Cody Hodgson has taken his talents to the Nashville Predators' youth hockey program, an initiative which aims to teach the fundamentals of hockey.

Hodgson joins fellow Predators alumni in teaching hockey skills as part of the Little Preds Learn to Play program. Offered at six rinks across Tennessee, Alabama, and Indiana, the program attracts more than 1,200 participants from ages 4 to 8.

Hodgson appeared in 39 games with the Predators last season, while also splitting time with the minor-league affiliate in Milwaukee.

The 26-year-old did not receive a qualifying offer from the Predators in the summer, becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2008, Hodgson made his debut with the Canucks in 2010. He was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in 2012 and joined the Predators three years later.

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Radko Gudas is at it again.

The Philadelphia Flyers pest pasted Jimmy Vesey into the boards from behind late in the first period of Monday's preseason game against the New York Rangers.

Gudas was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. Vesey returned to the game early in the second period.

The Flyers defenseman was suspended three games for a hit to the head of then-Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad last December.

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Jakob Chychrun appears to be on the fast track to the NHL.

The 16th overall selection in last year's draft, Chychrun, 18, could make his NHL debut as soon as this season, according to Arizona Coyotes associate coach Jim Playfair.

"We're looking a little deeper than that, we're probably looking at the 10-game segment to start the season where we can play with him there too," Playfair said. "It's not a rush decision with him."

Chychrun can play nine games in the NHL before burning the first year on his entry-level contract.

A projected top pick in last year's draft, the Coyotes selected Chychrun following a trade with the Detroit Red Wings that sent cap casualty Pavel Datsyuk, and the 16th pick, to the desert.

"(Chychrun) is a real solid player. I think he's a fun kid to watch play. He's a real mature player obviously and he's going to make some hard decisions for us," Playfair added. "He's done everything consistently that's allowed us to look at him as being a real solid player at this time."

Chychrun isn't the only rookie competing for a job with the Coyotes, with the likes of Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak, and Lawson Crouse among the names fighting for spots up front. As for Chychrun, he'll need to win a spot on the left side over Kevin Connauton and Klas Dahlbeck, who both have several years of pro experience under their belts.

The Florida-born Chychrun, who will return to the OHL's Sarnia Sting if he does not make the NHL this season, will discover his fate soon enough, with the team's 23-man roster due Oct. 11.

As Coyotes general manager John Chayka told TSN's Bob McKenzie, "Physically, he's a man (6-2, 215). Unlike a lot of 18 year olds, he isn't physically overmatched (in the NHL). He has the tools to be new-age physical - below the dots in his own end, he's able to lean on people and eliminate them.

"He's moving the puck well, getting shots on net. He has all the tools to be a very good NHL defenceman."

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Steve Ott and Dylan Larkin sent one young Detroit Red Wings fan home with a memorable photo Sunday night.

While sharing the penalty box during the Red Wings' 6-3 preseason win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Ott and Larkin noticed Lylah posing for a picture beside them and decided to photobomb her. The result was adorable.

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The Anaheim Ducks announced four training-camp cuts Monday, with veteran forwards David Booth and David Jones among the names headed home.

Both players had joined the Ducks' camp on professional-tryout offers.

Booth, 31, spent the past season with Vladivostok Admiral of the KHL, scoring 16 points in 23 games. He spent the previous campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while his career also had stops with the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers.

The 32-year-old Jones split last season between the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild, tallying 11 goals and seven assists through 75 games. He previously spent six years with the Colorado Avalanche, in addition to two full seasons with the Flames.

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The Arizona Coyotes are making both an apology and a public plea.

The club wrote a letter to fans Monday, unveiling a new "Coyotes 2.0" campaign while urging supporters to forgive them for their past marketing misses.

So to recap, the Coyotes are insisting on having "no taglines" while revealing a new tagline, and are making "no promises" but are declaring they plan to show fans their commitment to the community.

Arizona should probably just let its on-ice product do the talking.

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The World Cup of Hockey was a painful experience of sorts for Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene.

From Avalanche training camp Monday, Duchene told The Denver Post that he suffered a separated shoulder on Sept. 13, four days prior to Team Canada's round robin opener.

Duchene described the injury as a Grade 1 separation, which is a slight displacement of the AC joint.

"It’s one of those things, it doesn't get worse when you play with it," Duchene said. "It's just painful. It's going to linger for a bit, but it's feeling good. I just got bumped in practice. It was weird, it was a bad-luck injury. That was it.

"It didn't affect me all tournament. Obviously, the first time you go out, you're a little tentative on it, but after that, it's just fine. I feel good."

Coach Jared Bednar paired Duchene with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Bourque on Monday. Duchene, 25, scored 59 points in 76 games with the Avalanche last season.

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Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson will face the NHL's Department of Player Safety following an illegal check to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brandon Davidson.

Jon Rosen of Fox Sports West confirmed that Pearson will have a telephone hearing, meaning the suspension will be no longer than five games.

A date and time for the hearing has not yet been announced.

Pearson, 24, scored 36 points with the Kings last season.

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Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has been suspended for the rest of the preseason and one regular-season contest for his high hit on St. Louis Blues forward Ty Rattie on Saturday.

Here's the explanation from the NHL's Department of Player Safety:

Hjalmarsson was given a match penalty for a hit to the head Saturday. He'll forfeit more than $22,000 based on his salary.

The Blackhawks have two preseason games remaining - a home date with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday and a rematch with the Blues in St. Louis on Saturday.

Chicago and St. Louis open their regular-season schedule against each other at the United Center on Oct. 12.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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The newest NHL franchise looked to the hardcourt to make a significant addition.

Las Vegas has hired Kerry Bubolz as team president, the club announced Monday.

"I am excited to join the new Las Vegas NHL team, to be a part of building a franchise from the start and to work with (owner) Bill Foley and (general manager) George McPhee to create a successful and unforgettable franchise,” he said in a release.

Bubolz spent 13 years with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, serving as the team's president of business operations since 2013.

He also helped oversee the AHL's Cleveland (previously Lake Erie) Monsters, the NBA D-League's Canton Charge, and the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

Bubolz has prior NHL experience, serving as vice-president of sales for the Carolina Hurricanes and Southwest Sports Group, which included the Dallas Stars and MLB's Texas Rangers.

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