National Hockey League roundup

[July 29, 2016]  July 28 (The Sports Xchange) - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is not ready to acknowledge a correlation between game-action head trauma and the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

While responding to written questions from a United States senator about the effects of concussions in hockey, Bettman denied a link between concussions and CTE, the New York Times reported in a story published Tuesday night.

"The science regarding CTE, including on the asserted 'link' to concussions that you reference, remains nascent, particularly with respect to what causes CTE and whether it can be diagnosed by specific clinical symptoms," Bettman wrote in a response to Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

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The Arizona Coyotes bolstered their defense by signing restricted free agent Connor Murphy to a six-year contract and fellow blue-liner Michael Stone to a one-year deal.

Financial terms were not released by the club for either contract, but ArizonaSports.com reported that Murphy's pact has an average annual value of $3.85 million.

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The Minnesota Wild agreed to terms with restricted free-agent defenseman Matt Dumba on a two-year, $5.1 million contract.

Dumba will receive $2.35 million in 2016-17 and $2.75 million the following year, the team announced.

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The New York Rangers agreed to terms on a contract with restricted free-agent forward Marek Hrivik.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team for Hrivik, who recorded an assist and a plus-3 rating in five games with the Rangers last season.

The 24-year-old Slovak fared considerably better with Hartford of the American Hockey League, collecting career highs in goals (12) and assists (29) in 68 contests last season. (Editing by Frank Pingue)

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