Bryan Murray may leave the front office for the bench. The Senators, who fired coach Jacques Martin April 22 after being eliminated by the Maple Leafs in the first round, have offered the post to Murray, according to the Canadian television network CBC.
The report said the Senators will hold a news conference today.
Murray, the general manager of the Mighty Ducks, has spent the past 23 seasons as an NHL GM or coach, capturing the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 1984.
He ranks seventh all time in wins with 513. He has coached the Capitals, Red Wings, Panthers and Mighty Ducks. After a season behind the Anaheim bench, he became GM in 2002. In 2003, the Ducks advanced to the Stanley Cup final.
AVALANCHE: Forward Andrei Nikolishin could be the latest player to sign with a team in Europe. Nikolishin told the Boulder Daily Camera he has a deal in place to play with CKSA Moscow of the Russian Elite League next season. "All conditions are already stipulated," he said. "The handshake has taken place. The rest will be settled without special complexities." Colorado has already lost goaltender Tommy Salo to the Swedish Elite League. Nikolishin had five goals and 12 points this season.
MIGHTY DUCKS: Anaheim signed free-agent defenseman Aaron Rome to a three-year contract. Rome, 20, ranked second in the Western Hockey League with a plus-36 rating and was third among defensemen with 52 points.
RANGERS: New York signed center Ryan Hollweg, an eighth-round draft pick in 2001, to a three-year contract. Hollweg, 21, played in 52 games in the WHL this season, recording 25 goals, 32 assists and 117 penalty minutes.
