NHL Pacific

The hockey community is mourning the death of Calgary Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow, who died Saturday after a four-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 42.

The news comes after Snow's wife Kelsie posted Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Chris became unresponsive and went into cardiac arrest on Tuesday. Doctors were able to restore his heart beat, but a brain scan revealed he had "suffered a catastrophic brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen."

Kelsie posted an update on Thursday stating that tests confirmed Snow would not wake up and that he would remain on life support while organ donation was arranged. Chris donated his kidneys, liver and lungs, helping save the lives of four people, Kelsie wrote Saturday.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement:

The National Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the passing of Calgary Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow, a remarkable man whose courageous and relentless battle with ALS has been an inspiration to so many. An innovative student of our game with an expertise in data analysis, Chris supervised the creation and build-out of the Flames' analytics department and was influential in all facets of the club's hockey operations decision-making. First and foremost, however, he was a beloved husband to Kelsie, a devoted dad to Cohen and Willa, and a friend to everyone in hockey fortunate enough to have met him.

The Snows' willingness to share the trials and triumphs of Chris' lengthy ALS journey has inspired so many and profoundly increased awareness of the need to find a cure for this debilitating disease. The NHL sends its most sincere condolences to the Snow family, the Calgary Flames organization and all who were touched by this special person.

Snow was diagnosed with ALS, "a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord," in 2019 and was given one year to live. He had entered a clinical trial for an experimental gene therapy.

Snow continued his work for the Flames after the diagnosis.

"We will never replace a person like Chris," Flames general manager Craig Conroy said Saturday. "We simply pay tribute to him by moving forward with the same passion that he brought to his life each day."

Kelsie had chronicled her husband's condition over the years through social media and her personal blog, documenting the toll the disease took on her husband and family. She kept his journey in the public eye as a way to raise awareness for ALS.

Snow, a native of Melrose, Massachusetts, began his career as a sports reporter for the Boston Globe and Minneapolis Star-Tribune before entering the NHL as the director of hockey operations for the Minnesota Wild in 2006.

Snow joined the Flames organization in 2011 as director of hockey analysis and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2019.

Snow previously lost his father, two uncles and a cousin to ALS.

A friend of the Snow family set up a GoFundMe page that has received more than $138,000 in donations. The NHLPA, former Flames general manager Brad Treliving, Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki, New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard are among the donors.

Former Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown and former New Jersey Devils winger Jamie Langenbrunner are receiving the ultimate honor from USA Hockey.

The former NHLers will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in the Class of 2023 alongside Olympic gold medalist Katie King Crowley, executive Brian Burke and referee Brian Murphy, USA Hockey announced Friday.

"It's an amazing class and a group that truly reflects extraordinary," USA Hockey president Mike Trimboli said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Their accomplishments are varied and far-reaching, and the positive impact they've had on the game -- and will continue to have -- will no doubt benefit generations to come."

Brown, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympian, spent his entire 18-year NHL career with the Kings, helping the franchise capture two Stanley Cup titles alongside Jonathan Quick and defenseman Drew Doughty.

The 38-year-old notched 325 goals and 387 assists for 712 points in 1,296 games with the Kings. He retired after the 2021-22 season and had his No. 23 retired and raised to the rafters in Los Angeles in February 2023.

Brown also won silver at the 2010 Olympics and represented the United States on numerous occasions.

Langenbrunner spent his 18-year NHL career with the Devils, Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues before retiring after the 2012-13 season. He won two Stanley Cups, first with the Stars in 1999 and with the Devils in 2003.

The 48-year-old tallied 243 goals and 420 assists for 663 points in 1,109 games during his NHL career. He was also a member of the 2010 USA silver medal-winning squad alongside Brown.

Burke has worked in the NHL since 1987 when he began as director of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. He has also served as general manager of the Hartford Whalers, the USA's World Championship team and the country's 2010 Olympic team.

The 68-year-old has also served in a variety of roles for the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins. He will serve as an advisor for the newly formed Professional Women's Hockey League in 2024.

Crowley won Olympic gold with the United States women's national team in 1998 and also brought home a silver medal in 2002 and a bronze medal in 2006. She also won five silver medals with the USA's World Championship team.

Murphy has officiated more than 2,000 NHL regular season games—one of two Americans to do so—and he has also officiated nine Stanley Cup finals. Internationally, he officiated the 2004 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 2010 Olympics.

The San Jose Sharks are trading star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli first reported the trade, while Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman first noted a third team could be roped in to help the Sharks and Penguins maneuver around the salary cap. Karlsson carries an $11.5 million cap hit for 2023-24, while Pittsburgh is projected to be $3.2 million over the cap.

As part of the deal, San Jose will pay $1.5 million of Karlsson's salary annually, while Pittsburgh is on the hook for around $1.6 million per year with Petry.

Acquiring Karlsson is an aggressive move for the Penguins, who missed the playoffs altogether after suffering what in effect were four straight first-round exits. They failed to advance out of the qualifying round in the 2020 postseason's expanded format.

This ends what has been more than a month of reporting and speculation.

After the 2023 NHL draft came and went with Karlsson still on the Sharks, The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported on July 6 that Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas "remains intrigued by the idea of adding Karlsson."

Going from Petry to Karlsson is a massive upgrade. The latter is coming off a year in which he registered 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists) and collected the Norris Trophy.

The Penguins now have two of the league's 10 best defensemen between Karlsson and Kris Letang. When you include longtime stalwarts Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel, you have the foundation for an electric attack.

There was no realistic scenario in which Pittsburgh could make itself the Stanley Cup favorite for 2023-24.

But the Karlsson trade gives the team better than a puncher's chance of winning at least one more title with Crosby and Malkin. That's about all you can ask of the front office at this point even if the pursuit of a championship is ultimately unsuccessful.

The reception toward Sharks general manager Mike Grier is bound to be more mixed.

Karlsson's contract will only get more unwieldy as it winds toward its conclusion in 2027. A 2024 first-round pick and payroll flexibility helps set the table for the future.

Still, fans might feel underwhelmed when San Jose was already viewed by many as getting less than full value from the Brent Burns trade last summer.

One thing Karlsson's departure accomplishes is solidifying the Sharks' position as one of the NHL's worst teams as Grier continues their rebuild.

The Anaheim Ducks locked up a key piece of their future on Wednesday.

Veteran forward Troy Terry and the Ducks agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract in free agency that ties him to the franchise through the 2029-30 season.

Terry and the Ducks were originally slated to go to arbitration on Wednesday. The two sides exchanged arbitration numbers on Monday with Terry filling at $8 million and the Ducks at $4.5 million, per NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.

The Ducks selected Terry in the fifth round of the 2015 draft and while he had a relatively slow start to his career—notching just 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 129 games over his first four seasons—he has excelled in each of the last two years.

The 25-year-old put together a breakout 2021-22 season, tallying 37 goals and 30 assists for 67 points in 75 games en route to his first All-Star Game selection. He followed that in 2022-23 by notching 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 71 games, earning his second straight ASG nod.

Terry enters the 2023-24 campaign with high expectations as he aims to record the first 70-plus point season of his career. He'll be a leader on offense alongside Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras.

The Ducks still have $20.2 million in projected cap space following the Terry signing, per CapFriendly. However, they'll likely have to use a good chunk of that money to extend the contract of Zegras, who is a restricted free agent.

Anaheim put together a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, finishing with a 23-47-12 record and the team is looking to bounce back in 2023-24.

However, the Ducks haven't made the postseason since the 2017-18 season and it's going to be difficult for the franchise to get back there in a difficult Pacific Division that is ruled by the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers.

Anze Kopitar, who has spent 17 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, is ready for three more.

The 35-year-old veteran signed a two-year, $14 million contract extension that will lock him in with Los Angeles through the 2025-26 season, the Kings announced Thursday.

Kopitar, who helped lead the franchise to Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014, has served as the team's captain since 2016.

He led the Kings last season with 74 points, joining Hall of Famer Gordie Howe as the only players in NHL history to lead the same team in scoring at least 15 times.

The eight-year, $10-million AAV contract Kopitar signed with Los Angeles in 2016 was set to expire at the end of next season.

Rob Blake, Kings vice president and general manager, called Kopitar "the heart and soul of this team" in a statement on the $7 million AAV extension.

"He will continue to play a major role on our club," Blake said.

Kopitar was selected by the Kings with the No. 11 pick of the 2005 draft and has played 1,292 games for them since, leaving him just seven contests back of tying Dustin Brown for the all-time franchise lead.

He ranks fourth all-time in Kings franchise history with 393 career goals, including 65 game-winners (second all-time) and 13 shorthanded tallies (fifth all-time.) He also sits second on Los Angeles leaderboards with 748 career assists, and third with 1,1141 points.

The Kings captain has not exceeded 20 penalty minutes in a season since 2018-19, and won his second Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2023 after compiling an NHL-low four PIM through 82 games.

Additionally, Kopitar has also recorded 24 goals and 53 assists for 77 points in 92 postseason games, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille for the all-time franchise lead. He led the playoffs in scoring during each of the franchise's Stanley Cup wins.

Kopitar will join Drew Doughty, who after inking an eight-year deal in 2018 is signed with the Kings through the 2026-27 campaign, as the last remaining core members of the team's championships.

Considering that Kopitar and Doughty led the 2022-23 team in ice time for forwards and defensemen, respectively, the two veterans will continue to be a critical part of Los Angeles' playoff hopes next season, ten years after they last led the Kings to a Cup.

After a rumor began floating around that veteran goalie John Gibson wanted to be traded away from the Anaheim Ducks, his agent released a statement on Monday to clarify the situation.

Gibson's agent Kurt Overhardt said it was "false, unjust, and inflammatory" of hockey insider Frank Seravalli to report during a podcast that Gibson said he's "not playing another game" for Anaheim.

Gibson is coming off another disappointing season for the Ducks, who finished last in the NHL with just 58 points and a 23-47-12 record. In 52 starts in the net, the 29-year-old recorded a 3.99 goals against average and a .899 save percentage, both of which were career lows. Anaheim led the league in shots against with 39.1 per game, setting a new record in the salary cap era.

A second-round pick by the Ducks in the 2011 draft, Gibson has a career record of 180-179-59 with a 2.83 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.

The Ducks have failed to make the playoffs since the 2017-18 season. Prior to that, the team had five straight first-place finishes in the Pacific Division from 2012 to 2017.

Seravalli said during his appearance on the Nasty Knuckles podcast that Anaheim's ongoing rebuild has factored into Gibson's desire to be with a different team next year.

"How do you think John Gibson felt the last three of four years in Anaheim, just getting absolutely pummelled with shots on a nightly basis?" Seravalli said. "Knowing when you walk into the rink every day, that you have next to no chance to win."

However, it now appears that Gibson has not given up on the franchise he's spent his entire career with, as Overhardt's statement said he "is honored to be a member of the Anaheim Ducks and is a committed supporter of its fanbase, as well as the Ducks' community."