Edmonton, Tampa Bay Negotiate Five-Player Deal
The Edmonton Oilers sent three players to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday to get top young defenseman Roman Hamrlik and the rights to unsigned draft pick Paul Comrie.
Defenseman Bryan Marchment and forwards Steve Kelly and Jason Bonsignore all head to Tampa Bay.
Hamrlik, 23, has three goals and 12 assists in 37 games this season. He was the first overall choice of the 1992 entry draft.
The speedy defender has 49 goals and 121 assists in 340 career NHL games. He played in the 1996 NHL All-Star game and was a member of the Czech Republic team at the 1996 World Cup of hockey.
Comrie, 20, is an Edmonton native who was drafted in the ninth round of last summer’s draft.
Marchment is a tough defenseman who has come under fire recently for his suspect hits on Dallas Stars forwards Mike Modano and Greg Adams.
Kelly and Bosignore have been playing in the minor leagues.
Bourque picked again
Defenseman Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins has extended his NHL record by earning an 11th starting berth on the North American All-Star team that will play the World team Jan. 18 in Vancouver.
Joining Bourque in the starting lineup are Philadelphia teammates Eric Lindros at center and John LeClair on wing, forward Brendan Shanahan of Detroit, defenseman Brian Leetch of the N.Y. Rangers and goalie Patrick Roy of Colorado.
Enforcer retiring
Veteran NHL enforcer Mike Peluso has retired because of a spine problem that has kept him out of the past 16 games.
Peluso, who amassed almost 2,000 penalty minutes over parts of nine seasons in the NHL, has been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal cord hole.
Toporowski waived
Defenseman Kerry Toporowski, a former Spokane Chief, has been waived by the Birmingham Bulls of the East Coast Hockey League.
On the ice
Former Spokane Chief Ray Whitney scored both goals as Florida fought to a 2-2 tie Tuesday with the San Jose Sharks in Miami.
In East Rutherford, N.J., Eric Daze had two goals and an assist in a four-goal second period, and the Chicago Blackhawks enjoyed their best offensive show this season with a 6-2 win over the Devils.
The six goals and 37 shots were also the most against New Jersey this season. The four-goal margin of defeat was the largest for the Devils, who played without flu-ridden goalie Martin Brodeur.