Draisaitl, Mackinnon, Panarin finalists for league MVP award

Hart Trophy voters agreed with NHL players in selecting Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl, Colorado center Nathan Mackinnon and New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin as MVP finalists. The three also were finalists for the

Ted Lindsay Trophy, honoring the league’s most outstanding player as voted by players.

Hurricanes: All-star defenseman Dougie Hamilton didn’t practice Thursday after leaving Wednesday’s session in “visible discomfort,” the team’s website said, and is “unfit to play at this moment,” coach Rod Brind’amour said. The 27-year-old has 14 goals and 26 assists over 47 games in 2019-20.

Flyers: Left wing Oskar Lindblom signed a three-year, $9 million extension, 20 days after completing radiation treatments for Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. The 23-year-old had 11 goals and seven assists over 30 games in 2019-20.

Panthers: Center Aleksander Barkov became the third-largest investor in the Tappara club, with which he started his hockey life at 4, in his Tampere, Finland, hometown. The 24-yearold captain has 20 goals and 42 assists over 66 games in 2019-20.

Islanders: The team reached a 20-year naming rights deal for its new arena with wealth management service UBS. The facility, on the Belmont Park racetrack grounds, will be called UBS Arena at Belmont Park and is projected to open for 2021-22.

Oilers: Defenseman Caleb Jones said he tested positive for COVID-19 before training camp, becoming the second NHL player to acknowledge a positive test to the media. Toronto center Auston Matthews disclosed his positive test in June.

Rangers: The NHL suspended left wing Brendan Lemieux two games for an illegal blindside check to Colorado right wing Joonas Donskoi’s head in the third period of New York’s overtime loss March 11.