LTE- NHL Talk

Commentary of Nash-Tellqvist Trade

2006-12-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week the Coyotes sent Tyson Nash and a fourth round pick in the 2007 draft to The Maple Leafs for 3rd-string goalie Mikael Tellqvist. It's hard not to go to anyway hockey channel and not hear about the Leafs in Canada. Who won in this trade? The Leafs of course, and I'm not sure what Gretzky was thinking about when he pulled the trigger. If you look in the Coyotes goal they already have Cujo, Morrison (in minors), LeNeveu and now Tellqvist. Is 4 goalies the lucky charm? I doubt it. On the other hand, Tyson Nash is a poor man's Darcy Tucker...a really poor man's. He's very expendable in the Leafs organization. The odds of Nash going down to the minors is great. I guess the positives in this trade is that the Coyotes get a slightly more experience back-up goalie than they already have now and the Leafs get a mid-row draft pick.
If the Great One is looking for some grit and experience to jump start his Coyotes, he should start thinking about picking up LeClair that was put on waivers last night. With a price tag of $1.5M (he's on the last year of his contract), the three-time 50 goal scorer would be a great role player in the desert. LeClair said in the Pittsbergh Post Gazette "Hopefully, something will change because it's not a great situation for me. You have to make the best of it, but, hopefully, something happens." Lets not see him end his career light Anderchuck, and go out with some dignity.
Doogan

LTE Back Online!

2006-11-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone on the internet!

I am back off a long... long... hiatis and i'm ready to get back into the swing of everything hockey.

I'd like to thank all the bloggers who kept LTE going, Doogan most of all, and invite them all back to share their opinions and stories.

The NHL has been very interesting this season so far and I hope the drama continues through-out.

Welcome back to LTE talks,

Let's have a good year!

Coyotes Ink Perreault

2006-10-29T22:02:00.000-08:00

Unrestricted free agent center Yanic Perreault signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Coyotes Sunday.

The 35-year-old Perreault, who had off-season abdominal surgery for a sports hernia, is best known for his faceoff prowess but is coming off a career year with the Predators last season where he scored 22 goals with 57 points.

In 740 career games with Toronto, L.A., Montreal and Nashville the Sherbrooke, Que. native has 217 goals and 464 points.

The signing of Perreault by the 'Yotes comes after losing center Steve Reinprecht (shoulder) to injury for the next two months.
Source

Sakic Gets 1,500th Point

2006-10-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Joe Sakic became the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 points on an assist in the first period against Washington on Wednesday.

The game was halted to mark Sakic's accomplishment. The 37-year-old Sakic is the sixth player to score that many points for one franchise. He's in his 18th season with Colorado/Quebec. Sakic's 922 assists rank 15th on the NHL's all-time list.

Sakic's first point came on an assist against Hartford (now the Carolina Hurricanes) on Oct. 6, 1988.

Source

Jackets Deal Bogunieki to NYI

2006-10-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Eric Boguniecki to the New York Islanders on Wednesday for defenseman Ryan Caldwell.

Caldwell was assigned to Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse.

The 31-year-old Boguniecki has played in 167 NHL games with Florida, St. Louis and Pittsburgh, totaling 34 goals and 42 assists. The Blue Jackets signed Boguniecki as a free agent Aug. 22. In eight games with Syracuse this season, he was scoreless with eight penalty minutes.

Caldwell, 25, has four goals and 32 assists in 134 games the last two seasons with Bridgeport of the AHL. Caldwell was scoreless in two games with the Islanders last season.

ESPN.com

Front Office Moves in Philly

2006-10-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

Flyers general manager Bob Clarke resigned and coach Ken Hitchcock was fired Sunday in a major shakeup after Philadelphia got off to its worst start in more than 15 years.

The Flyers held a news conference Sunday morning at the Wachovia Center to announce the moves.

The Flyers are 1-6-1 and have the fewest points in the NHL, including an embarrassing 9-1 loss at Buffalo last week. Their five-game losing streak is the worst in five seasons.

Clarke never matched the success as a general manager as he did as a Hall of Fame player when he led the Flyers to Stanley Cup championships in the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons. Clarke was in his 13th season in his second stint as general manager, after handling the GM role in the 1980s.

Hitchcock signed a three-year contact though the 2008-09 season in training camp and was in his fourth season with the Flyers. He led the Flyers to the conference finals in 2004, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who later won the Stanley Cup.

Before Hitchcock was hired, the Flyers used five different coaches in the previous six seasons.

In 10 NHL seasons with Dallas and Philadelphia, Hitchcock is 408-249-100. He is 66-51 in playoff games and won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.

Philadelphia's 1-6-1 start is their worst since the 1989-90 season. The Flyers have scored only 15 goals in eight games, and five of them are from Simon Gagne. The played Friday's loss at Florida without captain Peter Forsberg, who has a sprained wrist.

They are a woeful 4-for-55 on power-play chances this season.

The Flyers play again Thursday at home against Atlanta.

Philadelphia was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Buffalo last season, and has seemed ill-equipped to win a Stanley Cup in the new-look NHL. Many of the same problems they had last season have lingered into this season, including a plodding defense that has yet to score a goal.

The Flyers waived three players last week after the blowout loss to the Sabres, including Nolan Baumgartner, their lone free-agent signing to bolster the defense.

With a shaky defense and little offensive punch, the goaltenders have struggled, especially opening night starter Robert Esche. Esche has allowed 13 goals in two winless starts.

Clarke played for the Flyers from 1969-1984 and scored 358 goals and 1210 points, finishing his career as their career leader in assists (852), points (1210), and games played (1144). He was captain of the famed "Broad Street Bullies" teams in the 1970s.

Clarke immediately went from playing into management, holding the GM role from 1984-1990. He returned to the position in 1994, famously feuding with Eric Lindros in the late 1990s.

Hitchcock also led Dallas to two Stanley Cup finals appearances -- winning the title in 1999 and going back the next year -- and five straight division titles.
Source

Penguins Search For Goals, 2nd Place, Thursday Night.

2006-10-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Penguins started off the season well. A convincing 4-0 win over State rivals the Philadelphia Flyers was - in the eyes of Penguins hopefuls - a sign of a much more productive season for the Black and Gold.

Since then the road has been much like the 2005-2006 season in which the Penguins seemed to have a tough time collecting wins. Being under .500 (2-3-0-0) for the first time this season has made fans anxious and nervous. However, defense - or lack thereof - is not the problem with Pittsburgh this season. It is their offense.

After being only one of three teams to not average 27 or more shots per game, the Penguins were unable to solve Martin Brodeur in a 2-1 loss at Mellon Arena Wednesday night while throwing a season high 38 shots on net. The defense is playing well, and unlike last season they are finding ways to win against division rivals.

While being 0-2 against teams outside of the Atlantic Division; the Penguins are an impressive 2-1 within the Atlantic to start the season. The Penguins look to add another W to their total when they roll into the greatest show on earth. The Long Island Carnival.

The Penguins have played just once on the road so far in the early moments of the season. It was a 6-5 win over the Rangers at Madison Sqaure Garden.

The Islanders in the meantime have yet to lose a game in regulation (1-0-1) on home ice. While it is still not official as to who the Islanders will start tonight in goal, it is heavily rumoured that Rick DiPietro will make his return after missing 3 games with a groin injury. If so, expect the Penguins to take advantage of any potential rust he may have.

With the Rangers off tonight, the winner of tonights game will jump into 2nd spot in the suddenly shakey Atlantic Division. With the Philadelphia Flyers making roser movements and signs of organizational agnst, a though of a top 3 seed is something the Penguins would greatly enjoy. It would be something that the Penguins would not have experienced in quite some time. The revolution of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks to take another big step today in starting the 06-07 season with an impressive season against their divisional rivals.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to sue NHL

2006-10-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Russian club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against the NHL, the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.

The lawsuit essentially claims that Andrei Taratukhin of the Flames and Alexei Mikhnov of the Oilers are under contract with Yaroslavl for the 2006-07 season and should not be allowed to play for any other club in the world. It asked the federal court for a temporary injunction barring the two players from skating for the two NHL teams.

"Respondents should not be permitted to continue playing professional hockey in breach of their contractual obligations to KC Lokomotiv ...," Russian lawyer Alexander Berkovich writes in the lawsuit.

The NHL saw it coming.

"The Russian team has been threatening us and the clubs with litigation for some time," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press in an e-mail. "While I won't comment specifically on the claims the Russian team has asserted, I can say that we believe they are without legal merit and intend to defend the case vigorously."

A similar lawsuit from Metallurg Magnitogorsk will likely follow against the Pittsburgh Penguins with the Russian club also claiming it has prized rookie centre Evgeni Malkin under contract for this season.
Source

Philly Put Trio on Waivers

2006-10-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Flyers have put Petr Nedved, Nolan Baumgartner and Niko Dimitrakos on waivers in an effort to free up roster space for a trio of American League players, forwards Ben Eager and Stefan Ruzicka and defenseman Alexandre Picard.

The move follows Tuesday’s night embarrassing 9-1 loss at the hands of the Sabres in Buffalo.

"We decided we wanted to recall three players from the Phantoms," said assistant GM Paul Holmgren in a statement on the Flyers website. "In order to do that, we had to place some players on waivers today."

Nedved, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, has $2.356 left on his contract for this season.

Baumgartner is in the first year of a two-year deal worth $1.2 million per season while Dimitrakos, in the final year of his contract, currently makes $625,000.
Source

WHL: 2007 NHL Draft Overload

2006-10-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

The Western Hockey League (WHL) had an admittingly off year last season. Far too few of their players were selected high in the 2006 NHL Draft. It's looking early in the season that their players are going to do everything they can to redeem themselves from last seasons let down.

The "Top 30" ISS scouting report was updated recently. Almost half of the people listed were players presently representing a team in the WHL. All the meanwhile a Saskatoon prospect now playing out of Lethbridge is in the Top 5 for goaltenders as well.

There seems to be no sortage of WHL blueline talent to have for grabs come the end of June. The most talented WHL prospects along the blueline are two Central Division rivals.

Karl Alzner (6.02, 210, L) is a late '88 born player in his third full season with the Calgary Hitmen. While being of good size - and knowing how to use it - he has found a niche this seasonfor the offensive. In his first 10 games this season he has registered 9 points (1+8). The main problem in the early going is positioning, as right now he stands at a -3. He has always been a plus player, however, so it should be expected he will get his mind back in due time.

John Negrin (6.02, 195, L) of the Kootenay Ice is another big talent. He was held off the board in his first two games of the season before injuring his ankle. It is believed it will keep him out of the line-up for 2-4 weeks. While this injury may bump him down the charts a fair bit he has great potential. He plays a very disciplined, hard-working style with strong leadership capabilities. If a nagging ankle slows him down for a month or two, he could slip to a lucky team in the early 2nd Round.

Saskatoon has been busy having scouts come through the doors of Credit Union Centre. Two players are of leading interest for the NHL VIP's.

Colton Gillies (6.04, 194, L) is a fast, good hitting talent that as early as last year thought to be a possible #1 selection. That will not be the case; however, it time maybe he should have been. The guy is talented, no one will ever question that. He has good vision, very good speed and can hit well. The situation in Saskatoon is what is holding out as a solid Top 5 lock and could drop him into the teen's.

Up until this season he was stuck playing 3rd/4th line minutes due to an older roster with the likes of Devin Setoguchi, Zdenek Bahensky, Aaron Bader, Wacey Rabbit, and Joe Barnes. With all of them now graduated from the Blades, he is finally getting some good action. However, on a very young rebuilding team.

With discipline being a bit of a sore spot and moving out of his position, it has hurt him statistically as head coach/GM Lorne Molleken is wanting to play a fast-paced, tight, disciplined game. Something that works well for Colton, just not for his stats. It has been working well for one of his draft eligable team-mates, though.

Justin McCrae (6.00, 176, R) is and always has been the crowd favorite kind of guy. He will never back down and will do whatever it takes to win. Not only has his tough work, consistency and effort been shown on the ice, its been rewarded as well. He has been given a large ammount of ice time, an "A" on his sweater and also has been putting points up on the boards.

During Tuesday Night's Contest - in which Colton Gillies was not dress for reasons I'm unware of at the moment - the Blades beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-3. During the contest Justin McCrae notched 2 goals, 1 assists and a +3 rating to go along with his game winning goal. While bias fans want Naslunds and Havlats with their teams 1st Round selection, he would be a great addition to any team on the top 3 lines. Be it the 3rd line center or a gritty go-to-the-net type winger on the top 2.

The WHL is alive and well this season.

They will do everything they can to make it stay that way.

Kings Sign Prospect

2006-10-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract with goaltender Jonathan Bernier, the club's first-round selection (11th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Terms of the agreement were not announced.

Bernier, 18, was the highest ranked North American Goaltender in the 2006 Draft, and he also was one of two Kings first-round draft choices (the Kings selected forward Trevor Lewis as the 17th overall choice) this past July. Lewis agreed to a three-year entry level contract with the Kings in July.

Bernier has appeared in eight regular season games this season with Lewiston of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and has a 4-3-1 record, one shutout, a 2.73 goals-against-average and a .881 save-percentage.

The 5-foot-11, 177-pound native of Laval, Quebec, played in 54 regular season games last season with Lewiston and had a 27-26-0 record, two shutouts, a 2.70 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage. In addition, Bernier had a 2-4 record, a 2.84 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage in six playoffs games last season.

Bernier was selected to the 2006 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game in Ottawa and was a member of Team Canada for the 2006 Under-18 World Championships. He was also a member of Team Canada for the 2005 Under-18 Junior World Cup and a member of Team Quebec for the 2004 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge.

The younger brother of right wing Marc Andre Bernier, Vancouver's second-round choice in the 2003 NHL Draft, Jonathan Bernier is just the second goaltender to be chosen by the Kings in the first-round of the NHL Entry Draft (the Kings selected Jamie Storr, seventh overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft).

Source

Lemaire Signs Extension

2006-10-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Wild announced Wednesday that club has signed head coach Jacques Lemaire to a multi-year contract extension.

"Jacques continues to be the consummate teacher and leader, and his ability to adapt - to new players and to an evolving league - reinforced to Jacques and to the organization that the time was right to extend his relationship with the team," said President and General Manager Doug Risebrough in a statement. "Jacques is the right person for this job, a statement as true today as it was the day he was hired."

Lemaire, 61, is in his seventh year with the Wild after being named to the position in 2000. He has guided the Wild to a 164-168-81 record, including a 98-69-41 mark at Xcel Energy Center.

The team's 161 wins in its first five seasons are the most of any expansion team in its first five years since 1991. In 2002-03, he led the Wild to the Western Conference Final and was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy, as the NHL's top coach, for the second time in his career.

Lemaire owns a career head coaching record of 411-345-132 (.537) in 13 NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota. He has taken seven of the 12 teams he has coached to the postseason, and has a lifetime Stanley Cup playoff record of 57-44 (.564).

Source

Western Predictions

2006-10-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

Better late than never. The dog fight in the west will continue. With the exception of a couple teams, this conference is in for a tight race for the top 8. The Northwest Division is always decided in April while the Central Division is usually clinched by late February. The Pacific will be a good one to watch this year too. With franchise players and big names like Pronger, Luongo, Thorton, and Tanguay among others moving to new teams over last year and this summer. The 2006-2007 season is looking to be wild in the west.

The Central has been the weakest division in the west the past 5-6 years with only 1-2 teams ever making it to the playoffs. This will continue once again this year. Look for Nashville and Detroit to be battling it out for the division title.

Columbus now has enough firepower up front to be taken seriously. The re-signing of Zherdev definitely helps, and the signings of Carter and Modin doesn’t hurt either. The only problem is that they have no solidified goaltending. With the lose of both Denis and Prusek, and the addition of Ty “Choke” Conklin and Norrena. With Pascal LeClaire starting the season as a number one goalie in the NHL, it’ll all come down to how he performs between the pipes. It’ll be a miracle if this team makes the playoffs. Expect them in 13^th in the west.

Chicago will have another dismal year in 2006-07. Not even the arrival of Havlat and Barker will help this club climb out from the west basement. Chicago fans are hoping that Khabibulin will shape up this year, cause you can’t rest your teams outcome on Patrick Lalime; Ottawa had to learn the hard way. Let’s wait a couple more years until the Hawks promising youngsters on the blueline mature, then we’ll talk about the playoffs. Expect the Chicago Blackhawks in the bottom of the west this year.

Losing both Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan in one off-season is a blow to any club. Luckily, the Red Wings depth will cover most of the wounds left by the departure of the two. Look for youngster Jiri Hudler (signed in 2003) to be yet another hidden gem for the Wings European scouting staff. With Hasek back for his third time round in Hockeytown, Babcock and crew are hoping he doesn’t injure himself this year. Good thing they have Osgood as a back-up. Expect the Red Wings to finish 5^th in the conference this year.

Nashville has been in the shadows of Detroit the past couple years, but this year it’s all about to change. The additions of Arnott and Dumont up front will only bolster a very impressive top 12. With Vokoun ready to play after his blood scare this summer, and Mason his backup; this team looks unstoppable on paper. The only point to perfection that you must consider from this team is that do they have enough experience to make it all the way this year. Expect them to be atop the west at the end of the regular season. The playoffs however, are a totally different story.

After one of the most embarrassing finishes in St. Louis history, they’re planning for a rebound. From 91pts in 2003-04 to 57pts in 2005-06, it was a season to forget. With the addition of Legace, Weight, Guerin, McKee, Hinote, and Dvorak, this club has gained a decent helping of leadership and valuable experience. The Blues hopefully won’t be having déjà vu this year. With saying that, don’t expect this season to make the playoffs. See them in 12^th in the conference when the season is said and done.

Here’s how the Central Division will finish this year.

Nashville Predators
Detroit Red Wings
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues
Chicago Blackhawks

The Pacific Division will have a new team on top this year. They will be the Anaheim Ducks. Expect the Stars to take a step back from the top two in the division and miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.

The Dallas Stars added a couple respectable center men in Eric Lindros and Mike Ribiero. It’s just a matter of health for captain concussion. The lose of Arnott, Guerin, Niinimaa, and Mitchell is too much for this west powerhouse. Expect the Stars to miss the playoffs this year and end up 9^th in the conference.

Wayne Gretzky’s team will become competitors this year and make a serious push for the playoffs. With the big off-season signing of Jovo Cop and the addition of Nic Boyton, the Coyotes blueline is looking fairly solid. Up front doesn’t look too shabby either with the grit of Owen Noland, Jeremy Roenick, and tough guy George Laraque coming to the desert. Expect the Phoenix Coyotes to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001-02.

With Marc Crawford and Dan Cloutier coming over from Vancouver, the Kings will definitely have a taste of Canucks in the dressing room. The team will have good goaltending with three decent goalies fighting for the job. But the lose of Demitra, Parrish, Roenick, and Robitaille to free-agency or retirement won’t help the team make the playoffs this season. Expect them to be in 11^th in the west.

The San Jose Sharks will begin where they left off last year with the most fearsome twosome in the NHL on fire. The Thornton trade as turned out to be one of the biggest lop-sided trades since the Naslund-Stojanov trade. The Sharks possess one of the best 1-2 punches in net with Toskala and Nabokov fighting for the number one job. With no major moves in the off-season, the Sharks look ready for the upcoming season. They will finish 4^th in the conference this year.

The goalie situation has become very interesting after Ilya Bryzgalov showed he can stop anything he sees in last year’s play-off run. Like the Sharks, the Ducks will have 2 number one goalies, but only 1 number one goalie job. To further the opponents nightmare, the Ducks now have two of the top defensemen in the league a trade that sought Pronger becoming a Duck and Lupul and Smid becoming Oilers. Up front, there are a handful of youngsters (Kunitz, Perry, Getzlaf, Penner) that are already making their impact on the NHL. You will see the Ducks on top of the Pacific Division when all is said and done.

1.Anaheim Ducks

2.San Jose Sharks

3.Phoenix Coyotes

4.Dallas Stars

5.Los Angeles Kings

The Northwest Division has undoubtedly been the hardest division in the NHL the past couple seasons with three different teams being the division champions in the past three seasons. This year is no exception as the Canucks had a spring/summer cleaning, the Oilers losing many players from the playoff run, and the Wild finally spending some money to get a couple decent snipers. The Northwest will be the most interesting division to follow once again.

The lose of Rob Blake and Alex Tanguay will hurt any team. Unfortunately this team is the Colorado Avalanche. With the inconsistence of Theodore in net this year, I wouldn’t hold my breath on the Avs this year. Joe Sakic can only do so much, his supporting cast of Forsberg, Tanguay, Hejduk, Foote, Blake, Roy has been disappearing over the years and the club will finally realize that they are far from the glory days now. Expect them near the basement this year at 14^th.

Nobody expected the Oilers to make it as far as they did last year, not even their fans. After losing in game 7, the fall was hard. Pronger left, then Tarnstrom, Spacek, Samsonov, Peca, and Dvorak found new teams. Good thing the Oilers have a promising young core to build around. They also finally have a solid starter in net after having a goaltender circus the past couple years. Unfortunately for all the fans in Oil Country, this is not your year, not even close. The Edmonton Oilers will be 10^th in the conference this year.

The Vancouver Canucks were the busiest team in the off season this year. And they started out with a bang, aquiring Roberto Luongo and Lukas Krajicek for Bertuzzi, Allen, and Auld. After all was said and done, 14 regulars left the team for new destinations, a new coaching staff was implemented, and 7 new faces to the team. It is suitable to say that even the fans don’t know what kind of team to expect this year. Luongo will prove that Vancouver is not a goalie graveyard and the Sedins with Naslund in tow, will emerge as the best brother line the NHL has ever seen. The only problem(s) this team will have to question is their secondary scoring and the strength of their blueline after four out of the six starting defense men left. Expect this organization to scrape into the playoffs in 8^th this season.

For the first time in the Minnesota Wild’s franchise history, they went out into the free agency market and signed some noted scorers. Over the off-season they managed to pick up the likes of Demitra, Parrish, and Radivojevic. They also bolstered their defense by adding seasoned-veteran Carney and Kim Johnsson. With Fernandez in net, this team is going to make a push to go deep into the playoffs this year. They will end the regular season in 6^th in the conference.

One word to sum up how Calgary is going to do this season: Kirpusoff. Even though the Calgary front office added the services of Alex Tanguay to help out Iginla, the secondary scoring will be questionable this year. Phaneuf is one year more mature which will strike fear in forwards across the NHL, and Robyn Regehr isn’t to be taken lightly either. Expect a low goals for/goals against total again for this team. I’m not sure how they’re going to win the division, but they will somehow.

Calgary Flames
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Canucks
Edmonton Oilers
Colorado Avalanche

Western Conference Standings:

Nashville
Anaheim
Calgary
San Jose
Detroit
Minnesota
Phoenix
Vancouver
Dallas
Edmonton
Los Angeles
St. Louis
Columbus
Colorado
Chicago

Pahlsson Signs Extension

2006-10-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Samuel Pahlsson to a two-year contract extension. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

"Samuel Pahlsson has established himself as one of the best two-way centers in this league," said Ducks' executive vice president and general manager Brian Burke. "We rely on him to kill penalties, win faceoffs and shut down opposing teams' top lines, and he does all those things well."

The 28-year-old had 11 goals and 10 assists over his 82 games for the Ducks last season. He was acquired from Boston in exchange for Andrei Nazarov and Patrick Traverse in 2000.

Source

Two Goalies Sent Down To AHL

2006-10-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Both Fred Brathwaite and Wade Flaherty have been sent down to their respective farm teams on Friday and Saturday. Brathwaite was in a fight for the back-up job in Atlanta with Johan Hedberg. Flaherty was made expendable after the Canucks picked up Danny Sabourin from the Pittsburgh Penguins off of waivers earlier this week.
Doogan

Sharks Put Schaefer on Waivers

2006-10-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks were unable to settle on a No. 1 goalie before the regular season began, and now they might lose their third-best netminder as a result.

Nolan Schaefer said he was placed on waivers Thursday after signing a one-year contract with the Sharks, who had hoped to trade Evgeni Nabokov or Vesa Toskala before their opener against the St. Louis Blues.

Instead, both Nabokov and Toskala were still in uniform - and Schaefer, who had hoped to be the Sharks' backup goalie this season, was in the Shark Tank press box wondering whether he was enjoying his last night in San Jose.

Any team could claim Schaefer, who won his first five starts for San Jose last season in limited duty, before Friday morning. If nobody picks him up, Schaefer would be assigned to the Sharks' top minor-league affiliate in Worcester - but that seems unlikely.

"I really don't know what's going to happen now," said Schaefer, who spent the last three seasons in the minors. "Players don't find out until the morning (after going on waivers), so I don't know."

The Sharks didn't officially announce putting Schaefer on waivers, and general manager Doug Wilson couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

San Jose's excellent work in developing goaltenders again has produced a glut at the NHL level. Nabokov, their starter since the 2000-01 season who fought off a challenge from Miikka Kiprusoff three years ago, lost his job down the stretch last spring to Toskala, his longtime backup.

Toskala led the Sharks to the Western Conference's fifth-best record and a trip to the Western Conference semifinals with two months of stellar play, including seven straight victories to close the regular season. The Sharks earned a point in 27 of his final 29 starts.

Both goalies signed contract extensions in February, shortly before Toskala took over. Nabokov will make US$5 million this season, while Toskala is due just $1.375 million.

Early in the summer, Wilson said he didn't expect both veterans to be with the club next season - but the Sharks couldn't find a suitable trade for either goalie during the summer and training camp.

San Jose was able to postpone its decision because Schaefer was an unsigned, restricted free agent during training camp.

Toskala, who outplayed Nabokov in the pre-season, started in goal against the Blues, while Nabokov is expected to play against the New York Islanders on Saturday night. Coach Ron Wilson has said he hopes one goalie will earn the starting job soon, but doesn't mind rotating both goalies.

Source

________________________________________________________

I expect Schaefer to be picked up, probably by a team in the east.

Maple Leafs Sign Devereaux

2006-10-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

It is expected the Leafs will place Devereaux on waivers and if he clears, send him to the AHL's Toronto Marlies to add depth for both teams.

The 28-year-old native of Seaforth, Ontario competed for a spot with Detroit in training camp, but had an arrangement there that required he stick with the Red Wings or be released.

He also considered two major offers from Swiss Elite league teams before agreeing to a contract with the Maple Leafs that will pay him $450,000 if he makes his way back to the NHL or $95,000 if he remains in the AHL.

Devereaux has played in 509 NHL games with Phoenix, Detroit and Edmonton and has scored 46 career goals while adding 85 assists.

Source

Moreau Signs Extension

2006-10-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers signed assistant captain Ethan Moreau to a four-year contract extension on Friday, keeping the veteran with the club through the 2010-11 season.

''We are extremely pleased to have Ethan with us for the long term. Time and again Ethan has proven himself as one of our team's leaders,'' Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe said. ''His commitment to his teammates and the game can be seen every time he steps on the ice. He was an integral part of the Oilers' success in last season's playoff drive and we look forward to his continued leadership.''

Moreau, 31, was a first round (14th overall) draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1994. He was traded to the Oilers, along with Chad Kilger, Daniel Cleary and Christian Laflamme, in 1999 for Dean McAmmond, Boris Mironov and Jonas Elofsson.

Moreau, who is in his eighth season with the Oilers, scored 11 goals and 16 assists with 87 penalty minutes in 74 games with the Oilers last season. He was second on the club with a plus-6 ranking and was among the NHL leaders in shorthanded scoring. The left winger scored four goals and three assists on the penalty kill to lead the Oilers and finish third in the NHL in shorthanded scoring.

In 469 games since joining the Oilers, Moreau has scored 83 goals and 75 assists for 158 points with 538 penalty minutes.

Source

Penguins Sold To Waterloo Businessman

2006-10-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a new tentative owner, as an agreement is in place for the NHL team to be sold to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie for $175 million.

Balsillie, the owner of Waterloo, Ontario-based Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion, is expected to announce the purchase on Thursday.

When asked about the news at Wednesday's season opener between the Leafs and Senators in Toronto, Balsillie did not confirm nor deny the report, only saying, "Tomorrow."

Despite reports that he will move the team to Hamilton, Balsillie is intent on keeping the team in Pittsburgh.

Other groups trying to buy the Penguins were Hartford businessman Sam Fingold and a group led by New York taxicab medallion financier Andrew Murstein, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former star quarterback Dan Marino. Fingold signed a letter of intent to buy the Penguins over the summer but insisted he would not move the club to the New England city.

Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and his partners were approached by groups interested in purchasing the franchise back in January. Lemieux had said any new owners would be bound by an agreement to remain in Pittsburgh if a coalition assembled by the Penguins is awarded the license to run a slots parlor downtown.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved Lemieux's reorganization plan to save the Penguins from bankruptcy in 1999. The Hall of Famer bought the team to help recover unfulfilled contractual payments by former Penguins owners and to keep the franchise in Pittsburgh, making him the first former player to become majority owner of his former team.

While it owned the team, the Lemieux group paid back in full all the money owed by the Penguins before they declared bankruptcy.

During Lemieux's time as owner, the Penguins reached the playoffs twice and Lemieux made a comeback in 2000 after having been retired for three seasons.

Source

Predictions for the 2006/2007 Season

2006-10-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Look for my Eastern Conference predictions later in the week.

Out West:

1st--Anaheim: Solid goaltending behind the best defensive core in the league, combined with a group of young, skilled forwards and wiley vets, Anaheim is my pick for 1st in the Western Conference.

2nd--Nashville: Good aquistions over the summer and didn't really lose to much offense. Lost Markov and Witt which could hurt, but Arnott and Dumont should really bolster Nashville's offense into the league's upper-echelon. Timmonen and Zidlicky are offensive dynamos on the PP. If Vokoun can come back from injury look for Detroit's reign over the Central Division to be over.

3rd-- Calgary: Kiprusoff.

4th-- San Jose: They have the best player in the league in Joe Thornton. Luckily enough for the Sharks they also have some of the best chemistry of any two forward pairs in the league. They have guys like Bell, Michalek, Marleau, and Bernier who will add secondary scoring. San Jose also boasts one of the youngest bluelines in the league with no player over 30 (Kyle McLaren at 29 is the oldest). Inexperience could be a problem, or youthful energy will be an asset, only time will tell.

5th-- Detroit: Thanks to scouting, these guys will always be good. They have the best defenseman in the league. However the Wings lost Yzerman, the greatest leader of all time IMO. Their defense is getting older with Chelios and Schneider still thinking they can play. Zetterberg and Datsyuk should be able to carry the offensive load. Hasek will be the biggest question mark this year.

6th-- Minnesota: Rolston Demitra Gaborik. This could be one of the best lines in hockey. Right now I'd put them behind Heatley Spezza Alfredsson. The Wild have significantly improved this off-season. Added Keith Carney, Johnsson, and Nummelin to the defensive end. Again goalies will prove to be the biggest question mark this year. Can Fernandez handle a full season? I don't think so. Josh Harding will have to provide some quality starts if this team wants to advance.

7th--Phoenix Coyotes: Ladislav Nagy missed a ton of the season last year. This really hurt Shane Doan and the rest of the Coyotes. If Nagy can stay healthy this team will make the playoffs. Will Cujo get to take one last run at the cup?

8th-- Vancouver Canucks: A bit of the home town bias. We are all aware of what happened to the Canucks this offseason so I won't go into any details. If they can gel together they can make it on the back of Roberto Luongo. If not, looks like Vancouver fans will have to watch a rebuilding season all over again.

9th-- Edmonton: They won't be able to overcome the loss of Chris Pronger. One of the top 3 d-men in the league is not easy to replace. Roloson has never played a full season and will not rekindle the magic he had in the postseason. I love Edmonton's offense. Hemsky, Smyth, Lupul, Stoll. Love it. Unfortunately for Edmonton fans they will come up short.

10th-- Colombus: This team will make the playoffs next year. I would bet the farm on it. Zherdev, Nash, Brule, Federov, Vyborny, Fritsche, Brassard, Carter. Highly skilled forwards will need another to bond and allow the younger players to adapt to the game. Pascale Leclaire will have his ups and downs this year as well. Give him one more year. I really regret putting Colombus as low as 10th because I think they are the sleeper of this years Western Conference

11th-- Colorado Avalanche: On a downward spiral these last few years, look for Colorado to be big sellers at the trade deadline.

12th-- Dallas Stars: Eric Lindros plays 27 games and the team can't gel cause the "C" was taken from Modano. Another one of the former Western Powerhouses that will struggle this year

13th-- St. Louis: Good offseason aquisitions but still too many holes to fill. All-American line of Tkachuk, Weight, and Guerin won't be enough to carry this team which drops off the face of the depth chart after that.

14th-- LA: Lost Demitra, gained an aging Blake. This team has too many young players that won't grow to be more than 2nd or 3rd liners. I like Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. I think Frolov's totals will drop with the subtraction of Demitra. This team does, however have one of the better D-corps. Good luck to Clouts and Crow

15th-- Chicago: A Bill Wirtz team is a losing team, 'nough said.

Eastern Predictions

2006-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Since the 2006-2007 season starts in a couple hours, I thought it would be necessary to spit out my season review. After reading, watching, and talking everything over the summer with friends and foes; I think I've got a grasp on how the season will unfold. Mind you, I've been wrong before. Let this be the year of the beaver in the NHL.

Let’s start this out in the east and the Atlantic Division. With the division containing the regular season powerhouse of the New Jersey Devils to the lowly Pittsburgh Penguins, this division will be blown open once again. The point differential from division champs to the cellar in the past four seasons have gone accordingly: 2005-06(43pts), 2003-04(43pts), 2002-2003(43pts), 2001-2002(28pts). In these past 4 seasons it’s been the Flyers or Devils on top, with the Penguins in the basement the whole time. I’m predicting that the Penguins (with all their firepower) will still come in last in the Atlantic, while the Devils will easily win the division.

With Malkin in North America now, the Penguins have the two best center men under 21 in the league. This year will be the Sidney Crosby show in Pittsburgh. The Pens biggest splash in the free agency pool this summer was the signings of Jarrko Ruutu, Nils Ekman, and Mark Eaton. While Eaton is a step in the right direction for the Pens defensive core; Expect the goaltending duo of Thibault and Fleury to be hung out to dry more often than not. With an unfortunate injury in Malkin’s first NHL game, don’t expect to see him in top forum until late-October, mid-November. I still see a bleak outlook for the Pens this year. But let’s wait a couple years for the youngsters (Fleury, Malkin, Crosby, and Staal) to mature. It might be a little scary. I’m seeing an Ottawa-esque team in 3-4years.

The circus rolled into the Long Island and has made a permanent home. Back-up goalie Garth Snow retires to become GM. The team then decides to sign DiPietro to the second longest contract in professional sports history…15year/$67.5M. What is happening to professional sports. Mind you, they did get some decent players from free agency. These players include Sillinger, Poti, Witt, and Kozlov. Even with these signing, it will not be enough to make the post-season. Expect the Isles around 13^th in the conference.

Glen Sather has finally come back to his roots somewhat and stopped buying his team. They New York Rangers finally have great young talent that they have lacked so much over the past few years. Even though they have the big name tickets like Jagr, Shanahan, and Straka, they have the young guns like Lundqvist, Hossa, Prucha, and Betts. The future is looking brighter and brighter in The Big Apple. Expect them to finish the regular season in 4^th pace.

Lou Lamoriello continues to amaze me at how he manages to get barely under the cap each year. With less than a week to go, the Devils were around $5M over the cap. Trade aging Malakhov to the Sharks for a 1^st rounder and two other players, deem Mogilny unfit to play and place him on the long-term injury list. This frees up enough cap room to sign 5 roll players so the Devils can start the season under the cap. For them to resign both Gionta and Gomez is a miracle. Let’s hope it pays off for them. I expect a great season from the Devils and easily win the division.

The Flyers have lost two of their main leaders in Primeau and Desjardins retiring. We’ll see how this effects the team on the ice. Clarke went out this summer and got Sanderson, Baumgartner, and Calder. Add them to the likes of Forsberg, Gagne, Knuble, Pitkanen, Nedved, Kapenan, Richards, and Carter, and you have firepower that rivals the Senators. With a slightly better-than-average blueline, they will have to be on top of things at all times because to duo of Esche and Niittymaki don’t have the consistency that is needed for goaltenders in the NHL. Don’t expect the Flyers to have the same impact they usually do. I see them squeaking into the post-season at 7^th place.
Here’s my prediction for the Atlantic Division:
1^st – New Jersey Devils
2^nd – New York Rangers
3^rd – Philadelphia Flyers
4^th – New York Islanders
5^th – Pittsburgh Penguins

The Northeast Division will easily be the toughest in the Eastern Conference. Every team is easily capable to make the playoffs, but will that be the case this year?

The Boston Bruins made one of the biggest splashes in the summer with the signings of Chara, Savard, and Dovovan. With Chara recently being named the Bruins 18^th captain in the teams history, it goes to show they had a rough 2005-2006 season. After trading away franchise player Joe Thorton and at the trade dealine giving Sergei Samsonov away for peanuts. The Bruins season was a disappointment to everyone associated with the club. Expect the Bruins to have a better season this year. With two up and coming goalies in Thomas and Toivonen, expect inconsistency as rookie growing-pains and brain-cramps will certainly happen throughout the season. Expect them to end up in 10^th in the conference.

The Ottawa Senators have been one of the most consistent teams in the regular season over the past five seasons. The post-season however is a different story. Losing both Chara and Havlat is a huge blow to the team. They are a deep team where is counts, losing Chara is a blow to the blueline, but it won’t be catastrophic like it would be on other teams. Corvo will take Chara’s place but won’t have the same impact. The signing of Gerber ended the guessing game of who is going to the #1 in the nations capital come October. With Emery as backup, the goaltending once again looks very strong. With their offense still looking to run on all cylinders, I see Ottawa on top of the division and conference.

The Buffalo Slugs had a very interesting time of trying to get all their RFA’s under contract for the upcoming season this summer. Losing on McKee, Pyatt, and Dumont, the Sabres are looking pretty good heading into the 2006-07 season. With the young core of players one season more mature; expect this club to be in the mix. I predict them to be 4^th in the east this year.

With Guy Carbonneau behind the bench this year, you know this team will be different from years past. With the addition of forwards Samsonov and Johnson, the Habs look like a decent offensive team on paper. The addition of Janne Niinimaa makes the back end look very impressive and will compliment the play of Huet in goal. The goaltending in Montreal is very impressive with Huet number one and Aebischer backing him up. If there happens to be an injury Yann Denis is more than capable of playing in the big league. I expect the Habs to round out the top eight in the east.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have yet another tough year ahead of them. The goal mouth will be manned by a goalie that won the Calder in 2003-04. This is were the weakness begins. Andrew Raycroft has only played 108 games. Even though he is 26, he has hardly any experience compared to Belfour. The lose of Lindros, Richardson, Khavanov, Domi, Belfour, and Allison doesn’t help the cause either. Even though they brought in Gill and Kubina to bolster their blueline; it’ll be the offense that’ll hurt the Leafs. Expect them to be 12^th in the east this year.

Here are my pick for the Northeast Division:
1. Ottawa Senators
2. Buffalo Sabres
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. Boston Bruins
5. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Southeast Division has been the weakest division in the east and will continue that trend this year. Carolina will dominate while Florida and Washington will battle it out in the bottom of the barrel.

After Carolina’s phenomenal run in the playoffs, they’re filled with confidence for the upcoming season; and why shouldn’t they be? With the rental players gone (Recchi and Weight), and others left. The ‘Canes will have a different look. Balanced scoring will be their key to success this year. Their defense could be a little worrisome as the departure of Aaron Ward left Carolina will little muscle on the blueline. We all have to remember that this is Cam Ward’s first time as a starting goaltender in the regular season so don’t expect perfection like we did in the playoffs; cause it probably won’t happen. The addition of Letowski and Walker gives the Hurricanes a little more grit up front which is never bad. Expect a stellar season from the defending Stanley Cup champs when they win the Southeast and end up 3^rd in the conference.

Could this be Atlanta’s year to finally make an impact in the league? Let’s hope so. They have the firepower and talent in Hossa, Kovalchuk, and Lehtonen. If they faulter this year it could be the end of GM Don Waddell. The Thrashers had a flurry of activity this summer with 10 players leaving and 10 players coming to the organization. The goaltending looks much better compared to last year with the addition of Johan Hedberg. The 3^rd and 4^th lines look a little weak but never say never. I expect Atlanta to be in 8^th in the conference.

With $20M wrapped up in three players. The Lightning are in an interesting position. If they do poorly during this season, expect to see one of the three (Richards, St. Louis, Lecavlier) to be traded. The goaltending for Tampa Bay is very weak and will be the breaking point for the team. With Marc Denis and Johan Holmqvist in goal, I’m not putting my expectations too high for this team. Expect them to be in 11^th in the conference.

Being part of the blockbuster trade of the summer, the Florida Panthers have improved their team in every position. With Luongo and Krajicek going to Vancouver, the Panthers saw Auld, Allen, and Bertuzzi coming the other way. This gave the Panthers a 1^st line to fear and a decent goaltending duo in Auld and Belfour. The defensive line also saw an improvement with the arrivals of Brian Allan and Ruslan Salei. With Bertuzzi and Jokinen on the same line, we’ll probably see some big numbers put up. Expect an improvement in Florida when the Panthers jump up to 9^th in the conference this year.

Apart from Ovechkin and Kolzig, they Capitals could be mistaken for a farm team. With the addition of Zednik, the capitals have another offensive weapon. You can’t help but feel sorry for Olaf Kolzig. On any other team in the league (except the Penguins) he can be a Vezina candidate. It is great to see there is some loyalty left in the NHL though. Expect the Washington Capitals to be in the basement of the east yet again.

Here’s how the Southeast Division will breakdown:

1. Carolina Hurricane
2.Atlanta Thrashers
3.Florida Panthers
4.Tampa Bay Lightning
5.Washington Capitals

Here are my predictions for the Eastern Conference:
1.Ottawa Senators
2. New Jersey Devils
3.Carolina Hurricanes
4.Buffalo Sabres
5.New York Rangers
6.Montreal Canadiens
7.Philadelphia Flyers
8.Atlanta Thrashers
9.Florida Panthers
10.Boston Bruins
11.Tampa Bay Lightning
12.Toronto Maple Leafs
13.Pittsburgh Penguins
14.New York Islanders
15.Washington Capitals
_____________________________________________________________
The Western Predictions will be up soon. I gotta take a break.

Lou Signs Gionta, Gets Under The Cap

2006-10-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

It came down to the wire for the New Jersey Devils to get under the NHL's $44 million salary cap, but the league's longest-serving general manager got it done.

After getting hefty contracts for Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov off the books, Lou Lamoriello re-signed forward Brian Gionta, defencemen David Hale and Paul Martin, goaltender Scott Clemmensen and forward Erik Rasmussen to new deals in time for the start of the season.

Sources tell TSN Gionta's contract is a three-year deal worth about $4 million per year. Sources also tell TSN Clemmensen signed a one-year, $450,000 deal while Hale inked a one-year, $550,000 contract. Martin's deal is for one-year at $2 million and Rasmussen signed a one-year, $450,000 contract.

The Devils, earlier Tuesday gave themselves a $7.1 million cushion under the current salary cap, which enabled them to sign Gionta. He was a restricted free agent, entering Devils camp in good faith without a new contract. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello worked out numerous deals over the past week in order to orchestrate a situation which would enable him to sign the 26-year-old right-winger.

"I don't know that difficult is the word, it's just making sure that anything and everything that we've done is within the framework of what we have the ability to do both financially and within the rules," Lamoriello said.

"We were very fortunate with the patience and loyalty that Brian has shown," said Lamoriello. "Brian, Paul, David, Scott and Erik - they all knew the situation we were in. We were totally up front with the positives and the negatives and that we would do everything we could. We wanted them here.

"Some of them (contracts) could have been done earlier but until you know what the pool of money you have to work with, you just can't and I was honest with the players about that."

Gionta was originally drafted in the third round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, and has spent his entire career in the Devils organization, including a Stanley Cup in 2002-2003. Last year, he tallied a career-high 48 goals and 41 assists in 82 games.

Source

Chouinard Injured

2006-10-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2610972

Separated: Canucks lose Chouinard to shoulder injury
Associated Press
Chouinard
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Vancouver Canucks center Marc Chouinard will miss the start of the regular season because of a slightly separated right shoulder.
Head coach Alain Vigneault said Monday that Chouinard sustained a first-degree separation Saturday night during the preseason finale against Edmonton, and would be out for seven to 10 days.
Chouinard, a 6-foot-4 faceoff specialist, signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with the Canucks this summer after spending the last two seasons in Minnesota, finishing with a career-high 14 goals and 30 points in 2005-06.
He centered Vancouver's fourth line with Trevor Linden and Josh Green during the preseason, picking up just one assist in six games.
Tommi Santa la is expected to take his place Thursday night in the opener in Detroit.

Park Signs with Islanders

2006-10-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

The one-way contract will pay Park roughly $500,000 per season.

Park had been skating with the Islanders on a professional tryout basis.

Last season, Park scored eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games with the Vancouver Canucks.

Park has played 368 NHL games in his career, scoring 50 goals and 57 assists for 107 points.

Source

Malakhov to Sharks

2006-10-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

The New Jersey Devils acquired left wing Alexander Korolyuk and defenceman Jim Fahey from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Vladimir Malakhov, and a conditional first-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft.

Korolyuk, 30, recorded 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points and 86 penalty minutes in 45 games with Vityaz Chekhov in the Russian Super League last season. He last played in the NHL during the 2003-04 season, posting an NHL career-high 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 63 games with San Jose.

The 5-foot-9, 190-pound has 62 goals and 80 assists for 142 points and 140 penalty minutes in 296 career games, all with the Sharks.

Fahey, 27, will be entering his fifth professional season. He posted two assists in 21 games with San Jose last season. Fahey has career totals of one goal and 23 assists for 24 points and 65 penalty minutes in 79 games, making his NHL debut in 2002-03.

The 6-foot, 205-pound defenceman has also seen action with Cleveland (AHL) during parts of three seasons from 2002-03 through 2004-05. Fahey was San Jose's ninth choice, and the 212th overall selection in the 1998 draft.

Malakhov, 38, posted nine points and 26 penalty minutes in 29 games with the Devils last season. Malakhov's NHL career includes 86 goals and 260 assists for 346 points and 697 penalty minutes in 712 games with the NY Islanders, Montreal, New Jersey, the NY Rangers, and Philadelphia.

Source

___________________________________________________________ A great salary dump for Lou. He saves $3.1M on his cap and gets a couple decent players and a 1st rounder. Impressive.

Stars Trade For Ribeiro

2006-09-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Montreal Canadiens boosted their blue-line corps, but they had to give up a promising hometown forward to do it.

The Canadiens traded centre Mike Ribeiro to the Dallas Stars for Janne Niinimaa on Saturday. Montreal will also receive a fifth-round draft pick in 2007 while the Stars get a sixth-round pick in 2008.

Ribeiro, a career Canadien, said he was shocked by the move.

"I'm disappointed and sad at the same time," the Montreal native said. "I didn't expect this now.

"There were rumours last year that I'd be traded, but I didn't think about it this year. I just concentrated on getting ready for the season. I guess Montreal wanted defence and Dallas wanted a centre. It's a great city for me. No winter. No snow. So I'll be happy."

Tomas Plekanec was in Ribeiro's spot on a line with Alex Kovalev and Sergei Samsonov in a pre-season game Saturday night against Ottawa.

Montreal is short of defencemen with injuries to Francis Bouillon and Jean-Philippe Cote. They learned Friday that Bouillon's knee injury would keep him out longer than expected and he may not return until the end of November.

General manager Bob Gainey said a minor shoulder injury suffered this week by defenceman Sheldon Souray made it clear that the team lacked experienced depth at that position.

The Canadiens claimed veteran Patrick Traverse on waivers from San Jose on Thursday, then made the move for Niinimaa, a 10-year NHL veteran who has played for Philadelphia, Edmonton, the New York Islanders and Dallas.

"When another injury happened, we found we just didn't have the depth among our prospects on defence as we have at centre," Gainey said.

He said he was not concerned that Niinimaa was often a healthy scratch by the Stars after they acquired him last January from the Islanders.

"I know he had an ankle injury, but he had it fixed this summer," said Gainey.

Niinimaa will earn US$2.508 million on the final year of his contract this season. Ribeiro is on a one-year deal worth $1.9 million.

The six-foot-one, 220-pound Niinimaa, 31, has 54 goals and 262 assists in 700 career games. His best season was 2000-01 with Edmonton, when he scored 12 goals and had34 assists in 82 games. He had a total of three goals and 13 assists in 63 games last season.

The Stars are deep on defence after acquiring Darryl Sydor and Jaroslav Modry in the off-season, while Montreal has several centres both with the NHL club and in the minors.

Ribeiro, a slick play-making centre who had a strong training camp, has played 276 career games for Montreal, collecting 50 goals and 103 assists.

"Dallas has great players, a great team, and they'll be playing for the Stanley Cup," he said. "I always dreamed of winning a Stanley Cup here (in Montreal), the 25th, but I guess it won't happen."
Source

Kings and 'Canes Swap Players

2006-09-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Carolina Hurricanes traded one of their top prospects Friday, sending promising defenceman Jack Johnson to the Los Angeles Kings in a multi-player deal.

The defending Stanley Cup champions also dealt defenceman Oleg Tverdovsky to the Kings for forward Eric Belanger and defenceman Tim Gleason.

The Hurricanes selected Johnson, a 19-year-old Michigan sophomore, with the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft. He's twice turned down offers from the Hurricanes to turn professional in the past year, which prompted Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford to entertain trade offers.

"This was clearly the best offer, and clearly the best for the Hurricanes," Rutherford said. "We've kind of gone back and forth - do we wait for the development of Jack Johnson, and when does that take place, or do we take a player now that's a good young defenceman who's going to be good for a long time? As camp has wound down, that was the conclusion we all came to, that now was the time to do it."

Johnson said the trade would not affect his timetable for turning pro and that he is concentrating on his upcoming season with the Wolverines.

"I'm here in Michigan, and that's where my focus is," Johnson said. "I'm excited about my new team, but my life isn't going to change because of it."

Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said he supported Johnson staying in school.

"We were prepared to be patient when we made this deal," Lombardi said. "It'll be good for him to spend another year there."

Rutherford said he had decided last week not to trade Johnson, but then talks with the Kings picked up.

"We just felt that we're getting a very good NHL defenceman in Tim Gleason," he explained. "He's still a young guy, he still has an upside, and both of those players will come in and be with us now, instead of waiting for the development of Jack Johnson, who in my opinion is going to be a very, very good, if not great, NHL player.

"Everybody has decisions to make. (He) wanted to spend another year in school. I think that, in his best interests, for his development, that he should be playing pro now. He's ready to do that. The sooner he starts playing pro, the sooner he starts to develop into a real good NHL player."

Rutherford believes the Hurricanes received good value for Johnson.

"We got two players we feel made our team a lot stronger," he said.

Lombardi acknowledged that Belanger and Gleason could have helped the Kings immediately, but he wanted to gamble on Johnson.

"He potentially fills a position that's hard to find. These type players aren't often available at a young age. We felt we had to be fairly aggressive," he said. "The kid is a competitor. He's going to be every bit as good as he can be."

Carolina has been in need of blue-line help after losing defenceman Aaron Ward to free agency in the off-season and learning it would be without Frantisek Kaberle for up to six months while he recovers from shoulder surgery.

In Gleason, they get a former first-round pick who had two goals and 19 assists in 78 games during his sophomore season with the Kings. The 23-year-old, who will make US$1.2 million this season, was acquired by the Kings from Ottawa for Bryan Smolinski at the trade deadline in 2003.

Belanger, 28, set career-highs with 17 goals, 20 assists and 62 penalty minutes last season, his fifth with the Kings. He will make $1.3 million this year.

The Hurricanes included Tverdovsky in the deal because the Kings wanted an NHL-ready defenceman to replace Gleason, and Carolina was seeking financial flexibility.

The 30-year-old Tverdovsky is owed $5 million over the next two years. The Kings will be his fifth team in his 12th NHL season. In 687 career games, he has recorded 77 goals and 236 assists.
Source

Konowalchuk Retires

2006-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Konowalchuk retired Friday after tests showed he has a condition that can lead to irregular heart rhythms.

"After a complete evaluation from a number of different physicians and experts associated with this condition, we decided that this was the best and only alternative for me," Konowalchuk said in a written statement.

"As much as I'll miss the game of hockey and all that it's provided for my family and I, my health was the number one priority."

The team said the 33-year-old Konowalchuk has Long QT Syndrome, a genetic disorder that can lead to irregular heart rhythms.

Team captain Joe Sakic said Konowalchuk's retirement was hard to believe after the work he invested in getting ready for the season.

"On the other hand, it's better to find it now. Safety comes first and your family comes first and it is a decision we support and respect," he said.

Sakic said many of Konowalchuk's teammates knew he was undergoing tests but did not expect such a drastic outcome.

"We had seen him work out and work hard," winger Ian Laperriere said. "We were holding out hope he would play."

Laperriere said Konowalchuk would be missed. "He was good to the team on and off the ice," he said.

Defenceman John-Michael Liles said teammates understood Konowalchuk's move.

"I don't think anybody disagrees with his decision," he said. "He has to think about himself and the well-being of his family. We want him to live a long and healthy life."

Konowalchuk had 171 goals and 225 assists in 790 games over 13 seasons. He played in 52 playoff games, recording nine goals and 12 assists. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1991 and acquired by the Avalanche in 2003.

The Avalanche also said forward Brad May would be out four to six months after reconstructive shoulder surgery on Thursday. May was injured in a pre-season game Monday.

"It was a freakish injury," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He brought us grit and toughness and now someone else is going to have to step up and provide it."
Source

Yzerman Named Red Wings VP

2006-09-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Red Wings on Monday named Steve Yzerman vice president of the team.

The longest-serving captain in NHL history, Yzerman retired in July after a 23-year career. He helped lead the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 1997, '98 and 2002.

"It is only fitting that he join our management team in a meaningful position," Detroit owner Mike Ilitch said. "I'm confident Steve will bring the same passion and dedication he displayed on the ice to our management team and help us make the Detroit Red Wings the best we can be."

A 10-time All Star, Yzerman was selected fourth overall in the 1983 NHL entry draft. He played 1,514 games (10th all-time), scored 692 goals (eighth all- time) and tallied 1,063 assists (seventh all-time). His 1,755 career points rank sixth all-time in NHL history. He's also the Red Wings' all-time leader in assists and ranks second all-time in goals and points and captained the squad for 20 years.

His No. 19 jersey will be retired on January 2 when Detroit hosts Anaheim.

Source

Blackhawks Ink Boucher

2006-09-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Blackhawks signed goaltender Brian Boucher to a one-year deal, the team announced on Saturday.

Chicago invited Boucher to training camp after finding out that backup goaltender Patrick Lalime will miss the next two to three months with a herniated disc in his back.

Boucher played in 14 games last season, three with Calgary and 11 with Phoenix, and posted a 4-8 record.

Over six NHL seasons, which included a three-year stint in Philadelphia, which drafted him with its first pick in the 1995 draft, Boucher has a 75-85-30 record in 202 games with a 2.74 goals-against average.

Boucher will backup Nikolai Khabibulin in Chicago.

Source

Savage Retires After 12 Seasons

2006-09-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Veteran winger Brian Savage announced his retirement Thursday after 12 NHL seasons.

Savage, 35, played 647 regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. During his career he had 192 goals and 167 assists.

The Sudbury, Ont., native also was a member of the Canadian team that won a silver medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Games and played for Team Canada at the 1993 and 1999 world hockey championships.

"I was very fortunate to be able to play 12 years with some great players," said Savage. "Having the chance to represent my country is something that I will not forget and the highlight of my career was playing in the 1994 Winter Olympic Games."

Savage played college hockey at Miami of Ohio. He was picked 171st overall by Montreal in the 1991 draft and joined the Canadiens after the 1994 Olympics.

During his seven seasons in Montreal, Savage and Saku Koivu became friends on and off the ice.

"Brian was always very easy for me to find on the ice and being a good goal-scorer he really knew where to be positioned," said Koivu. "Off the ice, I think of Brian as more of a close friend than a former teammate."

Savage missed most of the 1999-2000 season recovering from a serious neck injury suffered in a Nov. 20 game against Los Angeles.

After stints in Phoenix and St. Louis, he ended his career in Philadelphia, where he had nine goals and five assists last season with the Flyers.

The father of two sons always was active in the community . This June the 10th annual Brian Savage Charity Golf Classic raised more than $450,000 to help underprivileged children through the Ten Rainbows Children's Foundation in Sudbury.
Source

Blue Jackets Sign Prospect

2006-09-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Derick Brassard to a three-year contract on Thursday.

The 19-year-old Brassard was drafted sixth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by Columbus.

"Derick is an extremely gifted offensive player who will be an important part of the Blue Jackets' future for years to come," said Columbus general manager Doug MacLean.

Brassard registered 44 goals and 72 assists in 58 games last season with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Source

Predators Re-Sign Hamhuis

2006-09-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Nashville Predators Executive Vice President/General Manager David Poile announced Thursday that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Dan Hamhuis to a four-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million in 2006-07, $1.75 million in 2007-08, $2.25 million in 2008-09 and $2.5 million in 2009-10.

Hamhuis, 23 (12/13/82), led Nashville in average ice time (22:33) in 2005-06 and was one of two Predators to skate in all 82 games. The Smithers, B.C. native ranked second on the club with a +11 rating and posted career-highs in assists (31) and points (7g-31-38pts). He also ranked second on the club in both hits (114) and blocked shots (100). Following the 2006 NHL post-season, the 6-1, 200-pound rearguard led Team Canada d-men in scoring (1g-4a) at the 2006 World Championships.

Originally Nashville's first choice, 12th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Hamhuis has netted 14 goals and 50 assists (14g-50a-64pts) in 162 games with the Predators over the past three seasons. In 2004-05, he was named an American Hockey League Second Team All-Star after ranking second among AHL defensemen in scoring with 51 points (13g-38a) for Nashville's primary developmental affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
Source

Morrow Signs Extension with Stars

2006-09-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Stars signed forward Brenden Morrow to a six-year contract extension on Thursday.

The deal is worth $24.6 million and runs through the 2012-13 season.

The 27-year-old Morrow played in 81 games last season with the Stars and scored 23 goals to go along with a career-high 42 assists. Morrow also picked up 183 penalty minutes.

"Signing Brenden to a long-term extension was a top priority for this hockey club," said Dallas general manager Doug Armstrong. "We consider him a cornerstone player and an integral part of our team. Brenden is one of our main leaders and sets the tone for the club with his consistent play. He brings a lot of energy and tenacity to the lineup each night and the Dallas Stars are extremely proud to have him here over the next seven seasons."

Morrow was originally drafted by Dallas in the first round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and has played in 451 career games, all with the Stars. For his career, Morrow has recorded 120 goals and 149 assists with 758 penalty minutes.

"I wanted to stay in Dallas all along and now I can concentrate completely on the ice for this upcoming season," said Morrow. "I couldn't be happier and I'm extremely excited about continuing my career with the Stars for many years."

Source

Jackets Fedorov out 4-6 Weeks With Shoulder Injury

2006-09-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Blue Jackets center Sergei Fedorov will be out four to six weeks after injuring his left shoulder in an exhibition game.


	Federov

The team did not immediately elaborate on the injury Wednesday.

Fedorov, a 36-year-old veteran who spent most of his 16-year NHL career with Detroit, was hurt in the second period of a 4-1 victory over Buffalo on Tuesday night.

He was skating toward the right side of the net when Sabres rookie Jiri Novotny came from behind and kicked out the Russian's left leg. Fedorov was upended and slid into the boards.

Blue Jackets coach Gerard Gallant said after the game that it was a clean play and Novotny was not trying to hurt Fedorov.

Fedorov was acquired in a trade with Anaheim on Nov. 15. He had 12 goals and 32 assists in 67 games with Columbus while nursing several injuries. For his career, he ranks 12th among active players in points with 1,063.

Tie Domi Retires

2006-09-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Tie Domi announced his retirement as an NHL player Tuesday, but he'll be staying close to big-league hockey as a TSN analyst.

"I am excited and nervous in my new role and I promise to bring the same passion and dedication to the broadcast arena that I delivered on the ice night in and night out," Domi said during a 30-minute news conference at Air Canada Centre organized by the Toronto Maple Leafs. "I'm not going to hold much back.

"What you saw on the ice is what you're going to see on TV every Wednesday night from coast to coast. I might need a six-second delay when I start. I'm not a guy who vanillas many things."

Leafs fans adored him and he was public enemy No. 1 in opposition rinks, but the enforcer's role was quickly making the 36-year-old right-winger a dinosaur in a time when speed and skill are being accentuated.

Friends told him during lunch that he better not cry in officially hanging up his skates and, while he stopped briefly several times to compose himself while reading a prepared statement, he managed to hold back the tears.

"I may not have been the most talented player but I played the game with every ounce of my commitment and determination to win," he said. "If I could have a career in professional hockey, then every kid can dream the dream."

The Leafs bought out the remaining season of his contract during the off-season. They are paying him US$833,000 over two years, which is two-thirds of the $1.25 million he was owed.

He repeated several times during a question and answer session that he wasn't bitter about how his playing career ended. Business is business, he said.

"I kiss my lucky charms I got to play here for so long and become a household name in this city," he said.

Domi always prided himself in riding shotgun for his more artistic teammates, but with fighting down in the NHL his role clearly was becoming redundant.

There was no contract offer from any other team, but there were nibbles. He didn't bite.

"I just couldn't put on another jersey other than the blue and white," he said.

He called Mario Lemieux on Monday to let his good friend know he was quitting, and the Pittsburgh Penguins owner teased him.

"Mario said, `I gave you a three-year offer last year and you stood me up,"' said Domi.

Domi said he opted for a two-year renewal with Toronto so he could end his career as a Leaf.

In his last season, he scored only five goals, assisted on 11 and served 109 penalty minutes. In all, he played 1,020 NHL games in 16 seasons for Toronto, the New York Rangers, the Winnipeg Jets and the Leafs again. He scored 104 goals and assisted on 141. The Leafs honoured him for his 1,000th game in an on-ice ceremony last season.

Domi is third on the all-time NHL penalty minutes list with 3,515, trailing only his boyhood idol Dave (Tiger) Williams, who rang up 3,966, and Dale Hunter, who amassed 3,565.

Two of the most notorious incidents of his career occurred weeks apart in 2001.

He was fined $1,000 by the league in late March for squirting spectators with water while in the penalty box in Philadelphia and then getting involved in an altercation with one of them.

He was suspended that April for the duration of the playoffs for deliberate attempt to injure after knocking out star New Jersey defenceman Scott Niedermayer with an elbow to the face near the side boards with 20 seconds left in the Leafs' 3-1 home-ice victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. When the Devils eliminated the Leafs, the suspension carried over to the first eight games of the following season.

Niedermayer spent a night in hospital and missed the series clincher but was otherwise okay. His teammates were enraged at Domi's cheap shot.

"It's an insult to hockey, especially at this time when the game needs to reach a wider spectrum of fans," Bobby Holik, then a centre with the Devils, said at the time.

Domi wishes he could relive the moment and not deliver the hit.

"That was probably the stupidest thing I did in my career," he admitted. "I regret it.

Canucks Re-Sign Green

2006-09-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have re-signed forward Josh Green to a one-year contract.

Green, 28, split the 2005-06 season between Vancouver and the club's AHL Affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, playing 33 games with the Canucks, recording six points (4-2-6) and 14 penalty minutes. In 35 games with the Moose, Green had 31 points ( 7-24-31 ) and 33 penalty minutes.

Green made 10 post-season appearances with the Moose, scoring five goals, five assists and notched 23 penalty minutes.

The 6'3", 215-pound native of Camrose , Alberta has played for a total eight NHL teams including Vancouver . Green began his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings and has since played for the New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.

Green was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 30 th overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Source

Kings Re-Sign Pair

2006-09-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Kings re-signed forward Dustin Brown and defenseman Tim Gleason to two-year deals on Sunday. Both players were restricted free agents.

The 21-year old Brown played in his first full NHL season last year and recorded 14 goals and 14 assists in 79 games. In 110 career games, all with the Kings, Brown has 33 points and 96 penalty minutes.

Gleason, 23, notched two goals and 19 assists in 78 games with the Kings last year. The defenseman has 28 points in 125 career games, all with the Kings.

Source

Lehtinen Signs Extension

2006-09-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Stars announced Saturday that the team has signed right wing Jere Lehtinen to a two-year, $8 million contract extension.

The Stars will exercise their option on Lehtinen's deal for the 2006-07 campaign and he'll be under contract with Dallas until the end of the 2008-09 season, general manager Doug Armstrong announced.

The 33-year-old Lehtinen is a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy, which is given to the top defensive forward in the NHL, and was a member of Dallas' Stanley Cup championship team in 1999.

Lehtinen, a native of Espoo, Finland, has notched 190 goals and 203 assists for 393 points in 648 career games, all with the Stars. He posted a team-best and career-high 33 goals last season and added 19 assists for 52 points in 80 games.

"Jere has been a model of professionalism throughout his career," Armstrong said. "He is one of the best two-way forwards in the game. Consistency and honesty are Jere's trademarks and he brings them to the rink everyday. We're excited to sign him to this contract extension."

Lehtinen appeared in four Olympics with Team Finland, including a stint during the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. He scored three goals and added five assists with a +6 rating and help Finland to a silver medal.

Source

Numerous Re-signings

2006-09-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to access the internet the past couple days so here is a summary of the news in the NHL:
-ANSON CARTER has finally sign with a team. This team happens to be the Columbus Blue Jackets. After turning down a $2.8M/1year deal from the Penguins, Carter has signed a $2.5M/1year with the Blue Jackets. Seems he wanted to be with a contending team...
-Blackhawks re-sign Tuomo Ruutu to a 2 year deal. Terms have not been disclosed.
-Blue Jackets re-sign Dan Fritsche to a 2 year deal. Terms have not been disclosed.
-Blues sign Radek Dvorak. Terms have not been disclosed.
-Leafs re-sign Matt Stajan to a $1.75M/2year deal.
-Canucks re-sign Ryan Kesler after Flyers signed Kelser to an offer sheet. The deal is worth $1.9M over 1 year.
-Blackhawks lose Cam Barker for 4-6 weeks with fractured ankle.
-Keith Primeau has retired from the NHL at the age of 34 due to post-concussion syndrome. Peter Forsberg will take over the captaincy of the team.
This is all the latest news from the NHL for now.

Doogan

Fitzgerald Retires

2006-09-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Boston forward Tom Fitzgerald announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday.

The 17-year veteran recorded 139 goals and 190 assists with the New York Islanders, Florida, Colorado, Nashville, Chicago, Toronto and most recently with his hometown Bruins.

"I'm very proud to retire as a Boston Bruin," said Fitzgerald. "I came to Boston with an agenda, which was to play here and live out a childhood dream. I did that and I'm very lucky and very fortunate. I took a lot of pride in wearing that sweater and I'm walking away a very happy man."

"It is a tremendous achievement to play 17 seasons in the National Hockey League," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "It shows not only a high level of talent, but of commitment and character as well. I know from talking to Tom recently how proud he was to wear a Bruins uniform and I can say that the Bruins were equally as proud to have him represent the team."

Source

Flyers Ink Kesler to Offer Sheet

2006-09-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday signed center Ryan Kesler to a one-year offer sheet. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kesler, 22, is a Group Two restricted free agent and Vancouver, the team who drafted him with their first pick in the 2003 draft, has the option to either match the Flyers offer or accept Philadelphia's second round pick in the 2007 draft.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder from Livonia, MI will be entering his third season in the NHL. Last year with the Canucks he appeared in all 82 games and posted 10 goals and 13 assists with 79 penalty minutes.

In 110 games, all with Vancouver, he has 12 goals and 16 assists.

Source

Oilers Sign Lupul

2006-09-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers resigned forward Joffrey Lupul to a three-year contract on Tuesday.

The Oilers acquired Lupul this summer in the deal that sent Chris Pronger to the Anaheim Ducks.

The 23-year-old Lupul was Anaheim's first round draft choice (7th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, and last season notched 28 goals and 25 assists in 81 games. Over two years with Anaheim, he has 41 goals and 46 assists in 156 games.

In Anaheim's 16 playoff games last season he led the team with nine goals, and added two assists.

Source

Isles Ink DiPietro to 15 Year Deal

2006-09-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

The New York Islanders will reportedly give goaltender Rick DiPietro the longest contract in National Hockey League history.

New York has scheduled a press conference for 3:00 p.m. (et) to announce the signing of DiPietro to a new contract. Newsday reported on Tuesday that an NHL executive stated the Islanders and DiPietro have reached an agreement on a 15- year contract worth $67.5 million.

DiPietro, who turns 25-years-old next week, was not scheduled to become a free agent for two more seasons.

The five-year pro played in 63 games last season and compiled a record of 30-24-0 with a 3.02 goals against average and .900 save percentage.

For his career, DiPietro is 58-62-8 with a 2.85 GAA and .900 save percentage. He also has six-career shutouts and was a member of the United States hockey team at the Turin Olympics this past winter.

Source

Philly Finally Re-Sign Gagne

2006-09-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

It took a flight to Montreal to get it done, but Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke has Simon Gagne's name on a contract in time for the start of training camp.

The Flyers re-signed Gagne to a US$26.25-million, five-year contract Monday night, ending a summer of difficult negotiations with camp set to open Thursday.

"It's a pretty good day for myself and my family for sure," Gagne said. "(Philadelphia) is the city I love. I have my house there. I love the place and the fans.

"I am pretty excited today and I cannot wait to pack up my stuff and drive to Philly tomorrow."

Gagne, a former first-round pick, is coming off the best season of his career, scoring 47 goals and 79 points last season for Philadelphia. The two-way forward was involved in lengthy contract negotiations for most of the summer, but Clarke flew to Montreal on Monday to meet with Gagne and his agent, Bob Sauve.

"I always wanted to get this done with Bob and, finally today, after the meeting, the three of us got it done," Gagne said. "It was pretty fun to shake the hand of Clarkie after a couple of hours of talking."

The signing comes as a relief to Clarke, who badly wanted Gagne signed before training camp opened.

"I think if a player has to miss training camp it is disruptive for the player and it is disruptive for the team," Clarke said. "I think it was critical to our organization to get Simon signed and to get him signed for a number of years."

The 26-year-old left winger has 160 goals and 164 assists in 426 career games. He's scored 20 goals in five of his six seasons.

"Simon is a very complete player," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said in a telephone interview. "He plays the most minutes on the team, he goes against the other team's best player, he can handle multiple positions. He does all of the other things needed to win."

Gagne had said he wouldn't report to camp without a new contract. Clarke said the Flyers wanted to offer Gagne a long-term deal while Gagne wanted the same amount -- reportedly $5 million -- over a shorter time frame.

With Peter Forsberg possibly set to return from ankle surgery on opening night, the Flyers will have their two best players in the lineup as they try to win their first Stanley Cup title since 1975. The Flyers were eliminated in the first round by Buffalo last season.

"I think the potential is there if he and Peter and (Mike) Knuble and the line stay healthy," Hitchcock said. "If the line stays healthy, it has a chance to do some serious damage."<. Gagne was the Flyers MVP last season and was tied for first with seven game-winning goals. He was second on the team in power-play goals with 12. "Simon one of the better two-way players in the game," Clarke said. "I know he's next to Forsberg on our roster. He is one of the better players in the league." Gagne is also a veteran of the Canadian Olympic team. He played on the gold-medal winning team at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and on Canada's entry at the 2006 Olympics in Turin. Source

Linden back

2006-09-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

As per sportsnet report

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20060911_142052_4960

Sportsnet.ca -- Trevor Linden will be back for another year with the Canucks. Sportsnet has learned the 17-year NHL veteran has agreed to a one-year deal in Vancouver.The Medicine Hat, Alberta-native was originally selected second overall by the Canucks in the 1988 Entry Draft and now seems certain to end his career with the club. Linden has also suited up for the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadins and New York Islanders, playing a total of 1,243 games for 830 career points (356 goals, 474 assists).While Linden has never been an offensive force in the league, he did manage to record at least 30 goals six times in his career. His strength, however, was in his defensive play where Linden established himself as a solid two-way player.Linden also served as president for the NHL Players' Association before deciding not to seek re-election this past July. He held that position since June 1998.

Hopefully he signed for 750,000 or less.

Vokoun Staying Put in Nashville

2006-09-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Nashville Predators made sure their cornerstone isn't going anywhere.

Goalie Tomas Vokoun has signed a four-year deal which will take effect at the conclusion of his current contract, which ends after this season.

Sportsnet has learned that the deal is worth $22.8 million and also includes a no trade/ no movement clause.

"I'm happy to be staying,'' Vokoun told the Nashville Tennessean. "I really like the Nashville organization and Nashville has always been very good for me and my family. I'm excited about the future.''

Vokoun, 30, has established himself as one of the league’s elite goaltenders, evidenced by the franchise-best 36 victories he posted last year, along with a .919 save percentage (tied for fifth in the NHL) and 2.67 goals against average. He finished fourth in voting for the Vezina Trophy.
Source

Sabres Ink Miller

2006-09-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Buffalo Sabres re-signed Ryan Miller to an $8-million, three-year deal Friday, ensuring that their No. 1 goalie won't miss the start of training camp next week.

The 26-year-old will earn $2 million this season, $2.5 million in 2007-08 and $3.5 million in 2008-09. He was the third starting goalie and restricted free agent to sign this week following Ilja Bryzgalov in Anaheim and Kari Lehtonen in Atlanta.

''Ryan was very clear that he was very concerned about being ready for training camp,'' said Miller's agent Mike Liut. ''He didn't want a prolonged situation affecting the team. And that says a lot about Ryan Miller.''

Miller was 30-14-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average in 48 regular-season games for the Sabres last season when he earned $501,600. Despite missing 18 games with a fractured thumb, the native of East Lansing, Michigan, finished among the league's top 10 in wins, GAA and save percentage (.914). Miller's 30 wins tied him with Henrik Lundqvist for most among rookie netminders, and were the second-most by a rookie in Sabres history behind Don Edwards' 38 in 1977-78.

Miller also backstopped Buffalo to within one game of the Stanley Cup final, posting a record of 11-7 with a 2.56 GAA and .908 save percentage in 18 games.

Source

Canucks Sign Two Youngsters

2006-09-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Alexandre Burrows to a three-year, one-way contract worth $1.5 million, according to CKNW 980 in Vancouver.

The 6'1'', 190 lb, forward from Pincourt, Quebec, spent the 2005-06 season bouncing back and forth between the Canucks and the club's AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Mooses. With Canucks forwards Richard Park and Matt Cooke temporarily off the Canucks roster, Burrows was brought up to play 43 games, notching seven goals and five assists with 61 penalty minutes in that time.

In other news, Canucks prospect Jason King walked out of camp on Friday after rejecting a contract offer from the club.

King spent the 2005-06 season with the Manitoba Moose, recording 33 points (19-14) in 36 games. King has played in a total of 55 NHL games, recording NHL career totals of 12 goals, 11 assists (23 points), and eight penalty minutes.

Prior to joining the Canucks, King spent three seasons as a member of the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. His final season in Halifax saw him lead the entire Canadian Hockey League in scoring, with 63 goals. King completed the season as the all-time leader in goals for the Mooseheads with 114.

This Cornerbrook, Newfoundland-native was selected 212th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2001 Entry Draft.
Source

_________________________________________________________________

The Vancouver Canucks on Friday secured the services of the "other" player they acquired for Todd Bertuzzi, signing defenseman Lukas Krajicek to a new contract.

Terms were not disclosed.

In exchange for the much-maligned Bertuzzi, goaltender Alex Auld and blue-liner Bryan Allen, the Canucks obtained Krajicek along with star netminder Roberto Luongo and a sixth-round pick from Florida on June 23. The 23-year-old Czech completed his first full NHL season with the Panthers in 2005-06, collecting two goals, 14 assists and 50 penalty minutes in 67 games.

Krajicek also represented his country at the World Championship earlier this year, registering eight penalty minutes in nine games in helping the Czech Republic capture the silver medal.

Drafted 24th overall in 2001, Krajicek has recorded three goals and 23 points in 90 career games over parts of three campaigns.

Source

Wild Announce Training Camp Roster

2006-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.wild.com/team/Press.asp?story_id=4869

One of the downsides of the Wild making ALL their major roster moves and restricted free-agent signings in July was that it basically left nothing for me to blog about in August.

Well September is here, and training camp starts next Friday.

Obviously, all eyes will be focused on the new players added this summer: Pavol Demitra, Mark Parrish and Kim Johnsson. Die-hard Wild fans will also be looking at newcomers Keith Carney and Branko Radivojevic to see what they can add to the mix.

C-H-E-M-I-S-T-R-Y will be the key word being thrown around. How well will the new players mesh with the existing players? Demitra and Gaborik have a history playing together on the Slovakian National Team and have been training together this off-season, so they are expected to "gel" right away.

It will also be interesting to see which, if any, of the top prospects earn a roster spot. The leading candidates should be top prospect Benoit Pouliot along with Roman Voloshenko. Matt Foy may also get another shot to show he belongs. On defense, youngsters like Shawn Belle, Clayton Stoner, and AJ Thelen also hope to make Doug Risebrough's decisions to be tough ones to make.

Side Note: The Wild will be holding an open practice for the fans to attend on Sunday, September 17th. Viking fans, don't worry, the Wild have announced that they will televise the home opener against Carolina on the JumboTron. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than to watch the Wild prospects and veterans hit the ice and watch the Vikings beat up on the Panthers at the same time???

Thrashers Re-Sign #1 Goaltender

2006-09-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Thrashers signed goaltender Kari Lehtonen to a new contract Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Kari is an important part of our franchise and we share in our fans excitement at having him anchor our goaltending for several years to come," executive vice president/general manager Don Waddell said. "We have a very good team surrounding Kari and he will play a key role in helping us take that next step. We are determined to build a team Atlanta can be proud of and this is another example of our commitment to making the playoffs and achieving substantial success."

Lehtonen posted a 20-15-0 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and two shutouts in 38 games with Atlanta last season. The 22-year-old led the team in wins, games, save percentage (.906) and saves (1,020) despite missing 41 games due to injuries. His 28 consecutive starts and appearances last season set a franchise record.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Helsinki, Finland native was selected second overall, in the first round in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers.

Source

Ducks Ink Bryzgalov

2006-09-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who assumed the role of Anaheim's No.1 goaltender for the NHL playoffs last spring, has re-signed with the Ducks for US$2.36 million over two years.

The 26-year-old Russian will earn $1 million this season and $1,362,500 in 2007-08, a raise over the $465,000 he made last season.

Bryzgalov led the league in goals-against-average (1.46), save percentage (.944) and shutouts (3) during the 2006 playoffs. He played 11 games and helped the Ducks eliminate Colorado and Calgary.

He had a shutout streak of 249 minutes 15 seconds that was the second-longest in post-season history, and he also tied the NHL record for consecutive shutouts (3). He was the first rookie goalie with consecutive playoff shutouts since 1945.

In Anaheim's four-game series sweep of the Avalanche, Bryzgalov posted a 0.93 GAA and had a .967 save percentage. In the first-round, seven-game series versus Calgary, Bryzgalov shut out the Flames in Calgary to give the Ducks the Game 7 victory.

In the regular season, the six-foot-three, 208-pound netminder had a 2.51 GAA and a .910 save percentage while going 13-12-1. He was drafted by Anaheim in the second round, 44th overall, of the 2000 entry draft.

Source

Taylor Named Lightnings Captain

2006-09-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Veteran centre Tim Taylor is the new captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa's assistant captains will be Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards, the team announced Wednesday.

"From the time we brought Tim into the organization he has consistently brought a quiet, steady leadership influence, unnoticed by the outside, but respected in the locker-room," Lightning head coach John Tortorella said in a statement.

"With the new additions to the team this year, we look for just that in Tim, his steady, honest influence in re-cultivating the tightness needed in the locker-room for us to continue our success on the ice.

Lecavalier had served as an assistant captain the past three seasons, and Taylor wore the "A" the second half of last season following the departure of previous captain Dave Andreychuk.

Taylor, 37, appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Lightning in 2005-06 and played in all five games during the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs.

He had seven goals and 13 points, leading the team in faceoff percentage.

The 12-year NHL veteran from Stratford, Ont., was acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on June 30, 2001. He has also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins.

Source

Avs re-sign Svatos

2006-09-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=176530&hubname=

The Colorado Avalanche announced the signing of forward Marek Svatos to a one-year deal on Tuesday.

"Marek played a key role in the team's success last season," said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere. "He had an outstanding year and scored several key goals. Along with Alex Ovechkin, Dion Phaneuf and Sidney Crosby, Svatos was a part of the outstanding and exciting new brand of NHL players that made their debut last year. We are expecting him to be a huge offensive contributor to our team again this season."
Svatos, 24, distinguished himself early in his rookie year with a hat trick in his second game of the season (sixth career game), the fastest to begin a career since Dean Sylvester's hat trick four games into the 1999-2000 campaign for the Vancouver Canucks.

Svatos played in 61 games, recording 32 goals and 18 assists before a fractured shoulder sidelined him for the remainder of last season. At the time of his injury, his 32 goals trailed only Ovechkin among rookies and his 50 points ranked him third behind Ovechkin and Crosby.
Despite his injury, his goal mark would hold up, ending the season tied with Joe Sakic for tops on the club. Svatos finished the season ranked third among NHL rookie goal scorers and second only to Anton and Peter Stastny in goal scoring among franchise rookies (both scored 39 in 1980-81). His 12 power play goals matched Anton Stastny's mark (1980-81) for most by a rookie.

Svatos' four-point effort versus Calgary on October 10 equaled the Avalanche rookie record set by Milan Hejduk during the 1998-99 season. The franchise mark for points in a game stands at eight set by Peter and Anton Stastny during the 1980-81 season.
Svatos made his Olympic debut with Slovakia at the 2006 Winter Games, playing in all six games. The Kosice, Slovakia native was Colorado's 10th selection (227th overall) in the 2001 Entry Draft.

Flames Sign Prospect

2006-09-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced today the signing of forward Andrei Taratukhin to a two-year entry level contract.

Taratukhin recorded 24 points during the 2005-06 season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv on nine goals and 15 assists while also accumulating 85 penalty minutes. The 23 year-old native of Omsk, Russia was originally drafted by the Flames in the second round, 41st overall, of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Source

Pitsburgh Signs Malkin to a Rookie Contract

2006-09-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

2nd overall pick in the 2004 NHL entry draft Evgeni Malkin has finally come to terms with the Pitsburgh Penguins on a 3-year rookie deal.

The deal will pay Malkin just shy of $1,000,000 a season plus incentives that could reach near $4,000,000 a season.

Malkin has been in the throng of a transfer dispute between the NHL and the Russian Elite League regarding transfer fees for star players.

Evgeni put up 47 points in 46 games last year for Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the Russian Elite league and was reknowned as one of the best players in the league at only 19 years old.

He's a big centre at 6'4 who skates smoothly, has fantastic hands, can take hits, and plays a sound 2-way game.

Keenan out

2006-09-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

As per TSN.

The Florida Panthers and their general manager are not waiting together to see how the 2006-07 NHL season will unfold.

Even after an offseason of major player transactions and renewed playoff hopes, the team announced in a statement Sunday that Mike Keenan has resigned from his front office post and has been replaced by head coach Jacques Martin.

It is not clear what led to the move - made just days before the start of training camp. While the Panthers are publicly saying he has resigned, sources tell TSN that Keenan was actually forced out.

Keenan had three years remaining on his contract with the Panthers and leaves after working parts of four seasons with the club. He was named head coach of the Panthers in December of 2001 and held the post until November of 2003.

He returned to the team as general manager in May of 2004 and immediately made a flurry of changes to improve the club's fortunes. He hired Martin - a former Ottawa bench boss who was also his university teammate - as head coach and added veteran players such as forwards Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts and Chris Gratton.

The team failed to make the playoffs for a fifth straight season in 2005-06, prompting Keenan to make more dramatic moves over the summer. He swung a blockbuster deal that saw superstar netminder Roberto Luongo go to Vancouver for a package that featured power forward Todd Bertuzzi, and also signed veteran goalie Ed Belfour.

The Panthers were Keenan's seventh NHL team. He began his NHL career as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984, and then led the Chicago Blackhawks behind the bench in 1988, guiding both teams to the Stanley Cup Final.

In 1993-94, he was hired as head coach of New York Rangers and led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup win since 1940. Keenan also served as head coach and GM as the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Boston Bruins.

Keenan began his coaching career with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League.

Martin spent eight seasons with the Senators before joining Florida and is considered one of the league's top coaches. He won the Jack Adams award as coach of the year in 1998-99 and was runner-up three other times.

It will be his first general manager job in the NHL.

'Canes Ink Isbister

2006-08-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Brad Isbister to a $600,000 US, one-year deal Wednesday, likely wrapping up their off-season pursuit of free agents.
The move gives the defending Stanley Cup champions another scoring threat to help replace the injured Cory Stillman, who had surgery earlier this month to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Team president and general manager Jim Rutherford has said Stillman could miss up to 40 games.
''It gives us a player who has proven in the National Hockey League that he can score goals,'' coach Peter Laviolette said. Stillman's injury ''opens up an opportunity for a lot of different players, and he's one of them.''
Isbister gets a two-way deal that will pay him $95,000 if he is sent to the Hurricanes' American Hockey League affiliate in Albany.
The 29-year-old Isbister had six goals and 17 assists last season for the Boston Bruins. He has 99 goals and 107 assists during an eight-year career that includes stints with the Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers.
He played for Laviolette for two seasons beginning in 2001-02 when both were with the Islanders.
''He's a big, strong, hard-skating forward who can score goals,'' Laviolette said.
Since winning the Stanley Cup, the team has traded for forward Scott Walker and signed forwards Jesse Boulerice and Shane Willis along with defenceman David Tanabe.
''We've got quite a few guys signed, probably to the point right now where maybe (there are) a couple more than we thought, especially when we look at the whole organization with how many slots we have in Albany,'' Rutherford said.
Laviolette said the team's most important moves kept together much of the nucleus of the team that won the Cup, including team captain Rod Brind'Amour, defenceman Glen Wesley and forwards Justin Williams, Erik Cole and Eric Staal.
''There's a big core of our team that came back, and to be honest, that was the strength of the summer,'' Laviolette said.
Source
__________________________________
Congrats to everyone for the 200th post on LTE.

Sabres Re-Sign Kalinin

2006-08-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

Payroll concerns caused the Buffalo Sabres to pass on re-signing right wing J.P. Dumont. But they did not let Russian defenseman Dmitri Kalinin get away.
The Sabres on Wednesday re-signed Kalinin to a two-year contract worth $4 million.
Buffalo had a payroll of approximately $29 million last season but still advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
But the cost of re-signing restricted free agents moved the payroll closer to the $44 million salary cap for 2006-07. The biggest increase went to center Daniel Briere, who was awarded a one-year, $5 million contract in arbitration after making $1.93 million last season.
That caused the Sabres to turn away Dumont, the talented right wing who was awarded a one-year, $2.9 million contract in arbitration.
With only $7 million to work with under the cap, Sabres general manager Darcy Regier wants to use that money on Kalinin and starting goaltender Ryan Miller - both restricted free agents. Miller has yet to re-sign but Kalinin is in the fold for the next two years.
Kalinin, 26, had two goals and 16 assists with a team-high plus-minus rating of plus-14 last season. He had two assists in eight playoff games before suffering a broken foot in Game Two of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Ottawa on May 8.
A 1998 first-round pick, Kalinin has 26 goals and 82 assists in 338 career games with Buffalo. He posted career highs of 10 goals and 24 assists in 2003-04.
Source

Carolina Signs UFA David Tanabe

2006-08-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

- The Stanley Cup winning Hurricanes have added a familiar face today inking Defenceman David Tanabe to a deal.

Tanabe was drafted 16th overall by Carolina in the 1999 entry draft, and played 3 NHL seasons with the Canes before being shipped to the Phoenix Coyotes for Danny Markov.

Phoenix dealt Tanabe to Boston last season for Paul Mara, and when given a substantial raise at arbitration a few weeks ago Boston opted not to resign the young d-man.

Canucks Ink Krajicek

2006-08-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

- Reports from Petr Svoboda, player agent, suggest Restricted Free-Agent defenceman Lukas Krajicek has signed a 1 year deal with the Vancouver Canucks.

The 23 year old, puck-moving d-man was traded to the Canucks in the deal that saw the Canucks land goaltender Roberto Luongo from Florida for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld.

The young Czech managed 2 goals, 12 assists and a +1 rating in 67 games with the Panthers last season.

With signings on defence of Krajicek, Fitzpatrick and Tremblay over the last few weeks it seems safe to say the Canucks have their defence set for this coming season.

Nashville Signs J.P. Dumont

2006-08-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

- From multiple sources:

The Nashville Predators have signed Winger (and ex Buffalo Sabre) JP Dumont to a 2 year contract worth a reported $2.25 mil a year.

The addition of Dumont comes in the wake of a deal that sent veteran winger (and all-time Pradators scoring leader) Scott Walker to the Carolina Hurricanes for young centre Josef Vasicek.

Dumont will likely man the 2nd line RW spot and add yet another gifted forward to a group allready bolstered by big centre Jason Arnott this off-season.

Dumont faced injuries last season but still managed 20 goals and 20 assists for 40 points in only 54 games, and was stellar in the post season with 7 goals and 7 assists, 14 points, in 18 post season games with the Sabres.

Bruins sign Hobey finalist Trevelyan

2006-08-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

As reported by TSN.

BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Bruins signed Hobey Baker finalist T.J. Trevelyan to a multiyear contract.

The 22-year-old Trevelyan played the last four seasons at St. Lawrence University. He had 78 goals and 76 assists for 154 points and 204 penalty minutes in 150 college games.

The five-foot-10, 170-pound native of Mississauga, Ont., was one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which recognizes the top U.S. college player.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed Monday by the Bruins.

Wings' Re-Sign Franzen

2006-08-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

DETROIT (CP) -- The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed forward Johan Franzen to a three-year contract.

The 26-year-old Swede was eligible for unrestricted free agency in July 2008 but the Wings got him signed through the 2008-09 season.

"Johan had a very good rookie season in the NHL," Wings GM Ken Holland said in a statement. "He was a big part of our penalty killing, provided us with a physical presence and played very well in the playoffs. Moving into his second NHL season and beyond, we're hopeful he can gain some confidence and increase his contribution in the scoring department as well."

Franzen had 12 goals and four assists in 80 games last season. He was drafted 97th overall by the Wings in the 2004 NHL entry draft.
Source

Sens add Kaigorodov

2006-08-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Senators have finally added their top Russian prospect Alexei Kaigorodov. Kaigorodov was Metallurg Magnitokorsk's 2nd line center behind Evgeny Malkin but would have been a #1 center on any other team in the league. Already a seasoned veteran in the RSL, Kaigorodov comes into training camp with more experience than some of the other rookies from this year. Kaigorodov has always wanted to play for the Senators but had honoured his contract in the RSL. As a result, Metallurg felt they owed it to AK to let him go over and try out. Kaigorodov is expected to sign the rookie max. and come to training camp. If, somehow, he fails to make the team, he will simply head back to the RSL to honour the rest of his contract. Metallurg has also said that they will not try to pursue any legal matters, should Kaigorodov make the Senators team. The Senators have now gotten much stronger at the centre position and overall, this might just help Russian players make the jump as two of the RSL's best players are now gone. As for right now, the deal is rumoured to be a two-year one-way contract.

P.S. For you fantasy junkies, this guy would be a great pick up. 2nd line duties with Alfredsson on his right and McAmmond on his left will do wonders for him, especially given his exceptional vision.

Boguniecki Nabbed By Blue Jackets

2006-08-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Eric Boguniecki to a two-way National Hockey League/American Hockey League contract on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old veteran played last season with the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins, registering six goals and 10 assists in 47 games.

Boguniecki has totaled 34 goals and 42 assists with Florida, St. Louis and Pittsburgh in 167 career games.

Source

Bruins Ink Bergeron to Deal

2006-08-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Boston Bruins re-signed forward Patrice Bergeron to a multi-year contract on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Bergeron posted career-high totals last season of 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points.

"Patrice is an outstanding young player with a tremendous future," said Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli. "He is an offensive threat every time he is on the ice, has great defensive instincts and he plays a physical game without taking a lot of penalties. With all that he has already accomplished, he will continue to grow as a player and we are very pleased that he will do so in a Bruins uniform."

Bergeron has played in 152 career games with Boston and has registered 47 goals and 65 assists.

The Bruins originally drafted Bergeron in the second round (45th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and the youngster made the team out of his first training camp at only 18-years-old.

Source

Rumours from the NHL

2006-08-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Since it's been a really slow last few weeks, I've been digging all over for any rumours and rumblings. Since Code just had a open forum, I'll summarize the news that he has heard through the grapevine:
- Nonis has been talking to Dvorak, Dvorak would like to be in a Canucks uniform come October
- Habs are working on signing Dumont
- Oilers are in serious talks about getting Marleau
- Carter is officially done with Canucks, Nonis isn't talking to his party anymore
- Hawks and Rangers are in talks about a Cam Barker/Al Montoya swap. The only hang up is that Hawks want Prucha in deal and Rangers aren't willing to move him.
- Rangers have also been talking to Matt Cooke, Canucks want propect back but Rangers are hesitant because of Cooke's salary.
- Mike Dunham is willing to accept a one year deal for nothing to play for the Canucks.

That is some of the news that Code had to offer up. Hope this helps a little bit.
Doogan

Kings to Retire Robitaille's Number

2006-08-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Kings will retire Luc Robitaille's No. 20 jersey before a Jan. 20 game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Robitaille will join Rogie Vachon, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Wayne Gretzky as the only Kings players to have their jersey retired.

"Having your sweater retired by your team is an incredible honour," Robitaille said Monday in a statement. "When I first came to L.A. more than 20 years ago, I never would have imagined this happening. To have my name up on the wall at Staples Center alongside true greats like Marcel Dionne, Rogie Vachon, Wayne Gretzky and Dave Taylor, and to see the wonderful basketball names like Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar up there as well, is truly overwhelming."

Robitaille, 40, is the highest scoring left-winger in NHL history as well as the all-time Kings leader in goals scored (557). The 19-year NHL veteran has 1,394 career points (668-726) in 1,431 regular-season games with Los Angeles, Detroit, Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers. He had 24 points (15-9) in 65 games with the Kings last season, his 14th with the club.

"Luc's passion for Los Angeles, the Kings and their fans was matched only by his determination to excel at our game," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "The retirement of his jersey will forever remind Kings players and fans of the lofty levels at which he conducted himself."

Robitaille also ranks second all-time in Kings history in games played (1,077), second in points (1,154) and fourth in assists (597). Last Jan. 19 he set the Kings all-time record for goals, passing Dionne.

"Luc's commitment to the game of hockey and to his community here, especially the kids, is total and unique, and the relationship he has with hockey fans in L.A. is unlike any other athlete/fan relationship I have ever seen," stated Kings governor Tim Leiweke. 'On the ice, Luc honoured the game every day and he honoured the jersey every minute. In Los Angeles, I do not think any other athlete has made the impact Luc has. He is a class act, a true legend and with the official retirement of his jersey, he will truly be a part of the L.A. Kings family forever."

Source

Preds Ink Henry

2006-08-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Nashville Predators announced Monday they have signed free-agent defenseman Alex Henry to a one-year contact, which will pay him $450,000 at the NHL level and $95,000 at the American Hockey League level.

Henry, 26, played in 63 games for Minnesota last season and posted a career- high five assists. A native of Elliot Lake, Ontario, he notched career highs in games played (71), goals (2), points (6) and penalty minutes (106) in 2003-04. Henry registered two goals and nine assists with 259 penalty minutes in 175 career NHL games with the Wild, Edmonton and Washington.

The 6-5, 220-pound blueliner was originally selected in the third round (67th overall) by Edmonton in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Nashville also announced Monday they have hired Shawn Dineen as a pro scout. Dineen, 48, has 10 years of scouting experience with Los Angeles, Colorado and Vancouver.
Source

Stories from the Weekend

2006-08-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

To catch up on the news around the NHL i'll simply put everything in this post.
_______________________________________________________

Stillman Undergoes Surgery:

- Cory Stillman will be out for the next 3-4 months. Stillman (who won cups in the last two NHL seasons with Tampa Bay in 04, then Carolina in 06) underwent surgery on his right shoulder Friday.

Carolina GM Jim Rutherford had hoped that Stillman would be able to rehab his injury over the off-season and be ready for camp. However, the injury got worse and surgery became the only option. At this point it looks as if Stillman will be missing the first couple of months of next season.

_______________________________________________________

Zherdev may stay in Russia:

- Colombus Blue Jacket's winger Nikolai Zherdev is holding his hand out and asking for more. The 21 year old put up 54 points with the Jackets last season and is seeking a hefty pay increase for the up coming season.

The Jacket's are reported to have offered Zherdev a one-year $1 mil contract, and also a two-year $3 mil contract.

Zherdev is under contract with a Russian squad and may opt to hold out in Russia if a deal cannot be reached, however both sides still seem optimistic a deal will come sooner rather than later.

________________________________________________________

Malkin says it has been very difficult:
(article from TSN, interview by Darren Dreger)

- It's been very difficult," Malkin told TSN. "I was under great psychological pressure and it was hard. But, my concern was more for my family and how they would cope."

Malkin left his Magnitogorsk team on Saturday while the team was in Finland for training. Widely regarded as the best player not playing in the NHL, Malkin is considered the biggest bargaining chip in Russia's attempt to avoid the International Ice Hockey Federation's transfer agreement with the NHL.
Related Info

Drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2004, the 20 year-old centre led Magnitogorsk with 47 points in 46 games last season.

Malkin bears no ill will towards his Russian team. "I don't have anything against the club," he said. "I'm very thankful for the opportunity I was given there. But, I wanted to play in the NHL, that was the only thing."

Having reportedly signed a new contract with Magnitogorsk on August 7, Malkin has given two weeks notice that he intends to void his contract, a tactic under Russian labour law that is also being used by Edmonton Oilers prospect Alexei Mikhnov, Malkin will be staying in Los Angeles until that two-week window expires on August 28.

At that point, he expects the process to move ahead so that he can open the season with the Penguins.

"Sure, I'm in the States right now and my dream is to go to the club and start playing as soon as possible...in a week," he said.

Looking ahead, Malkin is focusing on hockey and not the controversy that surrounds him.

"There are no concerns," he said.

"The only thing I'm thinking of is working hard to get into shape and I have to do that as soon as possible."
________________________________________________

-Lick

Oilers Lose Another D-man

2006-08-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have lost another defenceman from last season's squad, with Dick Tarnstrom following Chris Pronger and Jaroslav Spacek out the door.

The Edmonton Journal reports that Tarnstrom, who was an unrestricted free agent, has signed with Lugano of the Swiss Elite League.

Tarnstrom was acquired by Edmonton in a january trade with Pittsburgh that saw the Penguins get Cory Cross and Jani Rita. He was a disappointment down the stretch, scoring four points in 22 games.

According to the Journal, the Oilers had not spoken to Tarnstrom's agent in over a month, and other NHL clubs were not offering the money he wanted.

The Oilers are not worried about an apparent lack of depth on the blue-line.

"But that's why we got (Ladislav) Smid and (Jan) Hejda," Oilers assistant general manager Scott Howson told the Journal. "And that's why we signed (Peter) Sykora, because he can help our power play on the point."

Howson also confirmed for the Journal that the Oilers have recently inquired about free-agent defenceman Brian Leetch, who remains a friend of former teammate and current Oilers GM Kevin Lowe.

"We did talk to his agent, Jay Grossman, in early July and we've done so in the last few days, too, to see if there's any interest there," Howson told the Journal, while noting that a deal with Leetch is not on the horizon.
Source

Blues Ink Rivers

2006-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Blues signed defenseman Jamie Rivers on Friday.

The 31-year-old Rivers, who can also play forward, split last season with Detroit and Phoenix and recorded six assists. He returns to St. Louis, where he spent the 1995-1999 seasons.

"We signed a veteran NHL defenseman who will add depth to our defensive corps," said Blues president John Davidson. "Jamie is a quality defenseman who is familiar with our organization and we are excited to have him back in St. Louis."

In 423 games with St. Louis, the New York Islanders, Ottawa, Boston, Florida, Detroit and Phoenix, the six-foot, 190-pound defender has 16 goals and 46 assists for 62 points. He was the Blues third-round selection in the 1993 draft.

Source

Malkin Saga Continues

2006-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Evgeni Malkin is in Los Angeles with his agents J.P. Barry and Pat Brisson.

Malkin is seeking counsel to determine how he can join the Pittsburgh Penguins.

''It's been a stressful couple weeks for him, but he's here and we're making plans for the future right now,'' Barry told TSN.

Barry has been with Malkin since the pair connected at an airport in Helsinki, Finland on Saturday, at which point they went into lockdown in a nearby apartment to await Malkin's visa clearance.

The 20-year-old requested Barry meet him in Helsinki because he knew this would be his first opportunity to control his own passport. Upon receiving the passport in the airport Malkin quickly slipped away from his team, found Barry and was whisked into hiding.

''Magnitogorsk controlled Evgeni's passport and this was his first opportunity he could obtain his passport and leave the team,'' Barry added.

All of the secrecy was necessary to ensure Magnitogorsk officials wouldn't track Malkin down while he waited for the U.S. embassy in Helsinki to process an American visa.

''The hard part was getting a visa through the American embassy in Finland,'' said Barry.

That visa arrived midday on Wednesday and within two hours Malkin and Barry boarded an airplane bound for the United States.

CAA sports filed a two-week notification to terminate Malkin's contract with Magnitogorsk on Sunday. In early July a similar notice was served in an effort to break away from his original agreement.

''He's let it be known to the team for quite some time that his wish is to play in the NHL,'' said Barry. ''Since a month ago when he terminated his contract with them there's been a lot of pressure. One of those issues is that they understand he needs a passport to get a visa so his passport was out of his hands for a good part of the past month.''

It is not certain what the next step in this process will be, including Malkin's immediate status with the Penguins.

A team of lawyers will soon be brought on board to determine a direction.

What is known is that Evgeni Malkin is healthy and very eager to put the politics of this saga behind him.

Malkin is currently working out with a number of pro hockey players at the Kings' practice facility in Los Angeles.

Vyacheslav Bykov, Russia's national head coach, hopes Malkin will still play for his country.

''As a national team head coach I would like to count on him, and I was sure about his participation in the next year's World Championship,'' Bykov told Sport Express.

''I think he is a strong player and he has all the chances to join the team,'' Bykov added.
Source

Anahiem Deals D-Man

2006-08-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Anahiem Mighty Ducks have traded defenceman Vitali Vishnevski to the Atlanta Thrashers today for prospect forward Karl Stewart and a 2007 2nd Round draft pick.

Vishnevski is know for his agressive hitting and logged time in all 82 games for the Mighty Ducks las season.

Karl Stewart spent last season in the AHL notching 40 points.

Canucks Close to Signing Fitzpatrick

2006-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Cancucks may have found a piece of the puzzle for the defensive corps which fits in their budget.

According to the Vancouver Province, Rory Fitzpatrick is in Vancouver undergoing physicals and touring the city while Canucks GM Dave Nonis hammers out a one-year, one-way deal with his agent Stephen Bartlett.

"Nothing has been finalized," Bartlett told the Province, who added that two other teams have tendered offers. "They [Canucks] are still looking for a little more depth at defence and he's certainly a candidate for that spot. They haven't made an offer to say he's the candidate.

"But we feel very confident that at the worst, Rory is a sixth defenceman and he may surprise and move up from there."

Fitzpatrick, 31, earned $532,000 US last season with the Buffalo Sabres, who didn't offer him a contract for this season.

Source

Canucks Re-Sign Pair

2006-08-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Canucks re-signed defenseman Kevin Bieksa and forward Tyler Bouck on Thursday. Terms of both deals were not disclosed.

The 25-year-old Bieksa played in 39 games last season with Vancouver and had six assists and 77 penalty minutes.

Bouck, 26, had a goal and an assist last year in 12 games with the Canucks. In 85-career games, Bouck has netted four goals and picked up four assists.

Source

Lombardi re-signed by Calgary

2006-08-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

As reported on TSN

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Matthew Lombardi.

Lombardi scored six goals and 20 assists in 55 games with the Flames last year. He also chipped in a pair of assists in seven playoff games against the Mighty Ducks.

In 134 career NHL games, the 24-year-old centre has totals of 22 goals, 33 assists and 80 penalty minutes.

Lombardi was drafted by the Flames in the third round (90th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Kessel signs with Boston

2006-08-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

As per TSN

Phil Kessel has signed a multi-year contract with the Boston Bruins, according to the official Boston Bruins website. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 18 year-old Kessell, Boston's fifth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, played one season for the University of Minnesota, before opting to turn pro. Kessell's U of M career was topped off by his WCHA rookie of the year win, with 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points in 34 games in his only season of university hockey.

A native of Madison Wisconson, the 6 ft 190 lb Kessell was a stand-out in the US National Developmental program, leading all scorers in the 2006 World Cup Tournament with 11 points.

"Phil is a player with world-class speed and gifted offensive talents," said Chiarelli. "We feel he is ready to begin his professional development and we are looking forward to seeing him compete at training camp.”

New Blogger

2006-08-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Just like to say 'welcome' to our new blogger lucifer316 who will be sharing his thoughts on the New York Rangers and will help with reports from around the NHL.

Thanks again for agreeing to blog with us lucifer! (hehe)

WELCOME ABOARD!

Lick-

Shields to Vancouver?

2006-08-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is looking for a backup goalie who will be happy playing in maybe 15 games this season, is a solid locker room guy, and still commands respect despite the limited playing time. That goalie may be Steve Shields.

According to the Vancouver Province, Shields would be happy with the backup role in Vancouver and wouldn't be a disruptive influence, which Mika Noronen turned out to be.

"He's totally healthy, wants to back up Luongo and wants to be a supporter," Shields' agent Kurt Overhardt told the Province. "He's a great guy in the locker-room and being a backup to Luongo in Florida worked out well. They're friends.

Shields, who has also served as a backup to Andrew Raycroft, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Evgeni Nabokov, appeared in just five games with Atlanta last season and suffered a knee injury in January.
Source

Ducks extend Beauchemin

2006-08-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Anaheim Ducks signed defenseman Francois Beauchemin to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday, keeping him with the team through the 2008-09 season.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Beauchemin appeared in his first full NHL season last year, playing with both Columbus and Anaheim. He had eight goals and 28 assists for 36 points during the regular season. He then led all NHL rookie defensemen with nine points in 16 postseason games.

"We are very pleased to have three of our key defensemen under contract for the next three years," said Anaheim Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Brian Burke. "Francois has brought character and skill to our hockey club and we are happy to have him signed long-term."
Source

Official: Owen Nolan has Signed with Phoenix

2006-08-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

From Sportsnet.ca report,

Veteran Winger Owen Nolan has signed a one year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Nolan missed last season rehabing from surgery and contract disputes with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his previous club.

Nolan is a gritty player with a nose for the net who, when healthy, can put up numbers.

Though this may turn out to be the 2nd coming of Brett Hull in Phoenix.

Moran Signs With Ducks

2006-08-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday signed free agent defenseman Ian Moran to a one-year contract. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

Moran only appeared in 12 games last season for Boston before getting injured and requiring season-ending knee surgery. He posted one goal and one assist in those 12 games.

Originally drafted by the Penguins in 1990, he broke into the league with Pittsburgh in 1995 and played there until getting traded to Boston in March of 2003. In 488 games he has 21 goals and 50 assists.

Moran should fill the hole left in the Anaheim blueline after 18-year veteran Eric Weinrich announced that he was retiring last week.

Source

Coyotes Close to Signing Nolan

2006-08-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Coyotes are close to signing Owen Nolan to a one year contract. Nolan is looking for a contract in the 2M range. The 34 year old winger has been training twice a day on ice and has dropped his weight to 205-lbs. More information to come as the news progresses.
Source

Doogan

Sean Hill to the Island

2006-08-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

As per TSN

The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with veteran defenceman Sean Hill on a one-year contract.

The 36-year old Hill has played 760 regular season games over a 12-year NHL career, scoring 59 goals and adding 205 assists for 264 points.

"I spoke with Sean a lot over the last two weeks because we felt he would be an excellent addition to our blue line," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "We're very happy that Sean is coming to Long Island. He has been a very good defenseman in our league for a long time, a consistent player in all zones, a strong competitor and a leader".

Last year, as a member of the Florida Panthers, Hill had two goals and 18 assists in 78 games. His best offensive season was with Carolina in 1999-2000, when he had 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points in just 62 games.

The Islanders' defense now includes veterans Hill, Alexei Zhitnik, Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Tom Poti, Joel Bouchard and Chris Campoli.

Ortmeyer has pulmonary embolism

2006-08-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

As reported on TSN

NEW YORK (AP) - New York Rangers forward Jed Ortmeyer has been diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Ortmeyer is scheduled to undergo more tests later this week, the Rangers said Monday.

A pulmonary embolism is the sudden blockage of an artery in the lung, usually caused by one or more blood clots.

Ortmeyer began feeling discomfort a few nights ago after a hard workout, said his agent, Mark Witkin. After informing the Rangers, Ortmeyer was sent for tests. The diagnosis was made over the weekend.

''They believe it can be treated with medication,'' Witkin said. ''There has been no statement that his career is in jeopardy.''

Ortmeyer was only in the hospital for testing and there is no reason to believe at this time that he is facing a life-threatening situation, Witkin said. He added Ortmeyer, 27, hopes to take part in Rangers training camp next month.

Greg Johnson a Wing

2006-08-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

- Reports coming in indicate Greg Johnson has signed a 1 year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

No other updates yet.

Malkin Flees/Magnitogorsk Seeks Compensation (Updated)

2006-08-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

He was supposed to report to MM's training camp in Finland but took off with his passport and other belongings. He is rumoured to be making his way over to North America. No word on yet if other Metallurg players (ie. Kaigorodov) are missing as well.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=174058&hubname

Metallurg is now seeking compensation through legal means but if history is any indication, nothing will come of this case.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=174134&hubname

Linden to Re-Sign with Canucks

2006-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

It looks like Trevor Linden will return to the Vancouver Canucks next year.

According to a report in the Vancouver Sun, Canucks general manager Dave Noniswill re-sgn Linden when he returns from vacation next week.

Linden scored seven goals and dished out nine assists with a +3 rating in 82 games with the Canucks last year. In 1243 career NHL games with the Canucks, Capitals, Canadiens, and Islanders, Linden has amassed 356 goals and 474 assists.
Source
__________________________________________
I'm happy to see that some players are still loyal to the Canucks.

Sykora signs with Oilers

2006-08-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Petr Sykora has signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers pending a physical, TSN has learned.

Sykora is undergoing an MRI on his groin today and if he passes the physical the contract is done. An announcement is expected later today.

Unrestricted free-agent forward scored 23 goals with 51 points for Anaheim and the New York Rangers last season.
Sykora was part of the 2000 Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devis.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=173939&hubname=
__________

Adding Sykora brings yet another offensive weapon to an Oilers forward group that is already strong.

Anaheim Sign Green

2006-08-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Ducks have signed free agent center Travis Green to a one-year contract.

No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

Green, 35, played in 82 games for Boston last season, collecting 22 points with 79 penalty minutes and a 54.4 face-off win percentage. Green was one of only two Bruins to play in all 82 games, marking the second time in his career that he did not miss a single game.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound centre spent part of the 1997-98 season and the entire 1998-99 season with Anaheim, recording 46 points with 97 penalty minutes in 101 games. Green was originally acquired by Anaheim with Doug Houda and Tony Tuzzolino from the New York Islanders for Joe Sacco, J.J. Daigneault and Mark Janssens, Feb. 6, 1998. Anaheim traded Green and their first-round choice in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (Scott Kelman) to Phoenix for Oleg Tverdovsky, June 26, 1999.

The 14-year NHL veteran has recorded 453 points with 737 PIM in 939 career games with the New York Islanders, Anaheim, Phoenix, Toronto and Boston. Green was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.

Source

Columbus Signs Novak

2006-08-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Filip Novak to a two-year, two-way National Hockey League - American Hockey League contract, club President and General Manager Doug MacLean announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Novak, 24, spent the past season with the Ottawa Senators and its AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators. In 64 games with Binghamton, he netted eight goals and 44 assists for 52 points with 58 penalty minutes and was named to the 2006 PlanetUSA All-Star team. He played in 11 games with Ottawa and recorded four penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of -2.

The Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, native played three seasons in the AHL with Binghamton and San Antonio and recorded 19-73-92 with 221 penalty minutes in 192 career games. He was named to the 2003 AHL All-Star team and 2003 AHL All-Rookie Team. He missed the entire 2003-04 season due to an ankle injury.

The New York Rangers first pick, 64th overall, in the 2000 Entry Draft, Novak was traded, along with Igor Ulanov, New York's first- and second-round selections in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft to the Florida Panthers on March 18, 2002, in exchange for Pavel Bure and a second-round pick in the 2002 Entry Draft.

Sinden Leaves Post After 17 Years

2006-08-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Boston Bruins President Harry Sinden stepped down as President of the Bruins yesterday.

Sinden has been with the organization over 40 years (starting in 1961 as an affiliate coach in Kingston, Ontario), but will best me known for coaching the Bruins to a Stanley cup with Bobby Orr in 1970 the Bruin's first cup in 29 years.

Recently, however, it has beeen apparent that Sinden has lost a little of the magic he used to. Sinden will stay near the Bruin's as an advisor for the time being.

Lick-

Blues Re-Sign Backman

2006-08-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Blues have signed defenceman Christian Backman to a multi-year deal.

"We feel that signing Christian long term is an improvement for our hockey club considering the quality minutes he logs each game," said team president John Davidson. "He is a key component to our organization now and for the future."

Backman, 26, played in 52 games last season with the Blues, recording 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) along with a career-high 48 penalty minutes.

The Alingsas, Sweden native skated in eight games at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy and helped Team Sweden win the gold medal.

The 6-foot-4, 198-pound defenceman was originally St. Louis' first choice, 24th overall, in the 1998 Entry Draft.

Source

Sharks Ink Pair

2006-08-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have signed free agent defenceman Mathieu Biron to a one-year contract.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Biron, 26, appeared in 52 games registering 13 points and 50 penalty minutes with the Washington Capitals during the 2005-06 season.

Entering his eighth pro season, he has played 253 career NHL regular season games totaling 44 points and 177 penalty minutes for the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Capitals.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound native of Lac St. Charles, Quebec was originally selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round (21st overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

San Jose also signed Group II restricted free agent left wing Patrick Rissmiller to a two-year deal.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Recalled from Cleveland on Mar. 15, Rissmiller scored six points in 18 regular season games before notching three points in 11 playoff games.

Rissmiller, 27, had 52 points in 68 games with Cleveland before getting promoted last season.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound native of Belmont, Massachusetts was signed by San Jose as a free agent on June 30, 2003.

Source

Desjardins to Retire

2006-08-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Flyers defenseman and former captain Eric Desjardins will reportedly announce his retirement.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 37-year-old veteran, who was not offered a contract by the Flyers this offseason, will announce his retirement on Thursday, said a source on the team.

Acquired by the Flyers in 1995 for forward Mark Recchi, a trade which also saw high scoring left winger John LeClair come to Philadelphia, Desjardins solidified the clubs defensive corps over the course of the next several seasons and helped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997, where the team was swept by the Detroit Red Wings.

The blueliner, though, has been slowed by a series of injuries over the past several seasons and only appeared in 45 games last season for Philadelphia, posting four goals and 20 assists.

Originally a second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1987 draft, he broke into the league with the Habs in the 1988-89 season and played with the club until being traded in 1995.

In 1,143 games over 17 seasons, the Rouyn, Quebec native has posted 136 goals and 439 assists. In 168 playoff games he has notched 23 goals and 57 assists. He won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Canadiens in 1993, when the team defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games. He scored all three goals during a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2 that tied the series.

Source

Blues Sign Legace

2006-08-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Blues added veteran depth in net Tuesday, agreeing to a contract with former Red Wings goalie Manny Legace.

“The Blues are thrilled to bring a veteran goaltender with a career winning record to our team,” said Blues president John Davidson. “With the addition of Manny, we feel solid with the depth we have in goal.”

The 33-year-old Legace had a career year for Detroit last season, including a 37-8-0 record and a 2.19 goals against average. But he will have to battle Jason Bacashihua and Curtis Sanford for St. Louis' starting job.

Legace spent the previous six seasons in Detroit, including the team's Stanley Cup championship season in 2002. However, the Red Wings' first round playoff loss to Edmonton cast Legace -- many believe, unfairly -- in a negative light, and Detroit GM Ken Holland chose to cut ties with his former No. 1 netminder.

The Wings will go with the returning Chris Osgood, and Dominik Hasek (back after a season in Ottawa) in the coming campaign.

Originally Hartford ’s eighth round draft pick (188th overall) in 1993 Legace has a 114-43-18 (.624) record along with a 2.21 goals-against average and 13 shutouts in 197 regular-season games.
Source

Blackhawks Sign Caron

2006-08-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday signed goaltender Sebastien Caron to a one-year contract.

Caron, who is expected to back up Nikolai Khabibulin and Patrick Lalime, split last season between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. The 26-year-old went 8-9-5 with a .881 save percentage and a 3.98 goals-against average in 26 games with Pittsburgh and 3-3-0 with a 1.18 GAA with the minor league team.

In his 90-game NHL career, all with the Penguins, Caron is 24-47-7-5 with a 3.49 GAA.

Source

The Malkin Saga Continues...

2006-08-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Reports out of Russia now indicated that the Pitsburgh Penguins' highly touted prospect Evgeni Malkin has agreed to a new one year contract with his Russian club Magnitogorsk Metallurg that would keep him out of the NHL for yet another season.

Malkin's new North American agent J.P. Barry indicates Malkin is still hoping to play in Pitsburgh and the NHL as soon as is possible, but the youngster is exploring all possibilities.

The 6'3 centre led Magnitogorsk last season in the Russian Elite League with 47 points in 46 games.