Longtime Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron is retiring from the NHL after a Hall of Fame career.

A day after turning 38 years old, Bergeron announced he was retiring on Tuesday after 19 seasons in the NHL - all with the Bruins.

In a letter posted to the Bruins' official website, the team's captain wrote that he steps away with no regrets.

"For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day," Bergeron said. "I have had the honour of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.

"It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player."

The 38-year-old Bergeron was still playing at a high level last season, registering 27 goals and 31 assists in 78 games to win the Selke Trophy for a record sixth time as the league's best two-way forward.

Bergeron helped the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup and led them to the Cup Final on two other occasions.

Selected by Boston in the second round of the 2003 draft, Bergeron ends his career with 427 goals and 613 assists in 1,294 games.

He ranks third in Bruins franchise history in goals scored, fourth in assists and third in games played.

"As I step away today, I have no regrets," he said. "I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I'm humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans."

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Chicago Blackhawks selected 17-year-old Connor Bedard with the first pick of Wednesday's NHL Draft.

Bedard has been turning heads since he was 11 years old and has been labeled a generational talent, drawing comparisons to Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, who was picked first overall in 2015.

It was basically a foregone conclusion that the Blackhawks would take Bedard with the top pick after they were the winner of the NHL’s draft lottery on May 8.

Bedard becomes the second player selected first overall by the Blackhawks, joining Patrick Kane in 2007. Kane helped lead the team to three Stanley Cups in 16 seasons before he was traded to the New York Rangers in February.

Bedard was the first person granted exceptional status to play in the Western Hockey League at age 15 and concluded his WHL career with an eye-popping 271 points in 134 games. His career points per game ranks 10th in league history and is the highest in the league since the early 1980s.

A certified sniper who already owns one of the best releases at 17, Bedard also is an outstanding skater with a deceptive and unpredictable style of play.

His 71 goals in 57 games last year were the most by a WHL player in 24 years, and his 143 points were the most since 1995-96. 

Bedard swept the Canadian Hockey League awards, becoming the first voted player of the year, top prospect and top scorer.

He further cemented his status as the best player available in this draft with a dominant showing for gold medal-winning Canada in the 2023 World Juniors.

Playing against players up to three years older than him on an international stage, Bedard set the Canadian record for most points at a single tournament (23) and most assists at one tournament (14) in seven games on his way to winning MVP honours.

The New Jersey Devils and star forward Timo Meier have agreed to an eight-year, $70.4 million extension through the 2030-31 season, the team announced hours before Wednesday's NHL draft.

Acquired from the San Jose Sharks in February, Meier was a restricted free agent who scored a career-high 40 goals this past season. The 26-year-old was an All-Star for the Sharks in 2021-22 and finished that season with 35 goals and a career-high 76 points in 77 games.

"We were excited to acquire Timo at the (trade) deadline, but it's an even greater feeling knowing that he'll be here for the next eight seasons," Devils executive vice president/general manager Tom Fitzgerald said in a statement. "Timo's unique blend of style of play, goal-scoring ability, and physical presence will prove valuable for us."

Meier is the second key player the Devils have locked up on a long contract this offseason. The team previously signed forward Jesper Bratt to an eight-year, $63 million deal earlier this month.

"In talking with him, Timo realised, and I always believed, that this is the right place for him as a player and a person," Fitzgerald said. "We've locked up another piece of our young core that is looking to take that next step together for greater success."

New Jersey also acquired 34-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames on Tuesday to add another proven forward to one of the NHL's up-and-coming teams. After missing the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, the Devils won a franchise-record 52 games in 2022-23 and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The ninth overall pick of the 2015 draft, Meier has recorded 163 goals and 167 assists in 472 career regular-season games and has reached the 30-goal mark in three of his seven NHL seasons. The Swiss native posted nine goals and five assists in 21 regular-season games for New Jersey following the trade, though he managed only two goals in 11 playoff games.

The high-scoring New Jersey Devils have added another piece to help light the lamp in 2023-24.

The Calgary Flames have traded winger Tyler Toffoli to the Devils for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in Wednesday’s draft.

The deal was announced about a week after media reports surfaced that Toffoli, who is entering the final year of his contract, would not re-sign with Calgary.

Toffoli just completed the best season of his career and was the Flames’ leading scorer with 73 points (34 goals, 39 assists).

At 31-years-old, Toffoli joins a young core of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt that made New Jersey a top-five scoring offense last season.

Toffoli has 466 career points (227 goals, 239 assists) in 733 games with the Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings.

Earlier Tuesday, the Devils traded backup goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick.

The Flames add Sharangovich, a 25-year-old forward, and the No. 80 overall selection in this year’s draft.

A Belarus native, Sharangovich was drafted in the fifth round in 2018 and features a two-way game. After a 46-point season in 2021-22, his offensive production dipped to 30 points last season, but he contributed heavily on the Devils’ penalty kill units.

The Winnipeg Jets traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings after signing the 25-year-old forward to an eight-year contract extension worth $68 million on Tuesday.

The deal includes Los Angeles sending fellow forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a second-round draft pick in 2024 to Winnipeg.

Dubois set personal bests with 36 assists and 63 points in 2022-23, while his 27 goals equalled the second-most of his career.

Drafted third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016, Dubois has recorded 302 points (129 goals, 173 assists) in six NHL seasons.

"Pierre-Luc Dubois is an elite two-way center with a unique skillset, and we're excited to have him join the organisation and commit to us long-term," Kings general manager and executive vice president Rob Blake said.

"Over the last few seasons, he has proven the ability to contribute to all facets of the game and we are thrilled to be able to add a player of this caliber into our lineup."

Vilardi, 23, had career highs of 23 goals, 18 assists and 63 games played last season.

Iafallo, 29, recorded 36 points in 2022-23 (14 goals, 22 assists), while the 23-year-old Kupari collected 15 points in 66 games.

"On behalf of the entire LA Kings organisation, we would like to thank Alex, Rasmus and Gabriel for their immense contributions both on and off the ice," Kings president Luc Robitaille said.

"Their efforts over the last few seasons on the ice, as well as with fans and throughout the community, have made a substantial mark on our franchise and we wish them all continued success in their future."

The St. Louis Blues acquired All-Star forward Kevin Hayes from the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced.

Hayes, 31, spent the last four seasons with Philadelphia and was an All-Star for the first time in 2022-23.

He tied a personal best with 36 assists and added 18 goals for 54 points, the second-most of his career.

Drafted 24th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Hayes has recorded 386 points (155 goals, 231 assists) in nine NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia.

St. Louis went 37-38-7 last season to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

The Flyers (31-38-13) finished 14th in the 16-team Eastern Conference and have been to the postseason once since 2018-19.

This year’s NHL Awards very well could have been called the Connor McDavid Show.

The Edmonton Oilers’ captain was announced as the runaway winner of the 2022-23 Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL’s most valuable player award, after receiving 195 of 196 first-place votes.

The Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak received the other first-place vote and finished second. Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers was voted third.

McDavid also won the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player as voted by his peers, and had already secured the Maurice Richard Trophy with his league-leading 64 goals and the Art Ross Trophy for his NHL-best 153 points.

McDavid received his honours at the annual NHL Awards ceremony Monday in Nashville, Tenn.

At just 26 years old, McDavid enters rarefied air by winning his third career Hart Trophy after being voted MVP in 2016-17 and 2020-21.

Only Wayne Gretzky (nine), Gordie Howe (six) and Eddie Shore have won the Hart Trophy more than three times. The last player to win his third MVP was Alex Ovechkin in 2012-13.

McDavid’s 153 points last season were the most by a player since Mario Lemieux’s 161-point campaign in 1995-96.

Playing in all 82 games, McDavid paced Edmonton to a 50-win season and fourth straight playoff appearance with his staggering offensive numbers.

McDavid’s scoring last season included 21 power-play goals and 50 power-play assists, as well as four goals while shorthanded. The six-time All-Star was held without a point in just seven games and had 10 games in which he had four or more points.

Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenceman after becoming the sixth blue-liner NHL history to have over 100 points in a season.

Karlsson’s 25 goals and 76 assists last season earned him his third Norris Trophy, previously winning in 2011-12 and 2014-15 as a member of the Ottawa Senators.

After a record-setting, 65-win season, the Bruins were well-represented Monday. Linus Ullmark claimed the Vezina Trophy as the season’s top goaltender, beating out Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin.

Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron was honoured as the top defensive forward in hockey with the Selke Trophy, winning for the second year in a row and a record sixth time in his career.

The Seattle Kraken’s Matty Beniers took home the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. The second overall pick in the 2022 draft, Beniers led all rookies with 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) while helping Seattle make its first playoff appearance.

The Chicago Blackhawks are adding a former No. 1 overall pick two days before this year’s draft.

The Blackhawks are acquiring winger Taylor Hall and the rights to Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins for defenceman prospects Alec Regula and Ian Mitchell.

The teams announced the trade Monday.

The Bruins, coming off a historic 65-win season, were in a precarious salary cap situation this offseason and were able to unload Hall’s $6million cap hit, plus get a return for the rights to Foligno, an unrestricted free agent.

The Blackhawks will try to sign Foligno, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, as the rebuilding team adds experienced forwards to play alongside likely No. 1 pick Connor Bedard. The 2023 NHL Draft begins on Wednesday.

Hall, the top pick in the 2010 draft, won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2017-18 but joins his sixth NHL team. Hall was a crucial trade-deadline acquisition by the Bruins in 2021 and had a strong 2021-22 season before seeing his numbers dip last season.

Hall, 31, had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games last season. He has 693 career points (264 goals, 429 assists) in 822 games.

Foligno, 35, tallied 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games last season while carrying a cap hit of $3.8million.

The Bruins, meanwhile, add some much-needed youth along the blue line in Mitchell, 24, and 22-year-old Regula.

Mitchell was a second-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2017 and has tallied four goals and 12 assists in 82 career NHL games.

Regula, a third-round pick in 2018, has played just 22 NHL games but totalled five goals and 16 assists last season with the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.

This offseason could be a busy one for the Bruins after a record-breaking season ended with a first-round playoff exit.

Defenceman Dmitry Orlov and forward Tyler Bertuzzi are unrestricted free agents this offseason, while the future remains uncertain for captain Patrice Bergeron, who will turn 38 in July.

Jordan Staal will remain the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes for the foreseeable future.

The 34-year-old centerman and the Hurricanes agreed to a new four-year contract worth $11.6million, the team announced Sunday. If no deal had been reached, Staal would have become a free agent in less than a week.

Staal’s deal includes a full no-movement clause for the first three seasons.

“I’m ready to grind. I’m ready to play,” Staal told reporters during a conference call. "I feel really good about my game and feel like I can help the team for the rest of this contract. I’m going to do my best to my abilities.

“I’m excited about the deal and where this team is headed, the direction, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

Staal is entering his 18th NHL season and has been with the Hurricanes since 2012. He has worn the “C” on his chest since 2019.

“[Staal’s] leadership has been an integral part of our success, and the impact he has made on our organization cannot be overstated,” general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "We could not be more excited to sign him for four more years.”

The Hurricanes won the Metropolitan Division last season with a record of 52-21-9. The franchise has secured a playoff spot in each of the last five seasons and is hoping Staal can help lead Carolina back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2006.

Staal had 17 goals and 17 assists in 81 games last season and remains among the top defensive forwards in the NHL. In 2022-23, he averaged 2:21 of short-handed ice time per game, while winning 55.7 percent of his faceoffs.

Staal has 275 goals and 370 assists in 1,173 career games.

The New Jersey Devils and forward Jesper Bratt agreed to terms on an eight-year contract worth $63 million on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Swede was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

"It was always a priority to keep Jesper Bratt here long term and both parties are thrilled that a deal was completed," Devils executive vice president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "I value and commend the commitment Jesper made to this organization.

“We believe that he is a special player and a key member of our core group of talent who will contribute towards the team's long-term success, and organizational goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to New Jersey."

The Devils selected Bratt in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 2016 draft, and he made his NHL debut in 2017-18.

Bratt’s last two seasons were his best in the NHL with a career-high 73 points in each campaign. He set a personal best with 32 goals in 2022-23 to rank second on New Jersey.

Captain Mark Stone had a hat trick and the Vegas Golden Knights scored four unanswered goals in the second period in a 9-3 rout of the Florida Panthers on Tuesday to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title.

Alec Martinez triggered the four-goal outburst midway through the second period in Game 5 before Reilly Smith, Stone and Michael Amadio added goals to extend the lead to 6-1.

Stone completed his second career postseason hat trick with an empty-net goal to help Vegas capture the Stanley Cup in its sixth season. Only the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers won the Cup in fewer seasons (five).

Florida played without star forward Matthew Tkachuk, who was sidelined with an injury he suffered in Game 3.

Tkachuk, who led the Panthers with 11 goals and 24 points this postseason, went into the NHL’s concussion protocol after he absorbed a crushing hit from Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar in Game 3 and missed much of the third period in Game 4.

Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player during the playoffs. Marchessault – an original member of the Golden Knights - tied for the postsesason lead with 13 goals and led all players with 25 points. 

The New York Rangers have named Peter Laviolette the 37th head coach in franchise history on Tuesday.

The 58-year-old Laviolette has two decades of head coaching experience in the NHL, has won a Stanley Cup title and is one of just four coaches in league history to lead three different teams to the Cup final.

"We are thrilled that Peter will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers," Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said in a statement. "With Peter's extensive experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team."

Laviolette takes over for Gerard Gallant, who mutually parted ways with New York on May 6 after two seasons in charge.

Gallant led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference final in 2021-22, but the team took a step back this season, losing in the first round of the playoffs.

This will be Laviolette's sixth NHL head coaching job - and fifth stop within the Metropolitan Division - after spending the last three seasons behind the Washington Capitals bench.

The Capitals decided against renewing his contract in April after the team missed the playoffs with a 35-37-10 record - the club's worst since Alex Ovechkin's second season in the league in 2006-07.

Although Washington lost in the first round of the playoffs in Laviolette's first two seasons, he has a history of success in the playoffs, guiding the Carolina Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup title, while also reaching the Cup Final with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and Nashville Predators in 2017.

Laviolette, who began his NHL coaching career with the New York Islanders in 2001-02, has an overall record of 76-72 in 12 trips to the playoffs.

His 752 career wins in the regular season are eighth-most all-time, and first among all U.S.-born coaches.

This will be his second stint as part of the Rangers organisation after appearing in 12 games as a player during the 1988-89 season.

The Calgary Flames hired Ryan Huska to be their next head coach on Monday, opting to stay in-house after missing the playoffs this season.

Huska has coached in the Flames organization since taking over as head coach of Calgary’s American Hockey League affiliate in 2014-15.

He joined the Flames as an assistant coach in 2018.

"Following a detailed search process, today we are proud to introduce Ryan Huska as head coach of the Calgary Flames," said Craig Conroy, who was named Flames general manager last month.

"While continuity and familiarity are a benefit, we have witnessed first-hand Ryan's work ethic; he is a clear communicator who builds trust with his players; and he's a critical thinker with a plan.

"Ryan provides 11 seasons of bench experience as a head coach from the WHL and the AHL and over 20 years coaching in total, including knowledge gained as an assistant coach in Calgary for the past five seasons.

“Ryan has earned this opportunity and we are confident he is the right coach for our team."

Huska went 303-164-37 in seven seasons as a head coach in the Western Hockey League and

135-118-27 in four years in the AHL.

He never had a losing record in any of those 11 seasons and reached the playoffs eight times.

"I'm honoured to have earned the trust of Flames ownership, of Craig and the entire management group to coach this team," Huska said.

"My position coming into this is a little different than most as I know our players very well. We have good people in our dressing room, excellent hockey players who want to win.

“My job is to inspire them every single day to help get our team to the next level."

Huska takes over for Darryl Sutter, who led Calgary to a 38-27-17 record last season.

The Flames went 50-21-11 in in 2021-22 to finish with 111 points – the second-most in franchise history - before being eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in the franchise’s brief history.

The Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead then held on to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday, claiming a 3-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final.

On Tuesday, the series will shift back to Las Vegas where the Golden Knights will have the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup on home ice.

Chandler Stephenson scored two goals for Vegas, including one just 1:39 into the first period, and the Panthers played from behind the rest of the way.

William Karlsson scored his first goal of the Cup Final midway through the second period to put the Golden Knights up 3-0.

Florida’s Brandon Montour got the home team back in the game with a goal before second intermission, and Aleksander Barkov’s tally 3:50 into the third period closed the deficit to one.

Vegas goaltender Adin Hill stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced and stopped a Carter Verhaeghe slapshot in the game’s final seconds to seal the Game 4 victory.

“Obviously, that was a battle till the last second,” Vegas forward Nicolas Roy told reporters after the game. “They pushed back there. We knew they would. They’ve been doing it all series. But it’s nice to get that one, for sure.”

The Panthers are now tasked with rallying to win three straight games against a favored opponent, a task they accomplished in the first round against the record-setting Boston Bruins.

“We've earned the right to play our best hockey,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Where we’ve been at our strongest is at the most critical time. I think you’ll see that.”

Carter Verhaeghe scored 4:27 into overtime and the Florida Panthers rallied for a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday to cut their deficit in the Stanley Cup Final to 2-1.

Vegas appeared headed for a 3-0 series lead with a lead late in regulation, but Matthew Tkachuk scored off a rebound with 2:13 remaining to force the extra period.

After the Panthers killed off a penalty to start overtime, Verhaeghe scored on Florida’s first shot of the extra session by firing a wrister from the high slot through traffic and past Adin Hill.

Brandon Montour also scored and Sergei Bobrovksy stopped 25 shots as the Panthers notched their first-ever win in the Stanley Cup Final after they were swept by Colorado in 1996.

Florida improved to 7-0 in overtime in these playoffs, recording more wins in OT than in regulation.

Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone had power-play goals for Vegas. Marchessault’s goal was his 13th in his last 13 playoff games and his fourth of the series.  

Florida lost Tkachuk early in the first period after he took a big hit from Vegas’ Keegan Kolesar. Tkachuk missed the rest of the period but returned a few minutes into the second.

Game 4 is Saturday in Florida.