Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur is leaving the St. Louis Blues organization, sources told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

Brodeur, whose playing career ended in the Gateway City, has served as the Blues' assistant general manager for the last three years, but his contract expired in June and he has apparently decided to move on.

His name surfaced as a candidate for GM jobs earlier this summer, but when asked about it, he said he wasn't looking for a time-consuming, demanding job.

"It’s always nice to hear your name, but it’s something I’m not really looking forward to move on to take bigger roles," Brodeur said in June. "Just being on the sidelines is good for me for now. I’ve got an 8-year-old (Max) at home, so I’ve got to spend a little time with him."

Broduer told The Athletic that he planned to be back, and GM Doug Armstrong confirmed the same, but it appears he had a change of heart - perhaps for a reunion with his old team.

Rutherford added that it's been heavily speculated that Brodeur would be interested in taking on a role with the New Jersey Devils once his tenure in St. Louis ended.

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It doesn't seem likely that Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg will be "ready to play," and he would likely miss the entire season in that case, head coach Jeff Blashill said, according to MLive's Ansar Khan.

The veteran center hasn't trained much this summer because of his back issues, and Blashill said it would be all but impossible for Zetterberg to play this season without proper offseason preperations, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance.

Zetterberg hasn't missed a game since 2014-15, but he labored through much of last season and was unable to practice for half of the year, Blashill said earlier this month. He still managed to produce 56 points despite his back problems.

Blashill is already preparing for the worst. If Zetterberg can't play, speedster Andreas Athanasiou will shift to the middle and slot in as the team's third-line center behind Dylan Larkin and Frans Nielsen, he told Khan.

Zetterberg still has three years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $6.083 million.

It's still possible the 37-year-old makes a comeback, but if not, he can walk away knowing he won just about everything he could. He's a member of the elusive Triple Gold Club, winning Olympic and World Championship gold medals in 2006 and leading the Wings to a Stanley Cup title in 2008, in which he was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

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Brian Burke wrote a letter thanking the Calgary Flames organization and its fans following a five-year tenure as the club's president of hockey operations.

Here are a few excerpts from the gesture, which was published in Sunday's Calgary Sun:

"I close on my home in Calgary at the end of this month, and head east. Before I go, I wanted to express my gratitude for my five seasons in Calgary. I enjoyed every second of my time here and made lots of friends. The city is friendly, clean, and beautiful, and I feel privileged and blessed to have been able to live and work here."

"Thanks to Ken King for selecting me to head up Hockey Operations for the Flames.

Thanks, and good luck to Brad Treliving, Don Maloney and Bill Peters. The team is in good shape, and in great hands. The future of the Flames is bright.

Thanks to Brad Pascall, Connie and the doctors, trainers. Flames coaches, Stockton coaches, and all the scouts.
Thanks to the players, especially Gio. It has been an honour to be your teammate. Good luck to you all.

And lastly, thank you to the fans in Calgary and Southern Alberta. You are so knowledgeable, so loyal, so kind and so loud! You made the Saddledome a tough barn for visiting teams. You made my five seasons unforgettable."

Burke stepped down from his role with the Flames in late April after joining the organization in 2013. Following the split, he joined Sportsnet as an analyst for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 63-year-old has an executive resume that spans three decades, and includes roles with the Hartford Whalers, the Vancouver Canucks, the Anaheim Ducks - where he won a Stanley Cup in 2007 - the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Flames.

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Senator John McCain died Saturday at 81 years old, after a long battle with brain cancer. Many in the sports world from his home state of Arizona promptly paid their respects to the man who served 31 years in the upper chamber of Congress.

Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald called McCain a "dear friend." Last year, Fitzgerald wrote an article of appreciation for the Republican senator, who as a young man spent more than five years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict.

McCain was also known for his advocacy for boxing reform, trying over the years to institute a national boxing commission.

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A one-year contract doesn't mean Kevin Hayes isn't long for the Big Apple.

In an ideal world, the veteran forward would retire as a member of the New York Rangers. He says that his future with the club shouldn't be forecasted entirely by his recently inked one-year extension.

"I'm a Boston kid, but I absolutely love New York City and I would love to be there my entire career," Hayes told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "At the moment, (a one-year contract) was best for both sides. We couldn't really come to a long-term agreement and a one-year deal is what came out of it.

"I'm not treating it like I'll be out of there in February or at the end of the year. Everyone keeps saying UFA at the end of the year, but that had nothing to do with the decision."

As Hayes notes, unless he signs a new contract before next July 1, he'll be free to sign with another club next summer, but the 26-year-old isn't setting his sights anywhere but Manhattan, while interest in retaining his services appears to be shared by team management.

"In a perfect world, Kevin Hayes is here after one more year and we keep going with him. Everything goes the way he wants it to and we do," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton told Rosen. "We certainly have (cap) room to keep him and move forward, it's just a matter of the contract. As we went through the process, the one-year deal seemed to be the best fit for what we're doing right now."

In 76 games with the Rangers last season, Hayes netted a career-high 25 goals, and while his offensive contributions certainly can't be overlooked, he's also focused on growing his game and providing even more value for his team.

"Points and goals, that stuff is cool individually, but that's not why we play," Hayes added. "You have to be the right player on and off the ice every day. You have to show the coaches and the organization that you're a leader.

"I'm not really too worried about scoring 25 or 30 goals. I would like to, but it's not really a priority for me. It's showing up to the rink every day and showing the young guys what it takes to be a pro. I've had these talks with (Gorton) and (Rangers head coach David Quinn). I think it'll all come together."

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