NHL - News

* Daniel Briere announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday after 17 seasons with five teams. Briere, 37, played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche. He scored 307 goals and had 696 points in 973 regular-season games, and had 53 goals and 116 points in 124 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He announced his retirement in a bylined story in Le Droit, a French newspaper in his hometown of Gatineau, Quebec, amid speculation on his future. Selected in the first round (No. 24) of the 1996 NHL Draft by the Coyotes, Briere spent parts of six seasons with Phoenix before he was traded to Buffalo during the 2002-03 season. Briere had the best offensive season of his NHL career with the Sabres in 2006-07, scoring 32 goals and finishing with 95 points in 81 games.
"This is not a decision that can be taken lightly. I've been thinking about it for weeks. In fact, I first began bouncing the idea around in my head last winter, when I was in Colorado. I felt far away from my children, who stayed in Philadelphia. It wasn’t really an easy situation for me. ... I'm putting an end to my career in order to become more involved in the lives of my three boys. They are at an age when it is crucial to have a father at home. This summer, the more time I spent with them, the less I saw myself leaving home one more time to start up the engine for another season. If I took my time before making my decision, it was because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t making the wrong one. Even if I've been thinking about my retirement for a little while, I haven't yet taken the time to look back on my career. It’s as if I haven’t reached that point yet. Over the past 18 years there have been many great moments. I've made a number of friends and I've experienced many things I will never forget. It's true that I haven't reached my ultimate goal. I've never won the Stanley Cup. But when I look back quickly, I can say that I can be proud of what I've accomplished up until now."
Briere was an unrestricted free agent in 2007, signed an eight-year contract with the Flyers, and helped them make the playoffs in five of his six seasons before he was bought out in the summer of 2013. He had 124 goals and 283 points in 364 games with the Flyers and scored 37 goals and had 72 points in 68 playoff games, including a Flyers-record 30 points (12 goals) in 23 games in 2010, when they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
* Mike Santorelli signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. Financial terms were not released, but ESPN.com reported the contract is worth $875,000. Santorelli, 29, has 55 goals, 120 points and 70 penalty minutes in 336 regular-season games with the Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs. He had his best season with the Panthers in 2010-11, setting NHL career highs with 20 goals and 41 points. He has one goal in four Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Santorelli had 12 goals, 33 points and 14 penalty minutes in 79 games with Toronto and Nashville last season. He was acquired by Nashville with defenseman Cody Franson from Toronto in a trade for the Predators' first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and forwards Brendan Leipsic and Olli Jokinen.
Santorelli, a Vancouver native, was selected by Nashville in the sixth round (No. 178) of the 2004 NHL Draft.


* Brooks Laich used social media Tuesday to announce his engagement to actress Julianne Hough. Laich, 32, and Hough, 27, have been dating since February 2014. Laich shared the news on Instagram with a post of Hough hugging him with the ring on her finger.

"We are overwhelmed with joy and excitement to share with you our recent engagement! #fiancé #love," the post read.
Laich had seven goals and 20 points in 66 regular-season games, and a goal and an assist in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. The Capitals lost to the New York Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Second Round.
Selected by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round (No. 193) of the 2001 NHL Draft, Laich has played all but one of his 683 NHL games with the Capitals. He has 132 goals, 317 points and 283 penalty minutes in 11 seasons.
Hough is known for appearing on "Dancing with the Stars" as a contestant and a judge, winning twice, and in the 2011 remake of "Footloose." She has recorded two country music albums.