The 27-year-old center inked a one-year deal with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League, the club announced on Wednesday.
Spooner bounced around the NHL last season, as he began the year with the New York Rangers before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November and dealt again to the Vancouver Canucks in February. The Canucks bought him out after just 11 games.
Selected by the Boston Bruins with the 45th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, Spooner recorded 48 goals and 167 points in 325 NHL contests.
The NHL's Seattle expansion franchise is close to naming Ron Francis the team's inaugural general manager, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Francis would become the first major front-office hire owners David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Tod Leiweke have made.
Francis is largely responsible for building the Carolina Hurricanes team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final in 2018. He joined the club's front office prior to the 2006-07 season before being named director of hockey operations in 2011, and then general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations in 2014. His contract was terminated on April 30, 2018 - shortly after the arrival of new owner Tom Dundon.
Francis didn't make many major trades during his time in charge of the Hurricanes, and his two biggest moves led to a home run and a strikeout.
In 2016, he took on Bryan Bickell's contract to land Teuvo Teravainen from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-rounder and a third-rounder. Teravainen has become a core player for Carolina, and the 24-year-old is coming off a career-high 76-point season.
Francis' worst move was also a trade with the Blackhawks. Needing to find a solution in goal, Francis surrendered a third-rounder for Scott Darling, and then handed the netminder a four-year, $16.6-million contract. Darling struggled mightily with the Hurricanes, and he was traded to the Florida Panthers this summer then bought out.
Francis has often prioritized drafting and developing young players as a GM. In 2015, he made one of the best draft picks in Hurricanes history, landing franchise cornerstone Sebastian Aho in the second round (35th overall).
Seattle is scheduled to begin play in the 2021-22 season.
A pair of United States senators are urging their peers to sign legislation that would give Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first black player, the Congressional Gold Medal.
The medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.
"Please join us in honoring Willie O'Ree for his extraordinary contributions to sport, service, and society by cosponsoring the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act," Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan wrote in "Dear Colleague" letters, according to NHL.com's William Douglas.
"Mr. O'Ree is best known as the 'Jackie Robinson of ice hockey' after he became the first black player to compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Boston Bruins. Through his groundbreaking contributions and commitment to professional hockey, Mr. O'Ree has had a profound impact on the sport for the past 60 years."
O'Ree, now 83, made his NHL debut with the Bruins in 1958. He played 43 games in the NHL before a lengthy career in the WHL.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. The league also introduced the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award, recognizing an individual who's worked to make a positive impact on their community through hockey.
The NHL offseason has slowed down considerably since July 1. Outside of Jake Gardiner, the list of remaining unrestricted free agents is uninspiring.
However, that doesn't mean there won't be any more exciting movement, as there are still a handful of intriguing players who could be dealt this summer
Here are five players to watch:
Rasmus Ristolainen
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Team: Sabres Position: D Cap hit: $5.4M
Ristolainen trade rumors are just pure speculation at this point, but the writing seems to be on the wall. The Sabres have acquired three other quality right-handed defensemen since February: Brandon Montour, Colin Miller, and Henri Jokiharju. That indicates Ristolainen's time in Buffalo could be coming to a close.
Ristolainen is flawed defensively, but not enough to scare other teams away. After all, he's still just 24 years old with three seasons remaining on his contract, and the blue-liner is coming off his fourth straight 40-point campaign.
With the logjam on the right side in Buffalo, the Sabres giving him a fresh start wouldn't be surprising if they can get a forward of equal value in return.
Possible fits: Maple Leafs, Lightning, Stars, Jets, Oilers
Kyle Turris
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Team: Predators Position: C Cap hit: $6M
For the second time in less than two years, a team decided to upgrade from Kyle Turris to Matt Duchene. The Predators had hoped Turris would be the answer to their secondary scoring needs when they acquired him from the Senators in the three-way trade that sent Duchene to Ottawa in November 2017. But now the veteran is coming off his worst season in nearly a decade.
With Duchene in the picture, it seems excessive to pay $6 million per season for a third-line center, especially with Colton Sissons and Nick Bonino capable of filling that role. The problem that Predators general manager David Poile may be encountering - if he's indeed shopping Turris - is the five years left on the 29-year-old's contract.
However, Turris' long track record of being a productive No. 2 pivot and his strong performance with Canada at the World Championship (10 points in 10 games) could convince a team that his poor 2018-19 season was just an anomaly.
Possible fits: Sabres, Blue Jackets
Chris Kreider
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Team: Rangers Position: LW Cap hit: $4.625M
Kreider is entering the last year of his contract, and as general manager Jeff Gorton continues to reshape the roster, it doesn't appear the longtime Ranger is a part of the team's equation moving forward. A trade could come closer to the 2019-20 deadline, but Gorton may not be able to wait. The club holds just over $7 million in cap space, but four RFAs - including Jacob Trouba - are still without contracts.
Every team would want Kreider due to his rare combination of size, speed, physicality, and offensive ability, and he's still young at just 28 years old. He gets a say in his destination, as Kreider's contract includes an 11-team no-trade list.
Possible fits: Avalanche, Bruins, Blues
Jason Zucker
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Team: Wild Position: LW Cap hit: $5.5M
Wild general manager Paul Fenton, for whatever reason, really seems to want to trade Zucker. At last season's trade deadline, a deal to send the 27-year-old to the Flames fell through. In May, Zucker appeared to be Pittsburgh bound until Phil Kessel flexed his no-trade muscles to nix the swap.
It's unclear what's motivating Fenton, especially after he signed Zucker to a five-year extension last summer as one of his first major moves after becoming the club's GM. It's also unknown what Fenton would want in return for Zucker. The Wild appeared to be heading toward a rebuild, but then Fenton handed 31-year-old Mats Zuccarello a five-year deal in free agency. The team's direction is confounding.
Zucker is coming off a bit of a down season, but he's just one year removed from a 33-goal campaign. He's quick, smart, and plays a solid two-way game.
His contract includes a 10-team no-trade list, so it's possible we'll see another Zucker deal collapse.
Possible fits: Avalanche, Devils, Sharks
Nikita Gusev
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Team: Golden Knights Position: LW Cap hit: RFA
The Golden Knights have reportedly explored the trade market for Gusev. Vegas is up against the cap, and the team hasn't been able to agree on a deal with the restricted free agent.
Gusev is the KHL's reigning MVP. The 27-year-old is highly skilled, an explosive skater, and he possesses great hockey intelligence - traits that suggest he'll be able to make a smooth transition to the NHL.
Despite his potential, it's tough to gauge Gusev's trade value, especially considering Vegas doesn't seem to hold much leverage.
