Wayne Gretzky's 'bodyguard' dies of cancer at 59

Dave Semenko, the tough guy who protected Wayne Gretzky during the 1980s, died at age 59 in Edmonton, Alberta, after a short battle with cancer, the team said Thursday.

"His legendary toughness on the ice is surpassed only by his kindness and caring for others, and his equally legendary wit and sense of humor," the Edmonton Oilers said in a statement.

Semenko was Gretzky's bodyguard for parts of 10 seasons with the Oilers in the World Hockey Association and NHL. He helped Edmonton win the Stanley Cup in 1984 and '85.

"One of the first Oilers I met in 1978, I didn't know at the time the impact he would have in my life and my career," Gretzky said. "He was the toughest player I knew and yet the biggest teddy bear you would ever know. A beloved Oiler that will be missed dearly because of his kind heart and funny sense of humor. He made us all better people."

In an era where hulking enforcers roamed the ice alongside the league's top stars, Semenko was one of the toughest. And he had plenty of competition, often going toe-to-toe with the likes of Bob Probert, Basil McRae and Tim Hunter.

Oilers executive Kevin Lowe, a star defenseman on Edmonton's Stanley Cup champion squads, said the cancer was detected about three weeks ago at a medical appointment, and his condition rapidly deteriorated.

Semenko spent the bulk of his career with the Oilers, finishing with the Hartford Whalers and Toronto Maple Leafs. The 6-foot-3 winger from Winnipeg had 65 goals, 88 assists and 1,175 penalty minutes in 575 regular-season NHL games. He had six goals, six assists in 73 playoff games.

"I loved Semenk like we all did," said Hall of Famer Mark Messier, a longtime teammate. "He was a great teammate, a loyal friend, a loving father and a worthy champion."

Semenko fought Muhammad Ali in an exhibition bout in Edmonton on June 12, 1983. The three-round match was judged a draw, though the Associated Press's report on the fight said Ali, a three-time world heavyweight champion, mostly toyed with Semenko.

Brendan Smith signed a $17 million, four-year deal with the New York Rangers, setting the market for free-agent defensemen. Smith, 28, would have been one of the top blue liners available in free agency after the Rangers acquired him as a rental at the trade deadline from Detroit. Smith had three goals and six assists for nine points in 51 games, averaging a career-high 19:14 of ice time.

• The Columbus Blue Jackets bought out the final two years of 35-year-old forward Scott Hartnell's contract. Hartnell had 13 goals and 24 assists in 78 games for the Blue Jackets this season.

• The Oilers placed former Wild forward Benoit Pouliot on unconditional waivers with the purposes of buying out his contract. Pouliot, 30, had 84 points in 184 games in three seasons with the Oilers.