Pronger says collision accidental

St. Louis St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Pronger will spend the rest of the playoffs and that could be just one game watching, after sustaining a season-ending knee injury.

Pronger said Friday he did not believe Detroit’s Steve Yzerman intended to hurt him when the two collided in Thursday’s 4-3 Red Wings win. The win gave Detroit a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series that moves back to Detroit Saturday.

The Blues’ captain tore his knee ligament trying to make an awkward check as Yzerman ducked into his knee. Surgery has not yet been scheduled. He’s expected to be back for the start of next season.

Yzerman said after the game he saw the hit coming.

“I dumped the puck in and was just spinning out the way,” Detroit’s captain said, “trying to get out of the way and falling down. Unfortunately for Chris, he was coming at me and ran right into my rear end.”

Blues coach Joel Quenneville didn’t believe Yzerman intended to hurt Pronger.

“No, I think it was a natural instinct,” he said of the duck. “He did what he had to do and it was a freak thing.”

Former coach dies

Albany, N.Y. Former New Jersey Devils head coach John Cunniff, who had a distinguished international career as an assistant, died of cancer at age 57. Cunniff, who made his third appearance on the staff of the U.S. Olympic team at Salt Lake City in February, died Thursday night at Memorial Hospital near his home, USA Hockey officials said Friday.

He was also a special assignment scout for the Devils this past NHL season.

Panthers fire GM, hire Dudley

Sunrise, Fla. The Florida Panthers fired interim general manager Chuck Fletcher and replaced him with former Tampa Bay Lightning GM Rick Dudley on Friday.

The move completes an overhaul of the Panthers’ front office. Fletcher had worked for the Panthers for nine seasons, the last seven as assistant general manager. He became interim general manager when the team fired coach Duane Sutter and general manager Bill Torrey in December.

Dudley resigned as general manager of the Lightning in February.