National Hockey League roundup

[December 04, 2014]  (The Sports Xchange) - Center Jean Beliveau, an all-time NHL great who totaled 1,219 points in 1,125 games, all with the Montreal Canadiens, died Tuesday at age 83.

Beliveau joined the Canadiens for his first NHL game on Dec. 16, 1950, at the age of 19. His 20-season career was highlighted by 10 Stanley Cup Championships.

Months after announcing his retirement, Beliveau's No. 4 was retired by the Canadiens and in 1972, the Hockey Hall of Fame waived its three-year waiting period to immediately induct him.

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The Los Angeles Kings reached agreement Wednesday with defenseman Alec Martinez on a six-year contract extension.

Martinez capped a strong 2013-14 season in June by scoring the winning goal during overtime in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The 27-year-old finished the regular season with a career-best 11 goals and 22 points in 61 games. He added five goals and 10 points in 24 playoff games.

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The NHL suspended Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo for two games without pay for his hit on New Jersey Devils forward Jaromir Jagr during a game Tuesday.

The NHL Department of Player safety said in its ruling that Bortuzzo delivered a "late, violent hit" at 17:57 of the second period in the Penguins' 1-0 win and that Jagr was defenseless.

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Chicago Blackhawks starting goaltender Corey Crawford will be sidelined two to three weeks with a lower-body injury suffered as he was leaving a concert.

Crawford, who didn't practice Tuesday, met with reporters after the Blackhawks' morning skate Wednesday while wearing a walking boot on his left leg.

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Contrary to earlier reports, NHL legend Gordie Howe did not have another stroke on Monday. Rather, he was dehydrated, his family said in a statement released Wednesday by the Detroit Red Wings.

The 86-year-old Howe appeared to have suffered a severe stroke as caregivers and physical therapists attended to him for 30 minutes. But after he was hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas, where he is staying with daughter, tests revealed that he did not have a second major stroke.

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The Dallas Stars placed right winger Patrick Eaves on injured reserve Wednesday.

Eaves took a hard shot to the right ankle in Tuesday night's 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The native of Calgary, Alberta has three goals and five assists in 19 games with Dallas this season.

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The New York Islanders recalled defenseman Griffin Reinhart under emergency conditions from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

The Isles also placed defenseman Johnny Boychuk on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 27, and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 28.

(Editing by Andrew Both)

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