May 16, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Shane Doan Might Face Discipline For Hit On Trevor Lewis
Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan might face supplementary discipline for his boarding hit on Trevor Lewis in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
General consensus is that Doan is less likely to face discipline than Martin Hanzal, who delivered a questionable boarding hit of his own on Dustin Brown. Doan does have a history of offenses,so it remains to be seen what the unpredictable disciplinary system determines.
May 16, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Colorado Avalanche, Milan Hejduk Reportedly Discussing New Contract
The Denver Post reports that there has been some ongoing dialogue between Milan Hejduk and the Colorado Avalanche and that is where the 36-year-old veteran would prefer to stay.
Hejduk has played all 991 of his career games in the NHL with the Avalanche and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. However, it is uncertain if he would play for another team or choose to retire if he isn’t in Colorado’s plans.
May 16, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Steve Yzerman Reportedly Interested In Swiss Forward Damien Brunner
The St. Petersburg Times reports that Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman is reportedly interested in Swiss forward Damien Brunner.
Yzerman called the 26-year-old “highly skilled and fast” and he said that the Lightning aren’t the only team monitoring his progress at the World Championships.
Brunner recorded three goals and seven points in seven games for Switzerland during the tournament’s preliminary round, but it wasn’t enough to get his country a birth in the quarterfinals. He earned 24 goals and 60 points in 45 games while playing for Zug this past year.
Brunner recorded three goals and seven points in seven games for Switzerland during the tournament’s preliminary round, but it wasn’t enough to get his country a birth in the quarterfinals. He earned 24 goals and 60 points in 45 games while playing for Zug this past year.
May 16, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Quick Hits: Tom Ward, Rob Flick, Daniel Alfredsson, Reid McNeill
Quick Hits from around the NHL:
- While others may consider Tom Ward the leading coaching candidate to land the Calgary Flames head coaching job, the man himself isn’t necessarily ready to go that far with any sort of predictions. ”I wouldn’t put any mortgages on that. Or any kind of money,” the Calgary Sun quotes the current Abbotsford Heat coach as saying.
- The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Rob Flick have agreed to terms on a three-year contract. The 21-year-old had seven goals, six assists and 91 penalty minutes in 45 regular-season games with the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs this season. Flick was a fourth-round pick by Chicago in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He spent three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with Mississauga-St. Michael’s (2008-11).
- Daniel Alfredsson didn’t shed any light on whether he’ll play again next season during a question-and-answer session with fans on the IIHF’s website, but he did talk about what he wants to do after he stops playing. Asked by one fan if he’d like to be a head coach or an assistant, Alfredsson, answered he could see himself in both roles once his career is over at some point.
- Pittsburgh Penguins have signed NHL prospect defenseman Reid McNeill to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was a sixth round pick of the Penguins in the 2010 draft. McNeill posted 12 points and 60 penalty minutes in 51 games with the OHL’s Barrie Colts this past season.
May 15, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Marc Bergevin Is Making Initial Contact With Potential Montreal Canadiens Head Coach Candidates
According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin is just starting to make initial contact with potential candidates for the vacant head coach position.
“The Canadiens are in the process of touching base with potential head coach candidates including Michel Therrien, Guy Carbonneau, Marc Crawford, and Bob Hartley. Interviews have not been set up and the process is in the early stages.”
Hartley is also considered a solid candidate for the head coaching vacancy with the Calgary Flames.
May 15, 2012
2 Comments »
Raffi Torres To Appeal 25 Game Suspension
Update: According to sportsnet.ca Raffi Torres will meet with league officials Thursday to appeal his 25-game ban.
The forward was suspended during the Coyotes’ opening-round series after his hit to the head of Chicago’s Marian Hossa. The concern is not the suspension itself, but the length. It is the league’s longest since the Islanders Chris Simon received a 30-game sentence in 2007.
May 4th: Phoenix Coyotes winger Raffi Torres will appeal his 25-game suspension for his hit to the head of Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa in Game 3 of their playoff series last month, the NHL Players Association confirmed Thursday.
All appeals are heard by commissioner Gary Bettman.
Torres was given the longest suspension in the league since 2007 and is scheduled to miss the rest of the playoffs. The suspension will carry over to next season if it is not served during the playoffs.
Torres and the NHLPA will meet with Bettman about the length of the suspension, but not the ban itself.
May 15, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Los Angeles Kings Interested In Re-Signing Dustin Penner?
Reported by ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun, Dustin Penner who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season is performing well and contributing on a line with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter this postseason. And the Los Angeles Kings General Manager is quick to credit what the big center is bringing to the King’s playoff table.
“It’s been really important,” General Manager Dean Lombardi told ESPN.com. “The one thing we’ve done the last 20 games here is our secondary scoring has come through, which we didn’t have early in the year and Dustin is a guy we were counting on for that. What you’re also seeing now is that he’s so much more often playing to his size. He’s extremely difficult to play against. He’s made some big plays. It’s not just that he’s started to contribute offensively, but here in the playoffs he’s done it at critical moments.”
May 15, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Vladimir Tarasenko To Decide Soon Whether To Join St. Louis Blues or Play In KHL
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis Blues prospect Vladimir Tarasenko will make a decision as to whether he will return to the KHL or whether he will play in the NHL next season after the world championship tournament, which concludes Sunday.
Taresnko was drafted 16th overall in the 2010, but he’s played in Russia the past two seasons. He had 47 points in the regular season and 10 goals and 16 points in 15 playoff games.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch cites several factors influencing his decision. Factors that could keep him Russia relate to the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement ending September 15 and the potential for a lost or shortened season. Components that could drive him to join the NHL are the Blues eagerness to get him in the NHL lineup immediately and not automatically send him to the AHL and the fact that he was left off of Russia’s world championship roster after such a strong KHL campaign.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch cites several factors influencing his decision. Factors that could keep him Russia relate to the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement ending September 15 and the potential for a lost or shortened season. Components that could drive him to join the NHL are the Blues eagerness to get him in the NHL lineup immediately and not automatically send him to the AHL and the fact that he was left off of Russia’s world championship roster after such a strong KHL campaign.
May 15, 2012
Add Your Comment »
Larry Robinson Emerging As A Legitimate Candidate For Montreal Canadiens Coaching Position
Update: Renaud P Lavoie reports via Twitter that Larry Robinson vehemently ripped a report suggesting he in interested in joining the new Montreal Canadiens regine. He has no interest.
May 11th: Larry Robinson is emerging as a legitimate candidate to fill a coaching role for the Montreal Canadiens. The Toronto Star reports Robinson’s agent has indicated his client would be open to talking to General Manager Marc Bergevin about joining the Canadiens’ staff.
“If there’s interest on the part of the Canadiens, we will certainly listen,” Don Cape told Montreal’s La Presse this week. “We’ve offered our services to the Canadiens in the past and they said no each time. I think that Larry would be very interested.”
May 15, 2012
3 Comments »
Troy Ward A Contender For The Vacant Calgary Flames Head Coach Position
The Calgary Herald reports that Abbotsford Heat coach Troy Ward is one of the contenders to become the next coach of the Calgary Flames.
Brent Sutter and the Flames mutually agreed to part ways in mid-April, leaving the coaching job vacant this offseason.
The Flames AHL team fell in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, so Ward hasn’t yet spoken to the Calgary brass. “I’ll just stay true to what I’m doing every day and try to work as hard as I can,” he said. “Hopefully, like any athlete at this level, you do the best you can with what you have and you put your best foot forward and hope at some point in time whether it’s with this organization or some organization out there that they want to give you an opportunity.”
