Empty Netter Assists - 08-02-12
Penguins
-The Penguins signed free agent forward Jason Megna to a two-year two-way contract. Megna, 22, attended the Penguins' development camp last month. In 38 games last season with Nebraska-Omaha, Megna scored 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists).
-Consol Energy Center replaces one souless three-letter entity for another to run the facility. Good-bye SMG. Hello AEG.
-The Wheeling Nailers re-signed defenseman Adam Ross.
-Former Penguins forward Niklas Nordgren (right) has joined Timrå of Sweden's Elitserien.
-Happy 80th birthday to former Penguins and Pittsburgh Hornets defenseman Leo Boivin. An all-star during his days with the Bruins, Boivin came to the Penguins when he was selected from the Red Wings in the 1967 expansion draft. During the franchise's inaugural season of 1967-68, he appeared in 73 games, scored 22 points and recorded a team-leading 74 penalty minutes. After 41 games and 18 points in 1968-69, Boivin was traded to the North Stars midway through the season in exchange for Duane Rupp. In 114 games with the Penguins, Boivin scored 40 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.
-Happy 48th birthday to former Penguins all-star forward John Cullen (right). Undrafted after spending four years at Boston University, Cullen was a free agent signing by the Penguins in the 1988 offseason. As a rookie in 1988-89, he appeared in 79 games and produced 49 points. Helping the team reach the postseason for the first time in seven years, Cullen scored nine points in 11 playoff games. In 1989-90, Cullen took a huge step forward by scoring 32 goals and 92 points in 72 games. With Mario Lemieux sidelined due to a back ailment for most of 1990-91, Cullen was teamed on the Option Line with Mark Recchi and Kevin Stevens that season. Selected to his first all-star game, Cullen would produced 94 points in 65 games for the Penguins. At the trade deadline, he was part of arguably the most important trade in franchise history when he was sent to the Hartford Whalers along with Jeff Parker and Zarley Zalapski in exchange for Ron Francis, Grant Jennings and Ulf Samuelsson. Cullen would bounce between the Whalers and Maple Leafs over the four seasons before returning to the Penguins as a free agent in the 1994 offseason. In a lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign, Cullen appeared in 46 games and scored 37 points. In the 1995 offseason, he signed with the Lightning as a free agent. In 262 games with the Penguins, Cullen scored 272 points, 25th-most in franchise history.
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-Happy 38th birthday to former Penguins defenseman Hans Jonsson. The last overall pick in the 1993 draft, Jonsson spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins. As a rookie in 1999-2000, Jonsson appeared in 68 games and scored 14 points. In 2000-01, Johnson only played in 58 games and but increased his scoring to 22 points. Jonsson's numbers took a tumble in 2001-02 as he played in 53 contests and scored only seven points. His final season in Pittsburgh was 2002-03 when played in 63 games and scored five points. In the 2003 offseason, he joined MODO in his native Sweden. He has spent the past nine seasons with MODO. In 242 games with the Penguins, Jonsson scored 48 points.
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Atlantic Division
-The Flyers gave head coach Peter Laviolette a multi-year contract extension. Terms were not announced.
Central Division
-The Blackhawks will put single-game tickets on sale Aug. 20. The Penguins play in Chicago, Nov. 5.
-The Red Wings renewed their affiliation agreement with the ECHL's Toledo Walleye through the 2013-14 season.
Northwest Division
-The Canucks have talked to the agent of unrestricted free agent forward Jason Arnott.
-Canucks forward Manny Malhotra and the team's mascot, Fin, will participate in Vancouver's Pride Parade in order to show support for You Can Play, a group dedicated to eliminating homophobia in sports.
(Photos: Nordgren-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Cullen-Ken Levine/Allsport/Getty Images)