Alex Ovechkin came to the NHL Awards Show and hauled in both the League’s MVP awards — the Hart Trophy, awarded by the writers, and the Lester B. Pearson Trophy, voted on by his fellow players.

“Losing’s not for me,” Ovechkin said before the results were even announced. He dedicated the Pearson Trophy to the memory of his grandfather, who died during the season.

It’s the second-straight year Ovechkin made a clean sweep of the MVP hardware. Ovechkin also won the Maurice Richard Trophy for the second-straight season — his 56 goals were 10 better than anyone else in the League.

Guy Carbonneau was fired as Montreal’s coach this week in a surprising move, since the Canadiens are in a playoff position and have only 16 games left in the regular season.

General Manager Bob Gainey, who handed the coaching duties over to Carbonneau three years ago, will be back behind the bench as acting coach when Montreal plays Edmonton. In 230 games with the Canadiens, Carbonneau was 124-83-23.

The Canadiens started Monday in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but they were only two points above the postseason cutoff. Montreal went into a free fall in late January and February, losing 10 of 13. The Canadiens, 5-4-1 in their previous 10 games, won 3-1 at Dallas on Sunday in their last game with Carbonneau as coach.

“The last eight weeks of performance have been below average, and I believe a change in the direction at ice level is necessary,” Gainey said.

Gary Roberts retired from the NHL this week after a career lasting more than 21 years, which was twice as long as many in the hockey world expected.

Gary Roberts career ended in Calgary, the city where it started, as he recorded an assist in Tampa Bay’s 8-6 win at the Pengrowth Saddledome on March 1.

“For me, it’s a little emotional,” he said. “Calgary’s got a special place in my heart. Obviously winning a Stanley Cup there was my best hockey memory … so very fitting and thankful, if it was going to end that way, that it ended where I won a Stanley Cup.”

Roberts has scored 438 goals and 471 assists in 1,224 games in his NHL career, nearly half of his goals coming after a first retirement in the mid-1990s due to a serious neck injury.

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis today announced that the team has signed free agent centre Mats Sundin. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very excited to have Mats join the Vancouver Canucks,” said Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks General Manager. “Playing previously in two Canadian markets and consistently being among team and League leaders in scoring, Mats has proven that he can excel under pressure. He adds a wealth of experience, leadership and skill to the Canucks.”

“I am truly excited to be joining the Canucks,” said Sundin. “Once I made the decision to return to play a few weeks ago, the Vancouver opportunity was simply the best overall fit. I want to thank Mike Gillis and the entire Canucks organization for their professionalism throughout this entire process.”

Sean very has been punished indefinitely by commissioner Gary Bettman for using a crude term about his former girlfriends now dating other hockey players. Bettman acted immedietly to keep Avery out of the Dallas Stars’ game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Avery’s inflammatory line came following a morning skate in Calgary, Alberta.

“I’m really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada,” he said. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my (former girlfriends). I don’t know what that’s about, but enjoy the game tonight.” He then walked out of the locker room.

Avery’s ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert of the television show “24″ is dating Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf; she had been romantically linked to Mike Komisarek of the Montreal Canadiens.

Watch the video of Sean Avery’s “sloppy seconds” comments on Elisa Cuthbert above.

The Brett Favre years in Green Bay are now officially over. His legendary career is not. The month-long drama has now come to an end, with the Packers agreeing to trade their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback to the New York Jets, as it was first reported Wednesday night.

“We’re going to take this one year at a time,” Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said on a conference call early Thursday morning. “We’re excited to have Brett on the team this year.”

Favre, who announced his NFL playing career was over in March, is expected to be introduced at a 6 p.m. news conference at Cleveland Browns Stadium before the Jets play their first exhibition game.

Three days after a conference call with Packers team officials in which quarterback Brett Favre vehemently expressed his desire to play in 2008, on Friday Favre officially asked by letter for his unconditional contractual release, a source close to Favre and the team said. Favre, expressed a desire to have an friendly parting, as the Packers have been hesitant to embrace his return. Favre has three years left on his contract at a total of $39 million. He currently is on the reserve-retired list.

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forwards Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche to the New York Rangers for blueliners Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Columbus also signed free-agent forward Kristian Huselius for $19 million over four years.

The New York Islanders added 37-year-old centre Doug Weight for one year at $1.75 million.

The Ottawa Senators signed Penguins pest Jarkko Ruutu, an unrestricted free agent, for three years.

The Vancouver Canucks signed free-agent forward Ryan Johnson and free-agent defenceman Nolan Baumgartner.

Carolina signed defenceman Joni Pitkanen, acquired on Tuesday from Edmonton for Erik Cole, to a $12 million, three-year contract.

Calgary stole forward Curtis Glencross from the rival Oilers, signing the unrestricted free agent to a three-year deal; signed brothers Jim and Peter Vandermeer.

The Atlanta Thrashers signed free-agent defenseman Ron Hainsey, adding size and youth to their blue line — and making him the team’s highest-paid defenseman (five years, $22.5 million). He spent the last three years with Columbus.

The Minnesota Wild re-signed injured defenseman Kurtis Foster to a one-year, $1.025-million contract.

The New York Islanders and Center Doug Weight agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million plus incentives.

The Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin signed a five-year extension worth $43.5 million. His deal is the same as the one signed by Sidney Crosby that begins next season.

The Maple Leaf’s Mats Sundin got an offer from Vancouver, which is set to make Sundin the highest-paid player in the league. The Canucks’ bid was for two years, and the price is believed to be $20 million.

The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to trade Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson. They are also are sending Bobby Simmons to the Nets. He has $20.5 million left on a contract that expires in the summer of 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would become free agents.

This trade might be considered a sign that the Nets are looking to get involved in the LeBron sweepstakes, based in no small part on his close friendship with Nets minority owner Jay-Z. As a result of this trade, the Nets are no longer committed to paying Jefferson $15 million in 2010-11.

Yi’s camp was said to be thrilled about going to the re-structuring Nets and playing in a major market, which was one of the original concerns when he was drafted by the Bucks last year. Yi threatened to not sign with Milwaukee in hopes of forcing a trade to another team. The Bucks will keep their No. 8 pick in the draft to further spruce up their team. The Nets hold the No. 10 pick.

The Bucks, meanwhile, are providing new coach Scott Skiles with a veteran player who can help him win. Jefferson averaged 22.6 points a game last season.

Trevor Linden ended his NHL playing career Wednesday as the Vancouver Canucks‘ second-leading scorer and one of the more popular players in franchise history. He is the Canucks’ all-time leader in assists (415) and games played (1,140) and is just behind Markus Naslund in goals (318) and points (733).

“It’s been fantastic for me,” Linden said at a news conference Wednesday. “I’ve been able to be a professional athlete for 20 years. It’s the right time.”

Linden totalled 375 goals and 492 assists for 867 points in 1,382 NHL games with the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Canucks, who drafted Linden second overall in 1988. He is expected to leave the game for a period to concentrate on a current real-estate project in Victoria.