Islanders hire Stanley Cup winner
Barry Trotz has gone from lifting the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals to coaching the New York Islanders in just two weeks.
Islanders president of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello hired Trotz on Thursday, three days after he resigned from the Capitals, and gave him the kind of long-term security Washington wouldn't.
Trotz's new deal is reportedly worth double what he would have made annually on an automatic extension that kicked in with the Capitals and five years instead of two.
NHL increases salary cap for next season
General managers looking to make moves at the NHL draft found out the salary cap for next season will be $79.5 million, an increase of $4.5 million from last year.
The NHL and NHLPA announced the cap and $58.8 million salary floor Thursday. With the first round of the
draft Friday night, teams are preparing for a bevy of player movement entirely apart from the selections themselves.
Hall, Knights take top honors
New Jersey's Taylor Hall and the hometown Vegas Golden Knights went home with major honors from the NHL Awards. Hall won the Hart
Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in the hockey world's annual postseason awards show on Wednesday night.
The high-scoring Devils forward beat out fellow firsttime Hart finalists Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado and Anze Kopitar of Los Angeles. The Golden Knights also took home four awards after their remarkable inaugural season. Coach Gerard Gallant won the Jack Adams Award, and George McPhee was named the NHL's general manager of the year.
High-scoring Knights forward William Karlsson won the Lady Byng Trophy for the player best combining sportsmanship and ability. Defenseman Deryk Engelland also won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award for his actions during his team's breakthrough season in the wake of the shooting massacre on the Las Vegas Strip shortly before their first game.
Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman won his first Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, while New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal won the Calder Trophy in a landslide as the league's top rookie.
Nashville's Pekka Rinne won his first Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie, while Kopitar won his second Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward.