On Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators inducted Bryan Murray as the first member of its newly-minted Ring of Honour.

Murray served as general manager of the Senators from 2007 until the end of last season, while doubling as head coach from 2005-08.

Under his guidance, the Senators posted their best season in franchise history, wrapping the 2005-06 campaign with 113 points. The following spring, the Senators made their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Whether from the general manager's seat or behind the bench, Murray left his impression on the Senators' organization, where he still serves as senior hockey advisor.

This season, with the Senators sitting second in the Atlantic Division, the team is poised to return to the postseason after missing out a year ago. The Senators are led by a host of key players, many of whom arrived in Ottawa because of Murray:

The Turris Trade

David Rundblad had a short tenure in Ottawa. That's because after he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2010, Murray flipped him to Arizona a year-and-a-half later in order to bring young pivot Kyle Turris to the Canadian capital.

With the Coyotes, Turris struggled to live up to his billing as a one-time third-overall pick, but has flourished in Ottawa, where he has provided a strong top-two presence down the middle alongside new recruit Derick Brassard. Consistency has been the name of Turris' game since coming to the Senators, as he's scored no fewer than 0.53 points per game since 2011:

Goodbye Lehner

On the floor of the 2015 draft, the Senators cashed in on a seller's market for goaltenders, when Murray shipped backup netminder Robin Lehner to the Buffalo Sabres, recently under the guidance of former Senators assistant GM and Murray's nephew, Tim Murray.

That deal returned a first rounder to Ottawa, which the Senators used to nab forward Colin White with the 21st overall pick.

White recently made headlines as part of the world juniors, where the agitating winger put up seven goals and an assist en route to Team USA's gold medal finish. While White remains in the amateur ranks, spending this season at Boston College, Murray and the Senators have seen several other successes at the draft table, many having big impacts with the team this season:

Adding Dion

Eleven months ago, the Senators pulled off a blockbuster deal with their provincial rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 10-piece, nine-player deal involved many moving parts, but the biggest name in the package included Maple Leafs defenseman and captain Dion Phaneuf.

Since arriving in Ottawa, Phaneuf has stabilized the Senators' blue line, pairing with young defender Cody Ceci, and rounding out a top-four that includes Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot. Phaneuf has rediscovered his game and his scoring touch in Ottawa, as he's on pace for his best finish since 2012.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The numbers of women affected by abuse, sexual assault or domestic violence staggered Sean Henry, president and CEO of the Nashville Predators, the first time he heard them.

Then he talked to his wife, mother and other women in his life who told him the numbers didn't surprise them. That shocked, and scared, him even more.

Now the Nashville Predators are launching a public service announcement to ''Unsilence the Violence'' that features players like All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban and captain Mike Fisher. The franchise also pledged $500,000 over five years from its foundation to the YWCA's MEND program designed to teach men and boys how to help end violence against women and children.

''The best part of what we do as a franchise, we get to leverage the passion our teams have for our team, our logo and turn that into something better, and I can't think of a better cause to be behind than stopping violence against women in our community,'' Henry said at a news conference Wednesday.

The Predators have supported the MEND program since soon after its inception four years ago, including hosting program sessions at the Bridgestone Arena. The Ohio Valley Conference, headquartered just south of Nashville, also has been a longtime supporter, with Tennessee State men's basketball coach Dana Ford appearing in the new ad.

With the money from the Predators and a $200,000 commitment from the All-State Foundation, the YWCA will help fund billboards and expansion of the MEND program beyond the 10 clubs and schools in the Nashville area.

The program is run by Shan Foster, Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer, and works to teach boys and young men how to talk to women and to have healthier relationships. Foster said hearing those lessons from coaches, administrators and pro athletes makes the message more powerful.

Henry said violence against women is a man's problem.

''Men need to step in and stop this,'' Henry said. ''We need to turn those numbers around, and it starts with every individual.''

Sharon K. Roberson, president and CEO of the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, said one in four women will be abused in her lifetime, one in five will be sexually assaulted in college and 15.5 million children witness domestic violence each year. She also said Nashville police respond to a domestic violence call every 20 minutes.

Henry said those numbers are worsening, making it more imperative to act. The Predators official said he's had some people tell him they won't end violence against women.

''Even if we fall short of that goal, if we change that one in four to one in 54, the lives we're changing we're changing forever breaking the cycle,'' Henry said.

The Predators are hosting MEND Night at their arena Thursday night during their game against Columbus to raise awareness and more money for the program, offering discounted tickets and making a donation to the YWCA.

Henry said the NHL is looking at the issue of violence against women and how to get involved. But he said he's more focused with what the Predators are doing right now and hoping other sports franchises follow their lead. The new ad is designed to give boys role models who speak up, whether it's a sexist joke or someone being harassed.

''We need to get our 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-year-old boys better examples,'' Henry said. ''Examples they can say: 'Wait a minute. P.K. Subban says this isn't OK. He's standing up to this. I should too.'''

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Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand will have a hearing for his "dangerous trip" on Detroit Red Wings defender Niklas Kronwall, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday.

Marchand looked to intentionally kick the right leg out from underneath Kronwall as he skated behind the defenseman Tuesday night.

He was not penalized on the play.

Marchand has a lengthy suspension history, which likely factored into the NHL's decision to host an official review. There have been several slew-footing incidents over the last week that have gone unpunished.

He was last suspended 13 months ago for clipping Ottawa's Mark Borowiecki.

If there is a suspension handed down, it's unknown whether it will affect his participation at the upcoming NHL All-Star Game.

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The St. Louis Blues are going to ride the hot hand.

Goaltender Carter Hutton will get the start in Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild after stopping all 34 shots faced in a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Related: Hutton's shutout further complicates Blues' crease conundrum

It had previously been announced that Jake Allen would make his first start since Jan. 19 on Thursday in his return from a team-mandated mental break.

Allen will, however, suit up as Hutton's backup as Pheonix Copley has been returned to the AHL.

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The Colorado Avalanche are eschewing the morning skate in the second half of the season.

With a schedule that has the club playing almost every other night through the conclusion of the regular season, the team made the decision to go with optional morning skates on game days, in addition to team meetings and video sessions.

"Our schedule has been strange," said first-year head coach Jared Bednar, who asserted the decision was a result of conversation between staff and players. "That's the best way I can put it. You look at the two big breaks at the start of the year, then Christmas break, then the bye week, and we seem to have (had) a lot of space in between games."

Bednar added that his team has had a lot of practice time through the first half of the season, even though it's not showing, as Colorado sits dead last in the NHL in points, with only 28 through 45 games, in what is a lost season.

With a busy schedule the rest of the way, Bednar wants to make sure the players have ample time to rest.

Colorado will have more than a day off between games only twice next month, between Feb. 1 and 4, and Feb. 25 and 28. The rest of the way, it's a game every other night, with five stretches of three games in four nights.

The decision also means practices will be more intense, with the players expected to work hard.

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Bryan Bickell hopes to help the Carolina Hurricanes get into the playoffs.

The forward, who's been sidelined since late October following a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, participated in his third full practice Wednesday. Afterwards, Bickell told reporters he feels normal and positive, and that being around the team has been helpful in terms of focusing on hockey and getting back into his normal routine following a tough stretch adjusting to his new reality.

"I knew something wasn't right and to pull myself up and get it fixed is the biggest thing," he said. "That was the past, we're taking it day by day right now and looking to get back in the lineup and helping this team win. Ideally, (we'll) get in the playoffs. That's our goal and my goal as well."

Bickell added he's in constant communication with doctors in terms of the treatment process and whether he's well enough to return to game action.

He does need to clear a few final hurdles in order to get full medical clearance, but he's making progress and feels mentally ready to play.

Bickell scored one goal in seven games for the Hurricanes earlier this season, and would bring valuable experience from his days in Chicago as Carolina tries to jump into a playoff spot.

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#BellLetsTalk.

Wednesday, Jan. 25 is Bell Let's Talk Day in Canada, an initiative by the telecommunications company to bring awareness to mental health issues across the country.

Today, Bell will contribute 5 cents more towards mental health initiatives for every text, call, tweet, Instagram post, Facebook video view and use of Snapchat geofilter.

The annual effort is aimed at ending the stigma associated with mental health issues, and providing support to people suffering from those issues. Last year, over $6.2 million was raised, a new record.

NHL players and teams are doing their part this year, too:

You can get involved by using the #BellLetsTalk hashtag on social media.

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Evgeni Malkin will miss at least one regular season game and Sunday's NHL All-Star Game due to a lower-body injury, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan announced on Wednesday.

Malkin saw 18:27 of ice time in Tuesday's loss to St. Louis and fired four shots on goal, but will be unavailable for Thursday's date in Boston as a result of the ailment.

The center sits tied with teammate Sidney Crosby for second in the NHL with 54 points after recording 22 goals and 32 assists in 47 games. He'll be replaced on the Metropolitan Division roster for the weekend's All-Star festivities in Los Angeles.

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It's true: Complaining about who is, and who isn't, an All-Star is the first-est first-world problem there is. But it's time for Mark Scheifele and Cam Atkinson - who won't be in Los Angeles this weekend - to get their due.

They're both top 10 in NHL scoring, each with 46 points on the season. Only one player has scored more goals than Atkinson - that Sidney Crosby guy. Six players have scored more than Scheifele, all of them All-Stars except Atkinson.

Yeah, sure, you could throw Nicklas Backstrom in this conversation, too. His 47 points are tied for fifth overall, but he's been an All-Star before, earning his first trip - what the hell took so long? - last year. Scheifele and Atkinson have never had the honor.

And until the NHL takes the best players, regardless of team, and drops the sticks in the middle to make three-on-three teams, this will happen every year - deserving players won't be at the All-Star Game.

Columbus Cam

Atkinson, like his Columbus Blue Jackets team this season, seemingly came out of nowhere. But the sixth-round pick, 157th overall in 2008, has proven over the past three seasons that he's a solid NHLer. He's reached new heights in 2016-17 - like his team - and is set to obliterate career highs across the board.

Among the league's top 10 scorers, nobody averages fewer minutes than Atkinson's 17:53 per game. His 19 points on the power play are tied for third in in the league.

You want more? Atkinson's averaging more points per 60 minutes than Connor McDavid, who leads the NHL in scoring. Atkinson ranks sixth among skaters who've played at least 35 games.

At 27, at 5'8 and 180 pounds, and as a player drafted in the sixth round, Atkinson was never supposed to be here, among the McDavids and Crosbys of the world. And who knows if he'll ever be here again - he's shooting 17.3 percent.

The Jackets are one of the best stories in hockey this season, with Atkinson the club's leading scorer. If anyone deserved a trip to L.A., it's him.

With all due respect to Justin Faulk and Taylor Hall, they're not All-Stars this season. It remains stupid - and always will be - that each team must be represented at the game, and in a three-on-three tournament, there are no positions. Atkinson surely wouldn't have minded playing "defense."

Superstar Scheifele

Lost in all the Patrik Laine hype - and Nikolaj Ehlers hype, too - is that Scheifele, only 24 in March, has become the superstar the Winnipeg Jets dreamed he'd be when they drafted him seventh overall in 2011.

Yes, it's official: Scheifele is a superstar. And while he won't be in L.A., there are multiple All-Star games in his future, because, to put it simply, he's really quite excellent at hockey.

Scheifele's gotten better with age. He's going to score 35 this year and hit the 70-point mark for the first time in his career.

Only five players in the Western Conference are averaging more points per 60 minutes than No. 55 (and one of them is his teammate Laine, who is certainly deserving of his All-Star selection, considering what he's doing at 19 years old).

All-Stars in our hearts

Hey, it is what it is. In the end, Atkinson and Scheifele are on theScore's All-Star team, and have themselves a long weekend to enjoy. Best of both worlds. They should put their feet up, relax. They should definitely watch "La La Land," if they haven't yet. It's so good.

The rest and relaxation will come in handy. Atkinson's got hockey to play this spring, something he hasn't done since 2014. A lot of hockey, hopefully.

And there's absolutely no shame in Scheifele winning back-to-back gold medals with Canada at the world championship. The tournament is split between Cologne and Paris this year, with the Canadians stationed in France for their round-robin games. What's better than Paris in the spring?

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The Minnesota Wild have a prospect to be very excited about over in Russia.

With a goal and an assist Wednesday for Salavat Yulaev Ufa, 19-year-old Kirill Kaprizov set a KHL record for most points in a season by an under-20 player.

Kaprizov sits at 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 total points in 43 games, thereby passing Evgeny Kuznetsov - who recorded 41 points for Traktor Chelyabinsk in 2011-12 - in the league's record books.

Kuznetsov needed 49 games to hit 41 points, making Kaprizov's feat that much more impressive.

Taken in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Wild, Kaprizov made a huge impression at the 2017 World Juniors with a tournament-high nine goals and 12 points in seven games en route to a bronze medal.

Kaprizov, however, has yet to sign his entry-level contract with the Wild.

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