Six-time NHL All-Star Rick Nash is retiring, citing ongoing concussion symptoms and the risk of further brain injuries, his agent announced in a statement Friday.

The 34-year-old most recently played for the Boston Bruins in the 2017-18 season after being acquired ahead of the trade deadline from the New York Rangers. Nash suffered a concussion in March 2018 and missed the end of the regular season, but returned for the playoffs. Boston was eliminated in the second round.

He was an unrestricted free agent this summer. Leading up to July 1, he informed teams that he would forgo the process, since he hadn't decided whether he would return for another season.

In October, Nash said that while he missed the game, there was a good chance that he wouldn't return.

Nash captured the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (along with Ilya Kovalchuk and Jarome Iginla) during the 2003-04 season. He also enjoyed incredible success on the international stage, winning two Olympic gold medals for Canada and three silvers at the World Championship.

The 2002 first overall pick still ranks first in Blue Jackets history in games played (674), goals (289), assists (258), and points (547).

Nash concludes his career with 437 goals and 805 points in 1,060 games split between the Blue Jackets, Rangers, and Bruins.

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Connor McDavid singlehandedly saved the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

The superstar forward tied the game against the Florida Panthers just before the end of regulation, converting a Leon Draisaitl feed with eight seconds remaining in the third period.

After overtime settled nothing, McDavid took matters into his own hands once again, potting the eventual winner in the shootout by out-waiting Panthers goaltender James Reimer.

McDavid scored twice and added an assist in regulation.

His first goal of the night knotted the contest at 2-2 and came with 22 seconds left in the second period.

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Brad Marchand and Lars Eller chirped each other through the media after a heated Thursday night tilt between their clubs.

The dynamic Boston Bruins pest and the Washington Capitals forward criticized each other after a 4-2 Capitals victory, during which Eller tried to instigate a second-period fight that Marchand refused.

"Everyone saw what he is," Eller said postgame, according to The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan. "There's not a lot of integrity in his game."

Marchand was ready with a response when asked about it shortly thereafter.

"I really don't feel the need to try to prove anything," he said, according to the Boston Herald's Marisa Ingemi. "He plays 10-12 minutes a night and I'm playing 20."

Eller received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his role in the sequence.

Marchand had a typically eventful game, jawing with Capitals agitator Tom Wilson after Washington defenseman Dmitry Orlov was hurt in a collision with the Bruins' Ryan Donato.

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St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn is drawing trade interest around the league, TSN's Pierre LeBrun said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

The underachieving Blues are in "full listening mode," according to LeBrun, including in conversations concerning the team's core players.

Schenn would be more than just a rental if he's moved before the Feb. 25 trade deadline; he's signed through next season at a $5.125-million cap hit.

The 27-year-old set career highs in both goals (28) and assists (42) last season - his first in St. Louis. Like most of the Blues, he's regressed in 2018-19 with just nine goals and 15 assists in 37 games.

Nonetheless, Schenn's ability to play both center and wing while providing a physical presence in a team's top six certainly makes him an attractive commodity.

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There's a better chance Wayne Simmonds gets dealt before the trade deadline than stays with the Philadelphia Flyers beyond it, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

On Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading", McKenzie reported new general manager Chuck Fletcher could move the longtime Flyers forward. Fletcher is reportedly looking to add a goaltender, a top-four defenseman, and a top-nine center.

"Will he trade veterans between now and the deadline? Absolutely," McKenzie said. "Wayne Simmonds is more likely than not to be traded. Not 100 percent, but more likely than not.

"And while Fletcher could get draft picks and prospects coming back in for a guy like Simmonds or another veteran player, he's also planning on using draft picks, prospects and younger players to try (to) go out and achieve those things; the goalie, the defenseman, and the center."

Simmonds is in the final year of his contract, carrying a cap hit of nearly $4 million. He came into Thursday's action ranking third on the club with 13 goals in 43 contests.

Philadelphia sat dead-last in the NHL entering play Thursday, although they have a game in hand on the Ottawa Senators and the Los Angeles Kings.

The NHL's trade deadline for the 2018-19 campaign is Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET.

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John Tortorella isn't interested in divulging the reason Sergei Bobrovsky was disciplined by his team.

The Columbus Blue Jackets head coach repeatedly stated "the (press) release will speak for itself" when asked to elaborate on the situation Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the club announced the goaltender would not be with the team for its game against the Nashville Predators, with Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen revealing in the release that an incident occurred in which Bobrovsky failed to meet "certain expectations and values" established within the organization.

Kekalainen also said it was an internal matter and that the club would have "no further comment at this time."

"There's no sense asking," Tortorella told reporters when asked about it Thursday. "My answer is the release will speak for itself, and as far as the players (go), I've already told the players. There's no sense in talking to them, either. This will be handled inside (the team). Jarmo and I will do the speaking on it if any more speaking needs to be done, but the release speaks for itself."

The Blue Jackets bench boss was later asked by The Athletic's Aaron Portzline if there's a chance Bobrovsky has played his final game with Columbus.

"How can you ask me that question?" Tortorella replied after beginning to answer with his familiar refrain about the press release.

"I'm just worried about this hockey game," he added. "I'm not trying to be inconsiderate. We have a game to play, and it's a very important game for us. As you need to worry about the fans, I need to worry about the hockey team."

The incident in question took place sometime between the latter stages of the Blue Jackets' 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday and before the team flew home an hour or so after the game, sources told Portzline.

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The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled red-hot forward Brandon Pirri just hours after assigning him to the AHL, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

This marks the second time in the last seven days that Pirri's been sent down to the Chicago Wolves only to be called up shortly thereafter. He has seven goals and three assists in eight NHL games this season since his initial call-up in late December.

The reason why Pirri's been bouncing up and down between the minors and the major-league club like a kid on a pogo stick is simple: He doesn't have to clear waivers, unlike, for example, forward Oscar Lindberg (who's got one goal and six assists in 22 games). Vegas can send Pirri down without any risk of losing him.

The Golden Knights are riding a seven-game winning streak and face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night - likely with Pirri in the lineup.

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Warning: Story contains coarse language

Winnipeg Jets superstar Patrik Laine offered his two cents amid his uncharacteristic scoring slump.

The 20-year-old has 24 goals to his credit this season - certainly nothing to scoff at - but he's only lit the lamp three times since scoring a whopping 18 times in November.

"I'm my worst enemy," Laine told Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press. "I'm expecting myself to be the best player on the ice and obviously you can't be. You just got to stay focused and not lose your shit."

Fortunately for the Jets, Laine's quite capable of heating up in a hurry, as evidenced by a three-week stretch earlier this season that featured three hat tricks and the NHL's first five-goal game since 2011. What's more, his recent slump hasn't slowed the team down very much, as Winnipeg (27-13-2) sits just one point behind the Nashville Predators for first place in the Central Division with three games in hand.

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