NEW YORK -- The Rangers bought out the contract of veteran forward Brad Richards on Friday, creating much-needed salary-cap space and parting ways with New Yorks de facto captain one week after the club was eliminated from the Stanley Cup finals. Both the Rangers and Richards agent, Pat Morris, confirmed the move. "Tough last few days," Richards said in a statement released by the team. "I loved being a Ranger and living in New York and playing at MSG in front of great fans. Ive met many new friends, excellent teammates and staff, and I have memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. "(General manager) Glen Sather, the management and owner, Mr. Dolan, are all class acts. I want to thank them for letting me be a part of New York life and the Rangers family. With this decision finalized, I can now look forward to starting the next chapter in my career." The 34-year-old Richards had six years remaining on the nine-year, $60 million deal he signed in 2011, and this move will remove his $6.67 million salary-cap charge. He will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Richards will receive two-thirds of the remaining money to be paid out over 12 years -- a total of $12.6 million. Richards will also be paid $8 million in signing bonuses over the next three seasons. He didnt have to clear waivers before the buyout because his contract had a no-movement clause. The Rangers used their second and final compliance buyout on Richards after using the first on former defenceman Wade Redden last year. They had to be used before July 1. "We would like to thank Brad for everything he has done for our team on and off the ice during his time here," Sather said in a statement. "This was an extremely difficult decision to make because of how much respect I have for him. "Brads leadership and guidance for our young players was invaluable to the organization. We are grateful to have had the professionalism and experience he brought as an example for our team to follow. Brad has been a very good player for us and an even better person. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours." New York has numerous unrestricted and restricted free agents this summer, and will need as much cap space as possible to bring back key players and perhaps add others on the market. "Were going to work on putting a good team on the ice, but every year is different," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Monday when the Rangers cleaned out their lockers. "Next years team is going to be different, and youve got to go through the same process. Its going to be a challenge to make the playoffs, and then you take it one series at a time." Richards was demoted to the fourth line in the finals against Los Angeles. "I am a big fan of Brad Richards," Vigneault said. "He is a classy, classy individual. If you look at Brads overall season he had a real good year. "I am very happy with what he brought to the table. A veteran player from Day One that was a real good extension of the coaching staff in the dressing room. He should walk away from this season very pleased with how he played and how he contributed to our team." Richards had 20 goals and 31 assists in 82 games this season -- the lowest point-per-game average of his career -- and added five goals and seven assists in New Yorks 25 post-season games. He had only one assist in the five-game finals loss to the Kings. Richards took on a bigger leadership role after captain Ryan Callahan was traded to Tampa Bay for St. Louis in March. His voice carried in the room even as his play declined as the playoff run got deeper. In 210 regular-season games with the Rangers, Richards had 56 goals and 95 assists. He was benched in last years post-season by former coach John Tortorella during New Yorks second-round loss to Boston. Richards earned his contract when he hit the free-agent market after having 28 goals and 77 points during the 2010-11 season with Dallas. . GQ Lundqvist quite well.Three rounds, and nearly two months later, will the Kings have the strength to reach the summit of the Empire State to claim the cup?Truer words have never been spoken. . The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately.
http://www.cheapbluejaysjerseysauthenti ... ord-jersey. A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. . His team rose to the occasion Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Sweden in the bronze-medal game. "The sting from yesterday is not something we hid from or pretend didnt happen," Dineen said. . Players suspended during the season for a performance-enhancing drug violation will not be eligible for that years post-season. In addition, discipline will increase from 50 games to 80 for a first testing violation and from 100 games to a season-long 162 for a second. A third violation remains a lifetime ban.TUCSON, Ariz. -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. And took the Pac-12 regular-season championship trophy with him. Gordon, expected to turn pro after a one-and-done freshman season, scored 19 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds to help the No. 3 Wildcats clinch the conference title with a 79-66 victory over Stanford on Sunday night. "It feels good," Gordon said, "but its not the final stop on our destination." The Wildcats (27-2, 14-2), who won by just three at Stanford a month ago, completed an unbeaten home season in what also could have been the final McKale Center game for two other players: junior Nick Johnson and freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. T.J. McConnell scored 14 points, Gabe York 12, Johnson 11 and Kaleb Tarczewski 10 for Arizona. After the game, the team was presented the championship trophy and cut down the net. When Gordon got his turn, the crowd chanted "three more years!" With Johnson, it was "one more year!" Then coach Sean Miller spoke briefly to the crowd. "The season is far from over," he said. "Lets hope this is the beginning of a long, long run." Miller, who has brought in one standout recruiting class after another, knows all too well how short college careers are for the games best players. "The agreement that we have right now is to focus on the task at hand," he said. "Part of whats going to help these guys get what they want individually is to be on a spectacular team. Todays Pac-12 championship is part of that path." He said that once the dust has settled this spring, he will sit down with the players and their families to map out the future. "What I hope is that anybody who would ever leave early would never be a second-round pick," Miller said. "Thats a devastating blow to the next 50 years of their life." Josh Huestis matched his career high with 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Stanford (18-10, 9-7). Anthony Brown added 14 points and Chasson Randle and Dwight Powell had 12 apiece for the Cardinal, who trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half and 25 in the second. "They had a great environment and they played very well," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said.dddddddddddd "They got off to a fast start and were able to maintain that throughout the game." After struggling following the season-ending injury to Brandon Ashley, Arizona has won in impressive fashion in one-sided games against Colorado, California and Stanford. "Were clicking on all cylinders right now," Johnson said. "We want to go down in Arizona history as one of the best teams ever." The difference has been when the Wildcats have the ball. "Weve been a very consistent, dominant defensive team," Miller said. "Our offence is catching up." The Wildcats scored the first four points of the game and never trailed. After consecutive dunks by Gordon, Hollis-Jefferson made one of two free throws to make it 13-4. Powells inside basket sliced the lead to 14-11, but Stanford never got that close again. Elliott Pitts 3-pointer started a 9-2 spurt that put Arizona ahead 23-13 when Johnson scored on a drive. Randle scored on a runner to cut it to 23-17, but Johnson sank a 3-pointer, then blocked Randles shot at the other end. That led to Gordons fast-break basket on a pass from Hollis-Jefferson, and it was 28-17. McConnells 14-footer in the lane followed by a pair of free throws from Matt Korcheck gave Arizona its biggest lead of the half, 41-23, with 1:27 to go. Randle scored the final five points of the half on a 16-footer and a 3-pointer from the corner, cutting it to 41-28 at the break. Browns basket reduced the margin to 43-32 with 18:06 left but he missed the free throw for what would have been a three-point play. Tarczewskis three-point play, on Stefan Nastics fourth foul, put Arizona up 48-32 with 17:14 left. Nastic fouled out with 8:47 to go. Yorks three 3s in a 2-minute span helped Arizona take its biggest lead, 68-43, on Hollis-Jeffersons basket 10:08 from the finish. The Cardinal made it respectable with a 19-5 run that cut it to 73-62 on Huestis stuff with 2:45 left. Jordin Mayes, Arizonas only senior, started in what was his 127th game with the Wildcats. Verne Harris went out with an apparent hamstring injury with 16:24 to play, leaving the game with two officials. ' ' '
