Around the NHL

Sharks come to terms with tough, talented Clowe

THE San Jose Sharks have agreed on a four-year deal with 26-year-old restricted free agent forward Ryane Clowe, according to ESPN.

The deal is reportedly worth more than $3.5 million US per season.

Clowe, a valuable commodity in that he is a 20-plus goal scorer with toughness, had been the subject of numerous trade rumours since the end of the NHL season -- particularly when the Sharks nosedived in the post-season once again.

Tank re-signs with Pens

TWO-TIME Stanley Cup winner Ruslan Fedotenko is heading back to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fedotenko, 30, scored 16 goals and added 23 assists in 65 games with the Penguins this past season. He appeared in 24 games for Pittsburgh during the post-season, scoring seven goals and 14 points during their run to the title.

The six-foot-two, 195-pound winger has played parts of eight seasons with Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia from 2000 to 2009.

Fedotenko won his first Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

Wild fill out coaching staff

THE Minnesota Wild have added some help behind the bench for new head coach Todd Richards.

The team announced Friday that Mike Ramsey will return for his 10th season as a Wild assistant coach, while Dave Barr will join the organization after spending last season as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche.

Ramsey, 48, played 18 seasons in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings before retiring during the 1996-97 season.

Barr, 48, played 13 NHL seasons with Boston, New York Rangers, St. Louis, Hartford, Detroit, New Jersey and Dallas.

Hnidy closer to home

The Wild signed veteran blue-liner Shane Hnidy of Neepawa to a free agent deal on Friday. Hnidy played last season for the Boston Bruins... Forward Tyler Arnason, a Winnipegger, signed a two-way deal with the New York Rangers. Arnason, 30, had five goals and 22 points in 71 games last season with the Colorado Avalanche.

Fitzgerald to front office

Tom Fitzgerald is moving from behind the bench into the Pittsburgh Penguins' front office.

The former NHL right-winger, who was the Penguins' director of player development and 2007, before moving to the role of assistant coach in 2009, was named to a newly created role of assistant to the general manager.

Fitzgerald will monitor the Penguins' junior, college, European and minor-league prospects.

-- Canwest News Service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 4, 2009 D5