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Wednesday, July 23
 
Laaksonen signs one-year deal with Wild

Associated Press

Minnesota Wild: The team re-signed left wing Antti Laaksonen to a one-year deal Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

Laaksonen, 29, is the only player to appear in every regular season game (246) during the franchise's first three seasons.

Laaksonen scored 15 goals and 16 assists last season, a slight decline from the career highs of 16 goals and 17 assists he posted in 2001-02.

Originally drafted by Boston in the eighth round of the 1997 NHL draft, he signed with the Wild as a free agent in 2000.

  • Doug Risebrough was named president and general manager of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Wild. Risebrough will continue to oversee the hockey operations department, including matters relating to player personnel, coaching staff, scouting and minor league personnel, the team said.

    Risebrough -- who was named the Wild's first executive vice president and general manager on Sept. 2, 1999 -- will now be responsible for the direction of all business aspects surrounding MSE, including the Wild, its minor-league affiliate the Houston Aeros, Wildside Caterers, Touchstone Energy Place and Roy Williams Auditorium.

    MSE also promoted Matt Majka to the newly created position of senior vice president of business operations. Majka -- who was the vice president of marketing and corporate sponsorships for the Wild -- will oversee daily business functions for MSE relating to marketing and finance.

    New York Islanders: The Islanders signed center Sean Bergenheim, their first-round pick in the 2002 draft, to a three-year contract.

    Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    Bergenheim, the 22nd overall pick in the 2002 draft, played last year for Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League. He also had two goals and five assists in six games in the World Junior Championships.

    "Sean definitely deserves a shot," Islanders general manager Mike Milbury said. "We really like his skills, his work ethic, his determination. He's the kind of player you need to have to win. We're excited to see how he'll do in training camp."

    Bergenheim participated in the Islanders' conditioning camp for prospects last month.

    "I really had a lot of fun on the island," he said. "That's just one of the reasons why I'm so glad the Islanders have signed me. I'm going to camp with the goal of making the team."

    Boston Bruins: The team agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defenseman Hal Gill, who has spent his entire six-year career with the team.

    The deals means that the Bruins avoided an arbitration hearing, which had been scheduled for August 2.

    The 6-7, 250-pound Gill, the Bruins' eighth-round pick in the 1993 draft, played in 76 games last season, recording four goals and 13 assists.

    Gill, 28, has amassed 17 goals and 61 assists in 464 games. He made his NHL debut in 1997 after four years at Providence College.

    "Hal's a terrific defenseman for us and a valuable member of our team," Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell said. "Preparing for an arbitration case often makes issues clearer for both parties, which was the case here, so I'm pleased that we were able to reach this agreement."

    Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Anaheim re-signed restricted free-agent defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski to a one-year contract.

    The team also picked up the one-year option on the contract of backup goaltender Martin Gerber.

    Financial terms were not disclosed.

    A disappointment since being selected fifth overall in the 1998 draft, Vishnevski completed his fourth NHL season in 2002-03, recording two goals and six assists with a plus-minus rating of minus-8 for the Mighty Ducks. He played in all 21 postseason games and had one assist and six penalty minutes.

    A native of Sweden, Gerber, 29, served as a backup to Jean-Sebastien Giguere and went 6-11-3 with a 1.95 goals-against average last season.

    Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Pascal Trepanier. Trepanier, 29, had 12 goals, 34 points and 252 penalty minutes in 229 NHL games over the past six seasons with Colorado, Anaheim and Nashville.

    Last season, he played one game with Nashville and 52 with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League before being traded to Florida on March 9. He appeared in 12 games for Florida's AHL affiliate in San Antonio, Texas.




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