National Hockey

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres have relinquished the rights to prospect forwards Giorgio Estephan and Gustav Possler by not signing them to contracts before an NHL deadline struck Thursday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have promoted Andrew Brunette to assistant general manager, the latest post in the organization for one of the best players in franchise history.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Shawn Thornton is now a Florida Panthers executive. The recently retired forward was announced Thursday as the Panthers' new vice-president of business operations.

PITTSBURGH — The most powerful offence in hockey is proving too much for Pekka Rinne to handle.

PITTSBURGH — Prosecutors are dropping charges filed against a Tennessee man for throwing a catfish onto the rink in Pittsburgh during the opening of the Stanley Cup Final.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Kings have hired Dave Lowry as an assistant coach. The Kings announced the new addition to head coach John Stevens' staff Tuesday. Stevens already retained Bill Ranford as the Kings' goaltending coach.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild assistant coach Scott Stevens has resigned after one year with the team, citing a desire to spend more time with his family in New Jersey.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Brian MacLellan has the power to completely remake the Washington Capitals in the wake of another early playoff exit and he faces a salary-cap crunch that would justify it. The general manager doesn't expect anything so drastic.

PITTSBURGH — Penguins winger Jake Guentzel was such an unknown commodity that his own captain hardly knew who he was before the season began.

PITTSBURGH — When Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang announced his season was over due to a neck injury, he confidently predicted his absence wouldn't change his team's chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.