LOS ANGELES -- Center Mike Richards and the Los Angeles Kings have settled their dispute over the termination of Richards' contract after his arrest in June.
The NHL Players' Association announced the settlement Friday, making Richards an unrestricted free agent.
Richards was charged with possession of a controlled substance in Manitoba after he was stopped by Canadian border authorities. The Kings terminated his contract later in the summer, and the NHLPA filed a grievance on his behalf.
Richards had five years and $22 million remaining on a lavish 12-year, $69 million deal signed with Philadelphia. The two-time Stanley Cup champion's offensive production declined sharply the past few years.
Terms of the settlement weren't disclosed by the union or the team. The Kings issued a brief statement declaring the settlement "agreeable to all parties."
Ducks: Despres signs 5-year extension
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Defenseman Simon Despres has agreed to a five-year, $18.5 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks announced the deal Friday, a day before their season opener at San Jose.
NHL
Despres has made an impressive rise with the Ducks since they acquired him in a trade with Pittsburgh on March 2.
He immediately won a regular spot in Anaheim's lineup with physical two-way play, scoring six points in the Pacific Division champions' final 16 regular-season games. Despres then stepped up in the playoffs, scoring seven points while the Ducks fell one game short of the Stanley Cup Final.
The 24-year-old Despres was a first-round pick by the Penguins in 2009, and he rose through Pittsburgh's minor-league system before the club traded him to Anaheim for defenseman Ben Lovejoy.
Despres would have been a restricted free agent next summer.
Hurricanes: Wisniewski will need surgery
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman James Wisniewski will need surgery for a knee injury.
The team said in release Friday that Wisniewski will have surgery to repair a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and will face an estimated six-month recovery time. He was injured during Thursday's game at Nashville after skating just 47 seconds in his debut with the Hurricanes.
Carolina acquired the 31-year-old Wisniewski from Anaheim in June in exchange for goaltender Anton Khudobin.
Carolina plays its home opener Saturday against Detroit.