The Buffalo Sabres signed forward Riley Sheahan to a one-year pact worth the league-minimum $700,000, the club announced Friday.

Sheahan is the first NHL player brought in on a professional tryout agreement this season to sign a contract, according to CapFriendly.

The 29-year-old contributed eight goals and seven assists in 66 games with the Edmonton Oilers in 2019-20.

The veteran center is particularly useful on the penalty kill, as he led Oilers forwards by averaging 2:21 in shorthanded ice time per game last season. The Sabres are in need of a boost in that department, having lost Zemgus Girgensons to a season-ending hamstring injury.

Sheahan previously played for the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings. He spent his first six-plus campaigns with the latter club, which drafted him 21st overall in 2010.

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Anaheim Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins condemned the violent protests by supporters of President Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on Wednesday.

"When I was young, 18 or 19 years old, it was like this pause and you'd look up at these buildings and how long they had been there and what they meant to this country and what they have endured over the years and all the unbelievably important decisions that went on there," Eakins said Thursday, according to The Orange County Register's Elliott Teaford.

"And what happened yesterday is something we usually see on TV, and it's a reporter very far away in another country showing us what's going on in another country," he added. "And to me, the amount of sacrifice that all these people who have put their lives on the line, around the world, in the military to keep us safe, to keep us safe from something like that, it literally sickens me."

Eakins was born in Florida and has coached in both the United States and Canada. He voiced his frustration with how divided the U.S. is and the violence that has arisen as a result.

"It makes me want to tear up. It makes me angry that we don't have the common sense to debate, talk, use your vote, anything peaceful to get change," he said. "You might see things one way. I might see things another. That doesn't mean we've got to stand there and punch the crap out of each other."

The Ducks began their training camp last week, and Eakins said Wednesday's events were "a big topic" in the club's dressing room.

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The NHL won't look to keep the North Division around beyond the 2021 season.

"No. Quite the opposite, actually," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said on Sportsnet's "Tim and Sid" on Thursday. "I think from a league perspective, there's a desire to resume our regular alignment as quickly as we possibly can."

Daly added that the Canadian division should provide plenty of intrigue while it exists, though.

"I think there are a number of aspects about this season which are unique, which add interest, and are quite compelling," he said. "Certainly, the All-Canadian division aspect is one of those."

Due to travel restrictions between Canada and the United States related to the COVID-19 pandemic, all seven teams north of the border are grouped together for the 56-game schedule.

The three divisions in the U.S. were also realigned into the West, Central, and East.

All teams in Canada except the Winnipeg Jets recently received permission from local health authorities to host games with no fans in attendance. Some franchises in the U.S. will allow spectators in a limited capacity.

The NHL regular season begins on Jan. 13. The first night on the schedule features two North Division clashes, with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Montreal Canadiens, and the Vancouver Canucks visiting the Edmonton Oilers.

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Ontario Minister for Sport Lisa MacLeod announced Thursday that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will be allowed to host games in their home arenas this season.

"This approval was granted after close scrutiny of the rigorous health and safety protocols that will be adopted to keep players, staff, and our communities safe from the spread of COVID-19 while permitting Ontario's NHL teams to play the game we all love to watch," MacLeod said in a statement.

The decision was made "in consultation with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and with support from local officers of health in Ottawa and Toronto," the statement said.

British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec have already given their teams permission to host games in their provinces. Manitoba has yet to give the Winnipeg Jets the green light.

The regular season is set to begin Jan. 13 with all the Canadian teams realigned into the North Division. The country's teams will exclusively play one another throughout the season.

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The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Sami Vatanen to a one-year deal worth $2 million, the team announced Thursday.

Vatanen was a member of the Devils for the past three years before he was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline last season.

More to come.

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The Boston Bruins named forward Patrice Bergeron the team's 20th captain in franchise history on Thursday.

Zdeno Chara, who recently departed in free agency, had been the team's captain since 2006. The towering defenseman helped lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2011 and had been a staple of the club for the last 14 years.

David Krejci and Brad Marchand will serve as alternates.

Bergeron, 35, has spent his entire NHL career in Boston since being selected by the team in the second round of the 2003 draft. Entering his 17th season, he's appeared in 1,089 career games while totaling 352 goals and 517 assists.

"Patrice Bergeron exudes leadership, character, talent, will, and empathy. We all know Bergy embraces the legacy of the Boston Bruins, as he will with the captaincy," general manager Don Sweeney said. "Bergy has earned the respect of all of his teammates, coaches, and everyone in the Bruins organization."

Throughout his career, Bergeron has been among the league's premier two-way forwards. He's been nominated for the Selke Trophy for the last nine consecutive seasons and won it in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

He's also been recognized for his contributions away from the rink. He won the King Clancy Trophy in 2013, which is awarded annually to an NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and he took home the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2014.

"For 16 seasons we have all watched Patrice grow not only into an elite player but also a tremendous leader," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "Patrice represents the Bruins organization and our fans with integrity, determination, and class."

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Some people were surprised to see Joe Thornton on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner when the Toronto Maple Leafs opened training camp, but head coach Sheldon Keefe has faith that the trio will work.

"One of the things that has really surprised me in this camp is watching Joe. We've done a ton of skating the first few days ... and Joe is in the middle of the pack. He's not at the bottom," Keefe told the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons. "He's beating guys he’s 20 years older than. People that don't watch him that much know that he plays a slow game.

"He's not as slow (as) you'd think."

The 41-year-old has played center for practically his entire 22-year NHL career, but he appears set to feature on the left wing of a line with Matthews and Marner to kick off the season.

Thornton noted that he played left wing during his recent stint with HC Davos in Switzerland and recently said that being on a line with the dynamic forwards makes him "feel young again."

Keefe isn't expecting the veteran to keep up with Matthews and Marner for an entire game or the whole season, but he plans to ensure the line stays fresh and Thornton doesn't burn out.

"He's going to do his thing below the hash marks, and I've been up-front with him. We're going to give him a chance to see if this can work, acknowledging the fact those guys will play significant minutes and he won't be able to play that many," Keefe said. "We're going to manage his offensive and defensive starts. You're still going to see Zach (Hyman) on that line. We're not just throwing Joe out there figuring he'll play 20-22 minutes. … This is what we want to give him a chance to do early on."

One of the game's all-time greatest playmakers, Thornton registered seven goals and 24 assists in 70 games with the San Jose Sharks last season.

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