  Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who lead the series 2-0. Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves.

  Jimmy Snuggerud scored and Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots for the Blues.

  --Field Level Media

The Canucks will not exercise the contract option on Rick Tocchet for 2025-26 but hope to keep the veteran coach behind the bench in Vancouver.

• President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said Monday that the organization offered Tocchet a new long-term deal.

  Expectations were high for a deep playoff run this season after the Canucks won the Pacific Division in 2023-24 and were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. Tocchet earned the league's Jack Adams Award as the 2023-24 coach of the year.

  The Canucks hired Tocchet midway through the 2022-23 and the team flourished in his first full campaign. They amassed 109 points and earned their first postseason berth since the 2019-20 season.

  However, Vancouver slumped to fifth in the division this season with a mark of 38-30-14 (90 points).

  The Canucks lost star goalkeeper Thatcher Demko for all but 23 games of this season due to injuries, and the organization traded star forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers after a strained relationship with forward Elias Pettersson became public.

  Tocchet could be a prime candidate for open positions in Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers, while the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins finished the season with interim coaches.

  "We don't feel it's right to have somebody here that may have his mind somewhere else," Rutherford said. "I'd say that about anybody. This is not just about Toc. We believe that -- and I believe that -- Toc and his coaching staff did as good a job coaching this team this year as they did the year before when he was coach of the year."

  Tocchet had previous head-coaching stints in Tampa Bay (2008-09 to 2009-10) and Arizona (2017-18 to 2020-21). He replaced Bruce Boudreau behind the Canucks' bench in January 2023.

  --Field Level Media

The Colorado Avalanche activated forward and captain Gabriel Landeskog from injured reserve Monday ahead of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at the Dallas Stars.

• Due to a series of setbacks with his injured right knee, Landeskog has not played in an NHL game since hoisting the Stanley Cup with Colorado on June 26, 2022.

  Avs coach Jared Bednar did not rule out playing Landeskog on Monday night, only saying at the morning skate, "We'll see. I haven't decided yet."

  The Avalanche may have a need at forward after Ross Colton left Game 1 with a lower-body injury.

  Landeskog, 32, played two games for the AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles earlier this month and tallied one goal and one assist in his conditioning stint.

  He has undergone several procedures on his right knee, including cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023. No NHL player has returned from such a procedure, though Lonzo Ball of the NBA's Chicago Bulls had it performed in March 2023 and came back in 2024-25.

  Landeskog has recorded 571 points (248 goals, 323 assists) in 738 games over 11 seasons with the Avalanche.

  --Field Level Media

The Seattle Kraken fired head coach Dan Bylsma on Monday after one season on the job.

• In addition, Kraken general manager Ron Francis will transition to a new role as team president and assistant GM Jason Botterill will be elevated to general manager, The Athletic reported.

  Bylsma, 54, spent two seasons as the coach of the Kraken's AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, before being promoted to lead the NHL club in May 2024 when Dave Hakstol was let go.

  "We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at the NHL and AHL levels," Francis said in a release. "After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we've made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench. Dan is a great person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young prospects and was a big part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward."

  Bylsma was best known for taking over the Pittsburgh Penguins midway through the 2008-09 season and guiding them to the 2009 Stanley Cup.

  In his lone season at the helm in Seattle, the Kraken went 35-41-6 and missed the playoffs. In parts of nine seasons with the Penguins (2008-14), Buffalo Sabres (2015-17) and Kraken, Bylsma has a 355-231-61 record as a head coach.

  Francis, 62, was a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee as a player and was named the expansion Kraken's first general manager in 2019 after spending time as an executive with the Carolina Hurricanes.

  Botterill, 48, served as the general manager of the Sabres from 2017-20. He had worked in Seattle's front office since January 2021.

  --Field Level Media

The Seattle Kraken fired head coach Dan Bylsma on Monday after one season on the job.

• In addition, Kraken general manager Ron Francis will transition to a new role as team president and assistant GM Jason Botterill will be elevated to general manager, The Athletic reported.

  Bylsma, 54, spent two seasons as the coach of the Kraken's AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, before being promoted to lead the NHL club in May 2024 when Dave Hakstol was let go.

  "We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at the NHL and AHL levels," Francis said in a release. "After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we've made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench. Dan is a great person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young prospects and was a big part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward."

  Bylsma was best known for taking over the Pittsburgh Penguins midway through the 2008-09 season and guiding them to the 2009 Stanley Cup.

  In his lone season at the helm in Seattle, the Kraken went 35-41-6 and missed the playoffs. In parts of nine seasons with the Penguins (2008-14), Buffalo Sabres (2015-17) and Kraken, Bylsma has a 355-231-61 record as a head coach.

  Francis, 62, was a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee as a player and was named the expansion Kraken's first general manager in 2019 after spending time as an executive with the Carolina Hurricanes.

  Botterill, 48, served as the general manager of the Sabres from 2017-20. He had worked in Seattle's front office since January 2021.

  --Field Level Media

Washington forward Aliaksei Protas is unlikely to play Monday night when the Capitals open their Eastern Conference first-round series against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.

• Protas, 24, sustained a skate cut on the top of his left foot in a 5-3 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks on April 4 and missed the final six games of the regular season. He was limited to 15 minutes of skating before the team's morning skate on Monday.

  Coach Spencer Carbery said that he expects Protas to play at some point during the best-of-seven series.

  "I think, absolutely, I would expect him to play, and we'll see when that is," Carbery said. "It might be tonight. It might be Game 2 (on Wednesday). We'll see."

  In 76 regular-season games, Protas recorded career highs with 30 goals, 36 assists, 66 points, 18 penalty minutes, 16:27 average ice time and a plus-40 rating that ranked third in the league.

  Washington selected Protas in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. He has 119 career points (43 goals, 76 assists) and a plus-33 rating in 245 games since the 2021-22 season.

  The Capitals had the best record in the Eastern Conference (51-22-9, 111 points), while the Canadiens (40-31-11, 91 points) earned the second wild-card berth.

  --Field Level Media

Brett Howden scored two goals, including the game-winner early in the third period, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series on Sunday night in Las Vegas.

• Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist, Adin Hill made 18 saves and Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for Vegas, which improved to 9-2 in playoff openers at T-Mobile Arena.

  The best-of-seven matchup continues Tuesday with Game 2 in Las Vegas, before moving to Saint Paul, Minn., for two games.

  Matt Boldy scored both of the Wild's goals and Kirill Kaprizov assisted on both. Filip Gustavsson stopped 23 of 26 shots.

  Hurricanes 4, Devils 1

  Logan Stankoven scored twice in the second period as Carolina earned a victory over New Jersey in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series in Raleigh, N.C.

  Jalen Chatfield scored early in the first period for the Hurricanes, who won for the 32nd time at home this season. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal and Taylor Hall collected two assists. Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen finished with 23 saves.

  Nico Hischier scored on a 4-on-4 late in the second for the Devils while goalie Jacob Markstrom, who was frequently under siege, made 41 saves.

  Maple Leafs 6, Senators 2

  Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists for Toronto in a home win against Ottawa in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

  John Tavares and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist, Auston Matthews had two assists and Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs, the No. 2 seed from the Eastern Conference.

  Drake Batherson and Ridly Greig scored and Linus Ullmark made 18 saves for the Senators, the first wild-card team from the East.

  --Field Level Media

One season after the New York Rangers finished with the best record in the NHL, the team fired head coach Peter Laviolette and associate head coach Phil Housley on Saturday.

• The Rangers went 55-23-4 (114 points) last season and advanced to the Eastern Conference final where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in a six-game series. New York went 39-36-7 this season (85 points) to finish six points out of a playoff spot.

  "We came into this season with high expectations for ourselves," Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a release. "Quite simply, we failed to meet those expectations. We must all do better -- myself included. As we head into next season and beyond, I felt that a change was necessary in order to give us the best chance to achieve our goals as an organization."

  Drury said the search for a new head coach started immediately.

  In two seasons as the Rangers head coach, Laviolette, 60, posted a 94-59-11 record. Before this season, New York had made three consecutive playoff appearances, while making the Eastern Conference finals twice in that run.

  The Rangers have not participated in the Stanley Cup Finals since 2014 and last won a title in 1994.

  Laviolette, who played in just 12 NHL games in his career, all during the 1988-89 season with the Rangers, has been an NHL head coach for 23 seasons.

  He owns an 846-562-161 record (25 ties) with the New York Islanders (2001-03), Carolina Hurricanes (2003-09), Philadelphia Flyers (2009-14), Nashville Predators (2014-20), Washington Capitals (2020-23) and Rangers.

  His 846 regular-season wins are the most among United States-born coaches in NHL history and seventh all-time.

  --Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand will not play in the team's Eastern Conference first-round series against the Florida Panthers, head coach Jon Cooper announced on Saturday.

• Bjorkstrand is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury that he sustained the injury during Tampa Bay's 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on April 11.

  Bjorkstrand, 30, has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 18 games with the Lightning since the club acquired him from the Seattle Kraken prior to the NHL trade deadline. He recorded 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 61 games with the Kraken in 2024-25.

  A third-round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2013 NHL Draft, Bjorkstrand has totaled 384 points (172 goals, 212 assists) in 624 career games with the Blue Jackets, Kraken and Lightning.

  --Field Level Media

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen participated in the morning skate on Saturday but will not play in Game 1 of Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Colorado Avalanche.

• Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Heiskanen is taking a step in the right direction as he looks to turn the corner following knee surgery. Heiskanen, who wore a non-contact jersey on Saturday is labeled day-to-day by DeBoer.

  "Definitely a step in the right direction from where we've been in the last 2 1/2 months," DeBoer said.

  DeBoer said the next step is for Heiskanen to participate in a full-contact practice session.

  Heiskanen, 25, has been sidelined since Jan. 28 after his left knee was injured in a collision with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone.

  Heiskanen has 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 50 games this season while logging a team-best 25:10 of ice time per game.

  Since being selected by Dallas with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Heiskanen has recorded 283 points (58 goals, 225 assists) in 475 career games over seven seasons.

  --Field Level Media

The Anaheim Ducks fired Greg Cronin on Saturday morning after two seasons as their head coach.

• Cronin, 61, posted a 62-87-15 record in Anaheim after accepting the position -- his first as an NHL head coach -- on June 5, 2023. The Ducks limped to a 35-37-10 (80 points) mark in 2024-25 and a sixth-place finish in the Pacific Division to miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

  "I want to personally thank Greg for his tireless work and dedication to the team," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. "He is responsible in many ways for the improvement we've seen from our young core.

  "However, after several weeks of careful evaluation, I concluded we needed a change in direction and a new voice. This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make, but I felt it was necessary to continue our progress toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender that I know we can be."

  Cronin, who took over for Dallas Eakins, had previous NHL assistant-coaching duties with the New York Islanders (1998-2003, 2014-18) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (2011-14). He also served as the head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2003-05) and Colorado Eagles (2018-23) of the American Hockey League, as well as the bench boss at Northeastern University from 2005-11.

  --Field Level Media

Colorado tied for seventh in the NHL with 102 points during the regular season, but the Avalanche are opening the playoffs as the consensus favorites to win the 2025 Stanley Cup.

• On the eve of playing host to Game 1 of a first-round series against the Dallas Stars -- who finished with 106 points during the regular season -- Colorado was being offered as the +750 Cup favorite by DraftKings and at +700 by BetMGM.

  It helps that the Stars will be minus top goal-scorer Jason Robertson due to a lower-body injury sustained in the team's regular-season finale. Dallas has already been playing without top defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) and limps into the playoffs 0-5-2 in its past seven games.

  By contrast, after retooling the roster throughout the season, Colorado has been gaining momentum since mid-February. That has led to the Avalanche being backed by the most total wagers (10.6 percent) and money (11.0) to win the Cup since opening at +1000 at BetMGM.

  However, Colorado is not among the book's three biggest Cup liabilities.

  The top honor in that regard would go to St. Louis, followed by Montreal and Dallas. With the Blues (+4000) and Canadiens (+8000) the two biggest longshots remaining, BetMGM is more nervous about the Avalanche.

  It's the two Florida teams the book is pulling for currently. The defending champion Panthers have drawn a modest 6.3 percent of the money at +750 currently, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have been backed by just 2.8 percent of the money while moving from +2000 to +1100.

  Tampa Bay finished tied with Colorado with 102 points during the regular season, while Florida was 11th with 98 points.

  "The Panthers and Lightning are among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup but the public is ignoring them," BetMGM senior trader Matthew Rasp said. "BetMGM really wants the Stanley Cup to stay in Florida."

  Winnipeg, which topped the league with 116 points while winning an NHL-best 56 games, opens the postseason at +1000 at both BetMGM and DraftKings -- the eighth-shortest Cup odds and tied for the sixth-shortest odds at the latter.

  --Field Level Media

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson has been ruled out of Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

• Robertson is considered week-to-week due to a lower-body injury he sustained during the Stars' regular-season finale at the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

  Robertson, 25, led the Stars in goals (35) and finished second in both assists (45) and points (80) while playing in all 82 games this season.

  He has totaled 394 points (168 goals, 226 assists) in 374 career games since being selected by Dallas in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft.

  --Field Level Media

Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard announced Friday that he intends to retire after the team's postseason run is over.

• Savard, 34, has spent the last four of his 14 NHL seasons with the Canadiens.

  Montreal will open the playoffs on the road Monday for Game 1 of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series against the top-seeded Washington Capitals.

  The Quebec native has recorded 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 75 games this season.

  A 2021 Stanley Cup champion with Tampa Bay, Savard has totaled 242 points (54 goals, 188 assists) with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning and Canadiens. He was selected by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Draft.

  --Field Level Media

The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Andreas Englund to a $775,000 deal for next season, the team said Friday.

• The Predators claimed Englund off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 10.

  He played in 24 games for Nashville, recording two assists, 36 penalty minutes, 58 hits and 33 blocked shots.

  Englund, 29, has two goals, 18 assists and 188 penalty minutes in 197 games with five teams since the Ottawa Senators drafted him in the second round out of Sweden in 2014.

  --Field Level Media

More than 23 million fans attended an NHL regular-season game in 2024-25, the highest total in the league's 108-year history.

• The league announced Friday that a total of 23,014,458 people attended a game during the 1,312-game season. That eclipses the previous record of 22,873,142, set last season.

  In addition to the 32 teams' home arenas, the NHL also played the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago, a Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, and Global Series games in Prague, Czechia, and Tampere, Finland. A total of 94,571 fans attended the game at Ohio Stadium, marking the second-largest gathering in NHL history.

  Fueled by 41 sellouts at the Bell Centre, the Montreal Canadiens led all clubs in total attendance with 865,305 fans.

  --Field Level Media