NHL notebook: Rain doesn't stop Blues parade

[June 17, 2019]  Heavy rain didn't dampen the spirits of the St. Louis Blues or their fans Saturday as a crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands turned out to see the 2019 Stanley Cup champions parade through downtown.

It was the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history for the Blues, who began play in 1967. St. Louis defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 on Wednesday night. The city of St. Louis hadn't celebrated a major title since the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series.

Fans began showing up hours before the parade, which traveled down Market Street to the Gateway Arch for a rally.

Ryan O'Reilly, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoff MVP, carried the Cup along Market Street, and let fans gets their hands on the trophy. "It still hasn't sunk in yet," he said. "I can't believe we won a Stanley Cup."

--The Los Angeles Kings bought out the final two years of defenseman Dion Phaneuf's contract, making him a free agent.

Phaneuf, 34, is a three-time All-Star who surpassed the 1,000-game milestone last season. He has 494 career points (137 goals, 357 assists) in 1,048 contests to go along with 55 career playoff games.

Phaneuf tallied a career-low six points (one goal, five assists) in 67 games last season. The Kings acquired Phaneuf from the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 13, 2018.

--The Philadelphia Flyers placed defenseman Andrew MacDonald on unconditional waivers, ending his six-season tenure with the team.

MacDonald, 32, appeared in 47 games with the Flyers last season. He had nine assists, 18 penalty minutes and a minus-5 rating while averaging 16:24 of ice time.

Blues former player Bobby Plager waves to fans during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally at the Gateway Arch. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

MacDonald was set to earn $5 million next season in the final year of a six-year, $30 million deal that he inked in 2014.

--The Chicago Blackhawks acquired defenseman Olli Maatta from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Dominik Kahun and a 2019 fifth-round draft pick.

Maatta, 24, had one goal and 13 assists in 60 games last season, his sixth with the Penguins. He has three years remaining on a six-year, $24.5 million contract he signed in February 2016.

Kahun scored 13 goals and 24 assists as a rookie with the Blackhawks last season. The 23-year-old is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent at the end of next season.

--Field Level Media

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