KHL play off semifinal result: Eastern conference - 5th game: Ufa - Kazan 2:1, series 2:3.
Finnish SM-Liiga play off quarterfinal result - 7th game: Jyväskylä - Kärpät Oulu 2:0, final series score 4:3. Semifinal pairings: Jyväskylä - TPS Turku, KalPa Kuopio - Hämeenlinna.
Relegation result - 5th game: Ilves Tampere - Jokipojat Joensuu 4:2, final series score 4:1.
Swedish Elitserien play off semifinal results - 5th games: HV 71 - Skelleftea 4:1, final series score 4:1; Djurgaarden - Linköping 5:1, final series score 4:1.
Czech Extraliga play off semifinal Bili Tygri Liberec - Eaton Pardubice 1:4, final series score 0:4.

Boston defenceman Zdeno Chara had a minor surgery on his nose, which he broke on Monday in the game against Washington. Chara practiced on Wednesday with a full face mask which he will be also using in the next few games.

Forward Thomas Vanek is set to return to Buffalo's active roster. The Austrian winger missed five games with groin problems. He practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday however did not play on Thursday against Boston. The 26-year old forward has 48 points (23+25) this season.

Legendary Russian defenceman Alexei Kasatonov is the new assistant coach with SKA Saint Petersburg. The club has not announced the name of the new head coach that will replace Barry Smith, however Kasatonov has been named the first assistant. The Olympic and world champion has coached teams in the Russian Major league - Rys Podolsk and Krylya Sovetov Moscow.

As Atlanta has lost their chance to get into the Stanley Cup play offs they decided to strengthen their farm team Chicago Wolves at the end of the season. They have sent 48-year old defenceman Chris Chelios and forward Tim Stapleton to the farm.

Slovak defender Lubomir Visnovsky suffered a season-ending injury. The Anaheim player broke his right hand on Tuesday in a game against Los Angeles and will require a surgery. He will not play in the last three Ducks games. Visnovsky indicated earlier this season that he would not be playing at the World Championship in Germany.

The Slovak national team is getting another reinforcement in defenceman Richard Lintner. The defender, who played in Dynamo Minsk in Belorussia this season, broke his arm in January and could not participate in the Vancouver Olympics. The former New York Rangers and Nashvillu defenceman is practicing and has a chance of making the final team for this year's world championship.

The final scouting standings before the draft were released by CSS and Plymouth forward Tyler Seguin is ranked number one just above Windsor's Taylor Hall. The best goaltender is Calvin Pickard of Seattle. At the top of the European rankings are Fins Mikael Granlund and goalie Sami Aittokallio.

Finland has played an exhibition game against Estonia which is preparing for the division 2 World Championship. Result: Estonia - Finland 0:6 (0:3, 0:1, 0:2). Goals: 19. & 32. Rinkinen, 7. Jalvanti, 13. Komarov, 44. Sopanen, 48. Tallberg.

Keith Tkachuk has decided to end his career at the age of 38. He did not play in the last game against Chicago due to an injury, but will play on Friday in the last home game of the season and will make the trip to Nashville on Saturday. If everything goes according to the play he will end up with 1202 NHL games. His 1063 points makes him fourth American-born player in the history and same goes for his 2219 penalty minutes.