Blues, city of St. Louis facing lawsuit over arena upgrade

Improvements to the Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues, have become the subject of a legal challenge.

A suit filed Friday claims planned publicly funded upgrades to the arena are not constitutional in the state of Missouri, and are in violation of article VI, which states: "In that it permanently grants substantial public money to a for-profit corporation for the purpose of assisting that corporation to make further profits for itself."

Both the Blues and the city of St. Louis have been named in the suit, which was filed on behalf of three plaintiffs, including city alderman Cara Spencer.

The arena upgrades, which began in late June, are backed by $64 million issued in bonds. However, a spokesperson for city comptroller Darlene Green claimed she has no intention of signing an agreement to fund the project.

"The comptroller has not approved the transaction to issue bonds for the renovation of Scottrade Center, as it would incur debt to the city's general fund for nonessential services and negatively impact the city's credit," spokesperson Tyson Pruitt told Mike Faulk of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The comptroller is exploring new methods to finance the arena renovation, according to Pruitt.

The Blues have played out of the Scottsdale Center since 1994, which stands as the NHL's fifth-oldest arena. The facility was built for $135 million, and while the city of St. Louis retains ownership of the building, it is operated by the Blues and leaseholder Kiel Center Partners.

Blues ownership, led by local businessman Tom Stillman, claims the suit is "frivolous," according to the Post-Dispatch, and that the city is obligated to sign the finance agreement.

"This lawsuit, spearheaded by one member of the Board of Aldermen in a clear attempt to counter the consensus of her fellow elected officials, is frivolous, disappointing and embarrassing to our city," Kiel Center Partners said in a statement. "It also has the potential to be extremely costly, not only to taxpayers, but to the regional and national reputation of St. Louis."

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Hawerchuk to join Jets Hall of Fame prior to game vs. Coyotes

The Winnipeg Jets will pay tribute to a local legend this season.

Prior to a Nov. 14 contest against the Arizona Coyotes, the Jets will induct former captain Dale Hawerchuk into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame.

Hawerchuk becomes the fourth inductee after Anders Hedberg, Bobby Hull, and Ulf Nilsson were added last season. Hawerchuk spent nine seasons with the original Jets franchise, which relocated to Arizona in 1996 and became the Coyotes.

In March 2007, Hawerchuk was inducted into the Coyotes' Ring of Honor, joining Hull and former Jets forward Thomas Steen.

Drafted first overall in 1981, Hawerchuk quickly proved his worth, as he recorded 103 points in his debut season to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

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Anderson, Elliott credit Murray for spurring NHL careers

A pair of goaltending careers were two of the many Bryan Murray molded over his 35 years in hockey.

Following the news of Murray's death Saturday, Ottawa Senators netminder Craig Anderson took to Twitter to express his condolences, and to thank the former Senators general manager for believing in him:

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Elliott, who was drafted by the Senators in 2003 and played his first three seasons in Ottawa, thanked Murray for making his NHL dream a reality:

Anderson and Elliott were among the many from hockey circles who mourned Murray's loss:

The longtime executive had a decorated NHL career, serving as coach and GM of the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, and Senators. He got his start in hockey in 1981 as coach of the Washington Capitals.

Murray died Saturday following a three-year battle with colon cancer. He was 74.

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NHL ‘outraged’ by use of Red Wings logo in Virginia protest

The NHL is standing behind all of its fans and one of its most historic clubs.

After the Detroit Red Wings released a statement condemning the use of the team's logo by protesters involved in the Charlottesville, Va. riot, the NHL doubled down on that stance later Saturday, issuing a statement of its own.

"We are obviously outraged by the irresponsible and improper use of our intellectual property as seen this weekend in Charlottesville, Va.," the NHL said in a statement. "This specific use is directly contrary to the value of inclusiveness that our league prioritizes and champions.

"We will take immediate and all necessary steps to insure the use is discontinued as promptly as possible, and will vigorously pursue other remedies, as appropriate."

The NHL has established several social initiatives in recent years, including Hockey is for Everyone, which aims to drive change and foster inclusiveness among fans of all backgrounds.

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Former Jack Adams winner Bryan Murray dies at 74

Former Ottawa Senators coach and general manager Bryan Murray passed away Saturday, the team announced, succumbing to his three-year battle with colon cancer. Murray was 74.

Murray had been the face of the Senators' front office since being named GM in 2007, and was instrumental in drafting such stars as Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, and Mark Stone, to name a few.

However, Murray made a name for himself behind the bench, spending nine seasons as the Washington Capitals bench boss, winning the Jack Adams Award in 1984, before spending the rest of his coaching time with Detroit, Florida, Anaheim, and Ottawa.

Sens owner Eugene Melnyk had this to say about the influential NHL executive: "Bryan was one of the greatest men that the game of hockey has ever known, and also a great father, mentor, and teacher. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Geri, daughters, Heide and Brittany, and the entire Murray family on their loss."

Murray coached for 18 seasons and 1,239 games, finishing his coaching career with a record of 620-465-131. The 2016-17 season was his 35th consecutive year working in the league.

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Flyers’ Gostisbehere feeling ‘explosive’ ahead of next season

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere burst onto the NHL scene during the 2015-16 season, racking up 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) in 64 regular-season games, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.

However, that standout rookie campaign ended with two offseason surgeries that negatively affected his play during the 2016-17 season. Leading to a down year that saw him total only 39 points (seven goals, 32 assists) in 76 games.

Despite the dip in production, Ghost is feeling more ready than ever to prove his worth, and is looking forward to next season.

"Now I feel really explosive, I feel really strong," Gostisbehere said Friday, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com.

Surgeries in May of 2016 to repair damage to the muscles in his hip and abdomen impacted the young rearguard more mentally than physically - a fact that clearly hindered his free-flowing style of play last season.

"It's your thought process," said Ghostisbehere. "You're making cuts, you're doing things (and) you think about it. 'I could have gone a little faster there. Is that from the surgery?' It's more mental than anything."

Whether it was physical or mental, Ghostisbehere didn't perform to the level that the Flyers expect, resulting in him being a healthy scratch in five games in 2016-17.

"You've got to be a good team player about it," he said. "Can't make it about yourself. Yeah, you don't want to be a healthy scratch, but you take the positives from it. I think I did that. … I got better off the ice when my team was on the ice."

Fully healthy and with a clear head, the 24-year-old Florida native is ready for the season ahead.

"I think going into this season we're really focused," he said. "We're going to have a young, fun, exciting team to watch. And it's going to be a great season."

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Red Wings denounce use of logo in Charlottesville riot

The Detroit Red Wings issued a statement Saturday condemning a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where some protesters held shields featuring the iconic Winged Wheel logo.

"The Detroit Red Wings vehemently disagree with and are not associated in any way with the event taking place today in Charlottesville, Va.," the team said in a statement. "The Red Wings believe that Hockey is for Everyone and we celebrate the great diversity of our fan base and our nation.

"We are exploring every possible legal action as it pertains to the misuse of our logo in this disturbing demonstration."

A "Unite the Right" rally was set for Saturday, with more than 2,000 expected to take part before clashes broke out between white nationalists and counter-protesters.

The rally was quickly deemed as an unlawful assembly by city officials. Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe later declared a state of emergency in the city, which is home to the University of Virginia.

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