NHL-National Hockey League roundup

April 11 (The Sports Xchange) - Brendan Shanahan was hired as the Toronto Maple Leafs' new president and alternative governor, the team announced Friday. Shanahan, 45, formerly the NHL's director of player safety, begins his new duties immediately. The Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine seasons. They were eliminated on Tuesday after losing 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 21 seasons on the ice as a Hall of Fame winger, Shanahan scored 656 goals and won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. After retiring as a player in 2009, Shanahan moved into management with the NHL as vice president of hockey and business development before assuming his most recent role in 2011. - - - Forward Mike Rupp of the Minnesota Wild has been suspended for four games without pay for a late illegal check to the head of forward T.J. Oshie of St. Louis on Thursday night, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday. The suspension includes the Wild's final regular-season game and the first three games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Rupp was assessed a match penalty for attempt to injure for the incident. - - - Left winger Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers announced Friday that he is retiring after 19 seasons in the NHL. "I have been truly blessed to play this game for as long as I have and will cherish the memories forever," said Smyth, who has been with Edmonton for 15 of his 19 NHL seasons. Smyth, a native of Banff, Alberta, was a sixth-round pick in the 1994 NHL Draft by the Oilers and began the first of his two stints with Edmonton. He also played for the New York Islanders, the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings. - - - Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nathan Horton is expected to miss six weeks after having abdominal surgery on Friday. Horton was out four games with the injury before returning Tuesday. However, he left the win over the Phoenix Coyotes after skating just eight shifts. The Blue Jackets clinched a playoff spot but Horton will not return this season unless they advance deep into the postseason. - - - The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled forward Cedric Paquette from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on Friday. Paquette, 20, has 20 goals, 24 assists and 153 penalty minutes in 70 games in his rookie season with the Crunch. (Editing by Gene Cherry)