charlio lemieux
8-23-05, 7:28 PM
Ottawa Senators acquire Heatley from Atlanta for Hossa
23/08/2005 5:48:00 PM
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(CP) - A pair of NHL snipers are on the move.
Dany Heatley smiles during team practice at the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Innsbruck, Austria in May.(CP/Frank Gunn)
The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Dany Heatley from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for forward Marian Hossa and another player, Heatley's agent confirmed Tuesday.
"We had approached the Thrashers a couple of weeks ago requesting a change of environment," agent Stacey McAlpine told The Canadian Press. "It was an extremely difficult decision, but we all worked together to try and get things resolved and it looks like we were able to do that."
He didn't know the identity of the other Ottawa player.
An Ottawa team spokesman declined to comment on the Hossa-Heatley deal. The Thrashers also would not confirm reports of an afternoon news conference.
McAlpine said Heatley would meet the media Wednesday in Ottawa.
The move came just hours after Hossa and the Sens avoided salary arbitration when they agreed to an $18-million US, three-year deal.
A source said Hossa will earn $5 million this season, $6 million in 2006-07 and $7 million the following season.
Also Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks signed free-agent forward Josh Green and the Chicago Blackhawks picked up free-agent defenceman Todd Simpson.
Hossa was the most prominent of the 11 players who originally had filed for arbitration.
On Wednesday, Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo and San Jose Sharks forward Alexander Korolyuk will have their historic cases heard. Both were brought to arbitration by their clubs, which is allowed for the first time under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Penguins defenceman Dick Tarnstrom and Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund will have their cases heard Thursday.
Ottawa already had a payroll of some $31 million for this season, meaning a big Hossa settlement would push them near the $39-million salary cap. Most teams are also trying to leave a gap under the cap, so they have some room in case of injuries.
Hossa, 26, led the Senators with 36 goals and 46 assists in 2003-04, the last season before the lockout. He has scored 20 goals or more the last four NHL seasons, collecting 188 goals and 202 assists in 467 career games, all with Ottawa.
Heatly was involved in a high-speed car crash in the fall of 2003 that resulted in the death of friend and teammate Dan Snyder and left Heatley with multiple injuries.
Heatley, 24, has 80 goals and 101 assists in 190 NHL regular-season games although injuries from the car crash limited him to 13 goals and 12 assists in 31 games in 2003-04.
Simpson, 32, has appeared in 529 career NHL regular-season games, recording 14 goals and 60 assists with 1,227 penalty minutes. Chicago becomes his sixth NHL team after stints with Calgary, Florida, Phoenix, Anaheim and Ottawa.
"Todd's a veteran defenceman who brings extreme toughness," Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon said in a statement. "He'll help our young kids, he's a character guy and tremendous in the locker-room. Todd's a tough player, he's a heavyweight."
A veteran of six NHL teams, Green spent last year with the Manitoba Moose, the Canucks' American Hockey League affiliate.
The six-foot-three, 215-pound winger had 21 goals and 19 assists in 67 regular-season games with the Moose. He had nine goals and 14 points in 14 playoff games.
Green, 27, was originally selected 30th overall in the 1996 NHL draft by the Los Angeles Kings.
23/08/2005 5:48:00 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Printer-friendly page
(CP) - A pair of NHL snipers are on the move.
Dany Heatley smiles during team practice at the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Innsbruck, Austria in May.(CP/Frank Gunn)
The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Dany Heatley from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for forward Marian Hossa and another player, Heatley's agent confirmed Tuesday.
"We had approached the Thrashers a couple of weeks ago requesting a change of environment," agent Stacey McAlpine told The Canadian Press. "It was an extremely difficult decision, but we all worked together to try and get things resolved and it looks like we were able to do that."
He didn't know the identity of the other Ottawa player.
An Ottawa team spokesman declined to comment on the Hossa-Heatley deal. The Thrashers also would not confirm reports of an afternoon news conference.
McAlpine said Heatley would meet the media Wednesday in Ottawa.
The move came just hours after Hossa and the Sens avoided salary arbitration when they agreed to an $18-million US, three-year deal.
A source said Hossa will earn $5 million this season, $6 million in 2006-07 and $7 million the following season.
Also Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks signed free-agent forward Josh Green and the Chicago Blackhawks picked up free-agent defenceman Todd Simpson.
Hossa was the most prominent of the 11 players who originally had filed for arbitration.
On Wednesday, Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo and San Jose Sharks forward Alexander Korolyuk will have their historic cases heard. Both were brought to arbitration by their clubs, which is allowed for the first time under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Penguins defenceman Dick Tarnstrom and Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund will have their cases heard Thursday.
Ottawa already had a payroll of some $31 million for this season, meaning a big Hossa settlement would push them near the $39-million salary cap. Most teams are also trying to leave a gap under the cap, so they have some room in case of injuries.
Hossa, 26, led the Senators with 36 goals and 46 assists in 2003-04, the last season before the lockout. He has scored 20 goals or more the last four NHL seasons, collecting 188 goals and 202 assists in 467 career games, all with Ottawa.
Heatly was involved in a high-speed car crash in the fall of 2003 that resulted in the death of friend and teammate Dan Snyder and left Heatley with multiple injuries.
Heatley, 24, has 80 goals and 101 assists in 190 NHL regular-season games although injuries from the car crash limited him to 13 goals and 12 assists in 31 games in 2003-04.
Simpson, 32, has appeared in 529 career NHL regular-season games, recording 14 goals and 60 assists with 1,227 penalty minutes. Chicago becomes his sixth NHL team after stints with Calgary, Florida, Phoenix, Anaheim and Ottawa.
"Todd's a veteran defenceman who brings extreme toughness," Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon said in a statement. "He'll help our young kids, he's a character guy and tremendous in the locker-room. Todd's a tough player, he's a heavyweight."
A veteran of six NHL teams, Green spent last year with the Manitoba Moose, the Canucks' American Hockey League affiliate.
The six-foot-three, 215-pound winger had 21 goals and 19 assists in 67 regular-season games with the Moose. He had nine goals and 14 points in 14 playoff games.
Green, 27, was originally selected 30th overall in the 1996 NHL draft by the Los Angeles Kings.