1 year on from the accident that almost ended his NHL career, Richard Zednik put up 2 goals in the Panthers 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As predicted, the Dallas Stars waived Sean Avery to the AHL yesterday. The New York Rangers have agreed to take him on in their farm team, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Many believe the Rangers may agree to take Avery off re-entry waivers if he performs well in Hartford.
Andy McDonald returned to the Ice today after a 36 game break due to a fractured leg, and did so with a 2 point outing, putting up a goal and an assist in the Blues 6-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Boston Bruins lose Petteri Nokelainen and Chuck Kobawew to injuries after todays 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Nokelainen was high-sticked by Shark’s Dan Boyle and immediate left the ice. Boyle did not receive a penalty on the play. Kobasew left he ice early with an apparent leg injury.
St Louis Blues LW Paul Kariya underwent a second surgery on his hip today. It is unsure if he will return this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs put Mike Van Ryn on IR today. Van Ryn had an MRI Monday, but no major damage was found. The team is purported to be playing it safe.
Video of the day:
Photo of the day: St. Louis Blues‘ Chris Mason, right, shoves Vancouver
Canucks‘ Steve Bernier away from the crease in the
third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 10,
2009, in St. Louis. The Canucks beat the Blues 6-4.
Avery NOT in Substance Abuse ProgramClassic Contrary to a published report, Sean Avery has not been put into Stage 1 of the joint NHL-NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Modification Program. But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen at some point in the near future, perhaps in a matter of days or weeks. (The Full Story on TSN)
Bettman: Avery’s words “disgusting & Offensive”
The Dallas Stars have made the best of a bad situation by cutting loose disgraced winger Sean Avery, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday. “They’re supportive of him getting the counselling he’s getting, they’re continuing to pay his contract, and I think it became obvious that that was an uncomfortable situation for everybody, so they’ve all decided to move on,” he said. “I think that was a very professional way to handle it.” (The Full Story on TSN)
Hordichuk meant no offense towards Linden
Rugged Vancouver forward Darcy Hordichuk says he meant no disrespect toward Trevor Linden when he made a reference to the former Canuck captain in a recent interview. (The Full Story on TSN)
Forsberg hopes for post-season return
Peter Forsberg says he wants to try the NHL one more time. According to the Denver Post, Forsberg hopes to participate in the 2009 NHL playoffs, and he would like to do so in a Colorado jersey. (The Full Story on TSN)
Suspensions:
None
Trades & Transactions:
Fredrik Norrena (G – Columbus) Demoted to AHL (Syracuse, NY)
Injuries:
Nathan Horton (C – Panthers) Ankle. Should return Tuesday.
Ryan Whitney (D – Pittsburgh) Should return next week.
Bob McCown reported yesterday Mats Sundin has decided to join the New York Rangers. McCown’s source – said to be close to the situation – believes the decision will be made public later this week.
Avery & Stars Part Ways Even with his six-game suspension being over, troubled Stars forward Sean Avery will not be returning to Dallas. The Stars said on Sunday that representatives for both Avery and the team said they would continue to work together in support of Avery during “this critical time” for the player. (The Full Story on TSN)
Sundin meets with Rangers Brass Sundin, who took in Saturday night’s encounter between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in a private box, met with Rangers brass following the game. (The Full Story on TSN)
Coyotes McGrattan enters NHLPA Drug Program
Phoenix Coyotes forward Brian McGrattan has voluntarily entered stage 1 of the NHL and NHL Players Association Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program it was announced on Saturday. (The Full Story on TSN)
Suspensions:
None
Trades & Transactions:
The Dallas Stars acquired center Brian Sutherby from the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday for center David McIntyre and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2010. (The Full Story on Yahoo!)
Injuries:
Jeremy Roenick (C – San Jose) IR. Out 3-4 weeks with shoulder injury.
The Dallas Stars have reportedly had talks with the Rangers about a possible deal that would see Sean Avery dealt back to the Big Apple in exchange for struggling d-man Michal Rozsival. Avery would be demoted to the minors until he addressed his anger management issues.
Al Strachan noted speculation the Vancouver Canucks might try to sign both Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa next summer to have them join Pavol Demitra and thus off-set the potential loss of the Sedin Twins to free agency.
Bill Watters claimed Panthers forward Nathan Horton is unhappy playing for Jacques Martin in Florida, even noting a rumor Horton might consider retiring but could give it another try after this season but preferably with another NHL team.
Avery Alert: With so much news surrounding the Sean Avery situation, our new section “Avery Alert” will bring you all the news comments you need in one handy location. Don’t worry though, this section will only last a short time and will stop once we all get sick off hearing about Avery.
Avery to meet with Bettman and the NHL Thursday.
The date of the hearing has been set; this Thursday. Avery will travel to New York to face the NHL. Stars co-GM Brett Hull is said to be traveling with Avery. (The Full Story on TSN)
No Way Out For Avery Ross McKeon of Yahoo! Sports breaks down the Avery situation and explains that there may be no way for Avery to come out of this in a good position. (The Full Story on Yahoo)
Avery Apologises to NHL, Team, Ex’s Avery’s publicist wasted no time in drafting a well written apology. (The Full Story on Yahoo)
NHL Suspends Avery Indefinitely
After making the “sloppy seconds” comment, the NHL quickly jumped in and indefinitely suspended the agitator. (The Full Story on TSN)
News
Fan injured in fall at Senators game
A male fan was injured at Scotiabank Place on Wednesday during the Ottawa Senators’ 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers after falling from the top level of the arena. The man, who Senators president Roy Mlakar stated was not inebriated, originally fell over in row D of the 300 level. He then plummeted into row D of the 200 level, falling on a woman who also sustained injuries. Mlakar believes the man was not seriously hurt. (The Full Story on Yahoo)
Canes Sack Peter Laviolette
Carolina fired Peter Laviolette on Wednesday. The Hurricanes brought back Paul Maurice to take over as coach, and moved assistant general manager Ron Francis behind the bench as Maurice’s associate coach. Laviolette led the team to the 2006 Stanley Cup title. He’s the career victory leader among U.S.-born coaches.
Trades & Transactions:
Anaheim acquired defenseman Logan Stephenson from Phoenix on Wednesday for left wing Joakim Lindstrom. Stephenson will report to Iowa of the AHL.
Injuries:
Brian Rolston (NJ Devils) – Expected back thursday.
Joe Sakic (C – Avalanche) Expected to miss 6 weeks.
Marian Gaborik (Wild) Not yet ready to return.
Rumours & Gossip:
What to do with Avery?
Rumours are ripe that Avery has played his last game in a Stars jersey. If that’s the case, there are a few options the team has, which include: Demoting him to the minors, buying out his contract, looking for a trade, or going through legal channals to void his contract. Either way, if it’s true that Avery is on the out, this could mean a very positive thing for the team.
Havlat on the block?
After recent changes which ended up with Martin Havlat being demoted to the teams 3rd line, speculation suggests the Hawks could be looking to move him at some stage.
David Booth (LW – Panthers). Not only did Booth score the game winner against the Anaheim Ducks today, he scored all 3 Panthers goals in the game..
Stars of the day:
Olli Jokinen (C – Coyotes) 2G 1A 3Pts
Marty Reasoner (C – Thrashers) 2G 0A 2Pts
Jeff Deslauriers (G – Oilers) 38 Shots on, 37 Saves, .974 SV%
Turco faces media over Gaffe
(The following is an article by Yahoo! Sports’ Ross McKeon. To view the full article, please click here)
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Give Marty Turco credit. After gift-wrapping a victory for the host San Jose Sharks in the final 30 seconds with a giveaway of immense proportions, at least the Dallas Stars goaltender was brave enough to face the music.
With the embarrassing play he made late in regulation of Saturday night’s game, when Stars were ohhhhhhh so close to escaping with at least one, if not two, very needed points, it would have been easy to crawl into the stick bag and quietly exit HP Pavilion for the flight out of town without saying anything to anybody.
That, however, only would have compounded the situation the Stars find themselves in, a very good team on paper that’s a long way back in the Pacific Division standings. The only way to get to where Dallas belongs is through leadership and accountability… (read more)
Anderson, Larionov, Scapinello & Chynoweth’s big day arrives
(The following article is by Chris Johnston of the Canadian Press)
TORONTO – The big moment is finally set to arrive for Mork and The Professor.
Passed over in years past, Glenn Anderson and Igor Larionov will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night along with linesman Ray Scapinello and junior hockey builder Ed Chynoweth.
The wait has been longest for Anderson. He’s been eligible since 1999 and had to watch as 23 players were enshrined before him during that time.
Perhaps it’s only fitting for a guy that has never done things the traditional way, which earned him the nickname Mork – after a TV alien from outer space. Anderson won six Stanley Cups during his career and earned a reputation as a big-game player… (read more)
oh, they’re hurt:
Paille was a healthy scratch on Saturday after a poor performance on Friday, according to The Buffalo News.
There were 28 new Hockey videos added to the site today, including game highlights from the days NHL matches, some great fights and a fantastic interview with Alexander Ovechkin (below).
1st Period – 11/8/08: The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 3-1 to remain unbeaten at home. Brooks Laich and Tom Poti scored for the Capitals in the first period.
Tobias Stephan (G – Stars) earns our player of the day for his win over the Minnesota Wild. Stephan played in only his 2nd ever NHL game. His last game, almost a year ago was on the road in Chicago, a game where he played solid but lost the game in overtime. A year is a long time to wait to prove you can play at this level, but Stephan did that today.
Stars of the day:
Teemu Selanne (Ducks), got his game on with a hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings
Tobias Stephan (Stars) made his NHL debut for 2008 with a 4-2 win over the Wild
Ryan Getzlaf (Ducks) had 5 assists in the Ducks win over the Red Wings
Matt Stajan (Maple Leafs) scored 2 goals in the Leafs shootout win over the Devils
Pavel Datsyuk (Red Wings) scored a pair against the Ducks
…and there were none:
Going into todays game the Wild had no suffered a regulation loss this season, the only team remaining to do so. Tobias Stephan and the Stars put and end to that with a solid 4-2 win over the travelling team.
Demoted:
Jordan Staal has been demoted to the third line during Wednesday’s Penguins practice.
Trade Deadline moved:
The NHL has announced that the Trade Deadline will be moved back to March 4. The change has been approved by both the NHL and the NHLPA.
oh, they’re hurt:
Sergei Zubov (Stars) should be back in the Stars lineup this Saturday.
Randy Jones (Flyers) could resume skating in 2 weeks and should be back on the team before Christmas.
Jere Lehtinen (Stars) is rumored to begin skating again soon.
Tim Connolly (Sabres) is unlikely to play this weekend with a back injury.
Pascal Leclaire (Blue Jackets) is looking at a second opinion after his MRI revealed just a sprained ankle.
Bryan McCabe (Panthers) began skating on his own Monday.
Rick DiPietro (Islanders) will not be on the upcoming road trip.
He shoots… the scores:
Toronto Maple Leafs 6 – 5 New Jersey Devils (shootout)
Wild reportedly shopping RW Gaborik Arguably the greatest player in franchise history, Marian Gaborik appears to be on his way to becoming a former member of the Minnesota Wild.
Gaborik, who can become an unrestricted free agent following the 2008-09 season, was offered by the Wild to an unnamed team in a trade proposal last weekend, according to a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Tuesday.
The report stated its source, an NHL team executive, told Minnesota he was not interested in acquiring Gaborik, the lone remaining original member of the Wild.
It is believed Minnesota general manager Doug Risebrough has had discussions with the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings regarding Gaborik, the Star Tribune reported. The right wing has turned down a number of contract extension offers, and Risebrough and agent Ron Salcer both told the Star Tribune the sides have not spoken in two weeks.
Drafted third overall in 2000, Gaborik has recorded 207 goals and 415 points – both franchise highs – in 487 career games with the Wild. This season, the 26-year-old Slovakian notched one tally in two contests before missing the team’s last two games with a “lower body” injury.
A two-time All-Star, Gaborik has reached the 30-goal mark five times during his seven seasons in the NHL, netting a career-high 42 in 2007-08. He also represented his country at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Injury Updates:
Red Wings D Lilja undergoes appendectomy Red Wings defenceman Andreas Lilja has undergone an appendectomy. The team says Lilja could return to the lineup as soon as Friday following Tuesday’s surgery at the Detroit Medical Center. The team also says forward Darren Helm has been assigned to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Helm was called up to Detroit on Thursday and appeared in two games. Helm was Detroit’s fifth-round selection in the 2005 draft.
Blue Jackets activate centre Malhotra and place winger Modin on IR The Columbus Blue Jackets activated centre Manny Malhotra off injured reserve Tuesday. He has been nursing a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup through the club’s first five games. The Blue Jackets also placed left-winger Fredrik Modin on injured reserve with a hip injury. Modin, who has three assists in five games, is expected to miss at least three games.
Ducks C Getzlaf out of lineup The Anaheim Ducks are without one of their top players for Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs as center Ryan Getzlaf was scratched due to an issue with his teeth.
Signings & Acquisitions:
Blues claim LW Koci on waivers from Lightning The St. Louis Blues on Tuesday claimed left wing David Koci on waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Koci, 27, played in one game with Tampa Bay this season, posting four penalty minutes. The 6-6, 238-pounder has skated in 28 career NHL contests, recording 160 penalty minutes. The Czech Republic native originally was taken by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 2000 draft.
Rangers place LW Rissmiller on waivers Patrick Rissmiller’s days with the New York Rangers could be coming to an end. According to a report by New York Newsday on Tuesday night, the Rangers placed the left wing on waivers.
Ducks place D Klee on waivers The Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday placed defenseman Ken Klee on waivers. Teams have until 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday to claim the 37-year-old Klee, who could be assigned to Iowa of the American Hockey League should there be no takers.
Avangard Omsk returns to ice after Cherepanov death The Avangard Omsk hockey team on Monday played its first Kontinental Hockey League game since the death of promising winger Alexei Cherepanov.
With Cherepanov’s parents in attendance, captain Alexander Svitov and alternates Anton Kuryanov and Alexander Popov skated with Cherepanov’s jersey No. 7 before it was raised to the rafters. An announcement was made that his No. 7 will never be worn again.
“It was tough on those three guys,” Omsk coach Wayne Fleming told TSN of Canada on Monday. “They didn’t have a lot of time to wipe their tears before the puck drop and away they went. And there was no warmup music at all. There was no talking among the players as both teams went about their warmup rituals and practice drills.”
Avery returns to the Garden Sean Avery hurried out of Madison Square Garden nearly as quickly as he left the New York Rangers as a free agent.
“I love you guys,” Avery said to a large throng of reporters in the
tight visitors dressing room, “but I have to go take my teammates out
to dinner.”
Avery made his presence felt upon his return to Manhattan after 1
1/2 seasons of being the resident Rangers pest. He didn’t show up on
the scoresheet Monday, but he walked out into the New York nightlife he
relishes after he and the Dallas Stars skated off with a 2-1 victory.
Devils C Holik out 3-4 weeks The New Jersey Devils on Monday announced that veteran center Bobby Holik will be sidelined three to four weeks with a broken right pinkie. Holik, who left in the second period of the team’s 4-3 shootout win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday, is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the Devils recalled left wing Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond from Lowell of the American Hockey League. (Yahoo!)
DiPietro feeling good DiPietro (knee) said he was “feeling good” after Monday’s practice, the New York Newsday reports. (Yahoo!)
Transactions:
Rangers add LW DiDiomete The New York Rangers on Monday agreed to terms with left wing Devin DiDiomete. Known as an enforcer, DiDiomete notched 23 goals and 56 points with 216 penalty minutes over 56 games last season with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League. The 20-year-old DiDiomete also had six goals and six assists with 62 penalty minutes in 21 playoff contests. (Yahoo!)
Flyers assign RW Downie, C Ross to minors The Philadelphia Flyers assigned right wing Steve Downie and center Jared Ross to the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League on Monday. Both have played sparingly as the Flyers have gotten off to a miserable 0-3-2 start. Neither has recorded a point. (Yahoo!)
Carolina send Zach Boychuk to WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes Zach Boychuk is on his way back to the Western Hockey League. The Carolina Hurricanes announced Monday that the 19-year-old forward would rejoin his junior team in Lethbridge for the rest of the season. (Yahoo!)
Red Wings place RW McCarty on waivers The Detroit Red Wings on Monday placed veteran right wing Darren McCarty on waivers, according to a published report. The Detroit News reported that if the 36-year-old clears waivers, he could be sent to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. All other NHL clubs have until noon on Tuesday to claim McCarty, who has been part of four Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings. (Yahoo!)
EAGLE TRIBUNE.COM: Mike McMahon reports Phil Kessel’s improvement this season has turned him into the “sniper the Bruins need him to be”, silencing his critics and putting the rest the trade rumors that dogged him since last season. McMahon suggests the Bruins need to re-sign Kessel before he become a restricted free agent next summer.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Dan Wood reports on the media circus that’ll dog Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke during his club’s swing into Toronto this week, where he’s rumored to be in the running for the job of Maple Leafs general manager when his current contract expires with the Ducks at season’s end. Burke isn’t keen on discussing his future but added he’d make a decision on re-signing with the Ducks by no later than Christmas.
DETROIT NEWS: reports the Red Wings have placed popular forward Darren McCarty on waivers.
VANCOUVER PROVINCE: reports the Canucks have recalled forwards Kyle Wellwood and Matt Pettinger and are confident both will clear re-entry waivers.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS: reports the Sharks have placed their 2004 first round pick Lukas Kaspar on waivers.
The Yzerman have it By Brian Compton – NHL.com Staff Writer
There’s no doubt that Steve Yzerman was a winner during his playing days with the Detroit Red Wings.
Now, he gets to show his skills in the front office with Team Canada.
Yzerman, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings during his career and another as the team’s vice president last season, will expand his executive talents in a big way after being named executive director of Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Indeed, there will be pressure on Yzerman to lead Canada to a gold medal on its own soil. Yzerman helped his country win the tournament in 2002 in Salt Lake City.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity,” Yzerman said on Saturday during a conference call with the media. “I would stress to everyone what a great challenge we have ahead of us. There’s tremendous talent around the world. By no means because we’re playing on home ice is any gold medal a lock. Our goal, obviously, is to win the gold medal. We’ll do everything we can as a group to assemble an outstanding coaching staff and an outstanding team.”
Zetterberg iffy for Wednesday Zetterberg (groin) missed his second straight game on Saturday, while his status for Wednesday’s game against St. Louis is unclear, the Royal Oak Daily Tribune reports. (Yahoo!)
Andrei Kostitsyn to be sidelined Monday The Canadiens did not have an update on Kostitsyn’s injury on Sunday, but head coach Guy Carbonneau confirmed that he will not play on Monday against Florida, TSN.ca reports. (Yahoo!)
Player Updates:
Jackets send G LaCosta to AHL The Columbus Blue Jackets sent goaltender Dan LaCosta to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse. LaCosta stopped 15 of 17 shots in 35 minutes Saturday night at Nashville in relief of Fredrik Norrena. The 22-year-old was recalled late Friday after starting goaltender Pascal Leclaire injured his right thumb when he caught a shot on the inside of his blocker. Leclaire’s injury was not considered serious and LaCosta’s return to the AHL likely means that Leclaire will return before the Blue Jackets’ next game on Tuesday. LaCosta is 4-0-0 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in four games with Syracuse. (NHL.com)
Lightining assign D Heward to Norfolk The Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday assigned defenseman Jamie Heward to Norfolk of the American Hockey League. The 6-2, 215-pound Heward played in three games this season, registering two assists. In his ninth NHL season, Heward is a veteran of 384 games with Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Washington, Columbus, New York Islanders, Nashville and Toronto.
The Yzerman have it
