NHL News: Canucks, Heatley, Golden Knights and Hurricanes
Dany Heatley

On the Vancouver Canucks …

Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks have signed forward Brendan Gaunce to a two-year, $1.5 million contract, a $750,000 salary cap hit.

On Dany Heatley …

Calgary Sun: Dany Heatley filed a lawsuit against his agent Stacey McAlpine and McAlpine’s parents back in 2012. Heatley said he was promised a big return that he didn’t from his investments in condo developments.

Heatley’s ruling came down and he was awarded about “$4.2 million from Presidential Suits and around $2.3 million from Waterfront Development.”

On Vegas Golden Knights …

Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: The United States Patent and Trademark Office approved Vegas’s appeal for the “Golden Knights” name but they didn’t approve their logo on merchandise and sportswear.

The logo trademark request is suspended until another appeal. The team is still able to use their logo on merchandise in the meantime.

“We’re happy,” team owner Bill Foley said. “We got what we wanted. We’ve got ‘Golden Knights’ for hockey and we knew it would work out.

“We’re not worried about the other issue. That will work itself out in time. But we’re not paying anyone anything.”

The logo isn’t trademarked but is protected under the NHL’s trademark banner.

On the Carolina Hurricanes …

Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal: Despite finishing last in attendance last year at 11,776 per game, the Hurricanes were able to make about $2 million according to president Don Waddell. Each NHL team also received $16 million from expansion.

“The Las Vegas money would be up and above that,” Waddell said of the team making a profit. “We made $18 million — it’s a true statement — but really you’d be selling something that’s not going to continue, let’s say.”

Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer: Lawyers were given a ‘draft agreement’ from a group headed by Chuck Greenberg for the potential sale of the Carolina Hurricanes.

“With any transaction that may occur, there is a lot of paperwork going back and forth,” Hurricanes president Don Waddell said in a statement provided by the team. “But as we said with the letter of intent, there is still nothing binding on either side in terms of a deal to sell the team.”

If the draft is approved, a binding sale agreement would then have to be created and approved.

The sale of the team could be in the $450 to $500 million range and the team would remain in Raleigh.