Bruins to retire Rick Middleton’s No. 16 in November

The Boston Bruins will honor Rick Middleton by retiring his No. 16 ahead of their Nov. 29 clash with the New York Islanders, the team announced Tuesday.

"Mr. Middleton's number 16 has long deserved to be raised to TD Garden's rafters," Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs said in a release.

Middleton played 12 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Bruins after originally being drafted 14th overall by the New York Rangers in 1973.

He finished his career with 402 goals, good enough for third on the franchise's all-time list behind only John Bucyk and Phil Esposito. He also sits fourth on the franchise's all-time points list with 898, behind Ray Bourque, Bucyk, and Esposito.

Middleton becomes the 11th Bruins player to have his jersey retired by the organization.

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Blackhawks’ Forsling out 14 weeks following wrist surgery

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Gustav Forsling underwent surgery on his right wrist, the team announced Tuesday.

Team physician Dr. Michael Terry said that the expected recovery time is 14 weeks.

The 22-year-old Forsling spent the majority of 2017-18 with the Blackhawks, logging 19:09 of average ice time while netting 13 points in 41 games. In another 31 games with AHL affiliate Rockford, Forsling added 10 points including five in the postseason.

Forsling was set to compete in training camp for a spot on the Blackhawks' blue line, but will now be out until early November.

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Rangers, Spooner avoid arbitration with 2-year deal

The New York Rangers re-signed forward Ryan Spooner to a two-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.

The deal reportedly comes with an average annual value of $4 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Spooner joined the Rangers midway through the 2017-18 campaign as part of the return in the Rick Nash trade. He was seemingly unable to carve out a consistent offensive role during his time with the Boston Bruins but excelled upon being traded to the Big Apple, collecting 16 points in 20 games while averaging a career-high 16:51 of ice time per game.

Spooner is still just 26 years old and will potentially get an opportunity to play a top-six role as the Rangers continue their youth movement.

The Ottawa, Ontario native was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Aug. 4. With the signing, the Rangers have now retained all of their restricted free agents.

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Reaves on Golden Knights’ success: ‘There are no big egos’

If there is one reason behind the Vegas Golden Knights' accomplishments in their inaugural season, forward Ryan Reaves believes he has the answer.

"The team is not made up of superstars and there are no big egos that you have to deal with," Reaves told Tim Campbell of NHL.com. "It's just a bunch of guys that proved something last year and I think now want to prove they can win a Stanley Cup. We proved everyone wrong last season, but nobody remembers who was second. It's about who won the Cup."

The Golden Knights rewrote the NHL record book last year, not only by advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, but also by setting several expansion team highs, including 51 wins and 109 points.

For the coming campaign, Reaves believes the Golden Knights have the pieces to take that final step this season.

"I think the expectation in the locker room, for sure, is to do what we did last year and then to finish the job in the Final," Reaves added. "I think we know we have the team in there and with the city behind us and the buzz in the city and the way they support the team, we're ready to make another run."

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins late last season, the pugilistic Reaves was a surprising offensive force in the postseason as he potted a pair of goals, including the series-clincher over the Winnipeg Jets in the semifinals. Such a performance made the Golden Knights comfortable in betting on a two-year, $5.55-million extension for Reaves, signed in late June.

Reaves and his teammates will begin their second quest for the Stanley Cup when they open the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 4.

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Bettman: NHL wants cut of gambling action following Supreme Court ruling

The sports gambling landscape has changed following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May, and now the NHL wants a piece of the pie.

While bets have traditionally been more geared toward other sports, there may be a price to pay for bookies looking to cash in on hockey.

"From our standpoint, we believe that whether it's our intellectual property or data, whether it's video of our game, we have important assets," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told Associated Press podcast Sports Now. "And if somebody is going to avail themselves or want to avail themselves of those assets in order to conduct their business, then we're going to need to have a negotiation."

It's not the first time the NHL's top executive has touched on the topic.

"I'm not sure I buy the term 'integrity fee.' I don't worry about the integrity of our players," Bettman said in May. "I think, though, if you're going to allocate for yourself to run a business on our intellectual property and on the performance of our athletes, and the platform that we put on for our games, we're entitled to be involved in that."

While not the most popular league on the sportsbook, the NHL gained some momentum last season thanks to the Vegas Golden Knights, whose surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final nearly resulted in some big-time payouts.

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Projected 2019 top pick Jack Hughes returning to NTDP next season

Jack Hughes has opted for familiar surroundings.

The projected top pick in the 2019 NHL Draft will remain with the U.S. National Team Development Program next season, turning down opportunities with the University of Michigan as well as the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads, who held his Canadian junior rights.

"I just felt like the NTDP was the best spot for my development," Hughes told Mike Morreale of NHL.com. "I love my teammates, my coaches, the resources, and love being able to put on the USA jersey. I tell everyone no one trains as hard as us at the NTDP. We're working out in season, skating four times a week, and playing games on top of that."

In passing on Michigan, Hughes turned down a shot to suit up alongside his brother Quinn, the seventh overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in this summer's draft. On Saturday, Quinn committed to returning to the Wolverines next season.

"I knew the NTDP was a great spot, and Michigan was a great spot as well," Jack added. "Quinn had really good success there and any time I have a chance to play with Quinn it's really appealing. I took that into consideration, but I think the NTDP was the best spot."

Expect to hear Jack's name plenty next season, particularly from fans of teams near the bottom of the standings. Across 60 games with the NTDP, the Orlando product amassed 116 points, one shy of the high-water mark Auston Matthews paced in 2015. The only difference is that Hughes did it at age 16, one year earlier than the Toronto Maple Leafs center.

His production shattered the totals of a handful of NHL stars and NTDP graduates, including Jack Eichel, Patrick Kane, and Phil Kessel, and scouts haven't been shy about likening his potential to Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.

After "Fall for Hall" and "Fail for Nail," don't be surprised when "Lose for Hughes" makes its way into hockey circles next season.

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Senators’ Tkachuk undecided on whether to turn pro next season

Brady Tkachuk is still mapping out his future path.

The fourth overall pick of the Ottawa Senators is debating whether he's ready to turn pro next season, or if further seasoning at Boston University would be better for his long-term goals.

Signing an entry-level contract would make Tkachuk ineligible for the NCAA. However, if he's not quite ready primetime, he could also be assigned to Belleville, home of the Senators' AHL club, or to the OHL's London Knights, who hold his junior rights.

"The decision will be based on what's best for my development short and long term; I want to have a long career and don't want to go somewhere and not have an impact," Tkachuk told Mike Morreale of NHL.com. "I want to make an impact wherever I go and be able to contribute and play my best. Having both options is a great problem to have; they are two great spots."

Tkachuk has turned to his family for advice, counting on his father, Keith, one of the top American-born players of all time, and brother, Matthew, who broke in with the Calgary Flames two seasons ago at 18 years old.

"It's tough for me to be on the phone with my parents because we're not in the same city," Tkachuk added. "But I want to talk to them face-to-face because their opinion, and the opinion of my brother and sister, are important so they'll tell me what they think but it'll be my decision in the end.

"It's one of the biggest decisions of my life. It's tough and stressful but when it happens it'll be nice to have it off the shoulders. I just want to be 100 percent committed to wherever I decide."

Should Tkachuk choose the pro ranks, there's a good chance he could make the immediate jump to the NHL given the potentially open spots on the Senators' roster.

But there are also some advantages to returning to the Terriers. Tkachuk would likely see increased ice time as a sophomore and would also get a shot at working alongside new bench boss Albie O'Connell following David Quinn's appointment with the New York Rangers.

Tkachuk finished fourth in Terriers team scoring last season, netting 31 points in 40 games. He also impressed as part of Team USA at the World Junior Championship, posting nine points in seven contests.

The budding power winger has circled Aug. 12 as the latest he intends to make his decision, giving both sides nearly a month to prepare for training camp. For now, the clock ticks.

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Senators’ Tkachuk undecided on whether to turn pro next season

Brady Tkachuk is still mapping out his future path.

The fourth overall pick of the Ottawa Senators is debating whether he's ready to turn pro next season, or if further seasoning at Boston University would be better for his long-term goals.

Signing an entry-level contract would make Tkachuk ineligible for the NCAA. However, if he's not quite ready primetime, he could also be assigned to Belleville, home of the Senators' AHL club, or to the OHL's London Knights, who hold his junior rights.

"The decision will be based on what's best for my development short and long term; I want to have a long career and don't want to go somewhere and not have an impact," Tkachuk told Mike Morreale of NHL.com. "I want to make an impact wherever I go and be able to contribute and play my best. Having both options is a great problem to have; they are two great spots."

Tkachuk has turned to his family for advice, counting on his father, Keith, one of the top American-born players of all time, and brother, Matthew, who broke in with the Calgary Flames two seasons ago at 18 years old.

"It's tough for me to be on the phone with my parents because we're not in the same city," Tkachuk added. "But I want to talk to them face-to-face because their opinion, and the opinion of my brother and sister, are important so they'll tell me what they think but it'll be my decision in the end.

"It's one of the biggest decisions of my life. It's tough and stressful but when it happens it'll be nice to have it off the shoulders. I just want to be 100 percent committed to wherever I decide."

Should Tkachuk choose the pro ranks, there's a good chance he could make the immediate jump to the NHL given the potentially open spots on the Senators' roster.

But there are also some advantages to returning to the Terriers. Tkachuk would likely see increased ice time as a sophomore and would also get a shot at working alongside new bench boss Albie O'Connell following David Quinn's appointment with the New York Rangers.

Tkachuk finished fourth in Terriers team scoring last season, netting 31 points in 40 games. He also impressed as part of Team USA at the World Junior Championship, posting nine points in seven contests.

The budding power winger has circled Aug. 12 as the latest he intends to make his decision, giving both sides nearly a month to prepare for training camp. For now, the clock ticks.

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