• The relationship between the Calgary Flames and forward Roman Cervenka has apparently come to an end. According to Igor Eronko of Sports.ru, Cervenka has signed a three-year deal with a Kontinental Hockey League squad. “Cervenka signed 3 year contract with #SKA of #KHL as per club official release ” Cervenka inked a one-year, $3.775-million deal (including performance bonuses) with the Flames ahead of the 2012-13 season. The 27-year-old’s previous KHL experience includes stints with Avangard Omsk and Lev Praha.
• One piece of business for the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer could be securing Phil Kessel with a new long-term deal. With just one year left on his current contract (average annual salary: $5.4 million), Kessel merits such an contract extension according to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail. Particularly after the winger enjoyed so much success this past season. ESPN Insider Craig Custance agrees in addition to acquiring a top center, the Maple Leafs should lock Kessel in with an extension before 2013-14.

• Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is confident that Pavel Datsyuk won’t be going to play in Russia after his contract expires next season.

  “You mean how long is his deal and how much is he gonna make? Well, there’s this much possibility he’s going back to Russia,” said Babcock, making a zero with his thumb and index finger. “I mean, we’ll get it done (new deal) in the summer.” He is set to make $6.7 million in 2013-14 and talks for an extension are expected to take place in July. There was speculation that he could play in the KHL after speaking fondly of his experience during the lockout, which set off some alarm bells. “It’s kind of my dream, to (go) back and enjoy (playing in front of) Russian friends,” Datsyuk said back in January. “They (fans) cheered for me. You never know how your career will go.” Hopefully, for Detroit and for hockey fans in North America he gets will stay in the NHL.
• The New York Rangers will host a pair of games from Yankee Stadium next season. They will play the New Jersey Devils at 12:30 p.m. ET on January 26, 2014, and will face the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. ET on January 29, 2014. “The teams playing in these two games the Rangers, Islanders and Devils  have tremendously loyal fans and the rivalries are intense because of their proximity and playoff history,” said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA special assistant to the Executive Director. “Yankee Stadium is a landmark venue in New York City, and to see hockey played in such a celebrated setting will be extremely memorable to the players and everyone involved.”

According to the league’s ruling, Ference “made a decision to check Grabovski after playing the puck. However, in doing so he lunges toward Grabovski, extending his left arm and shoulder, picking Grabovski’s head and making it the principal point of contact.”

Early in the first period of the Bruins’ 4-1 series-opening win over the Maple Leafs, Ference came up high with his elbow as he skated past Grabovski and connected with the opposing player’s head.

There was no penalty called on the play, but the replay clearly showed Ference raising his elbow to make contact. Grabovski did not appear to be injured on the play.

Ference went unpunished in the first period of Boston’s 4-1 playoff win Wednesday night when he elbowed Grabovski in the head by the boards.

The NHL said it was reviewing an illegal check to the head. Grabovski finished the game.

Asked about the hit after the game, Boston coach Claude Julien said he hadn’t seen it and couldn’t comment.

Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said it was part of the “physicality” of the playoffs.

“It’s a game that’s made to be physical,” he said. “You’re allowed to hit people.

“To judge if it was offside, a bad hit, or a belligerent hit, that’s not for me to judge. That’s for people in the league to make those determinations.”

NHL COO John Collins said the league is in high level discussions with the NHL’s Board of Governors, interested teams and the NHLPA about expanding the U.S. outdoor game schedule beyond the Winter Classic as soon as next season. In 2011, the league hosted both the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic, but the Heritage has traditionally been between two Canadian teams.

“It’s not necessarily a new conversation,” Collins said on Sunday. “We’ve been looking at this and talking about it for a while. I think now, we’re looking at it real hard.”

The motivation for more American outdoor games is simple. The Winter Classic is a huge success each year for the NHL in driving interest and revenue for the game.

“It’s no secret that lots of cities and lots of teams have said we really want one of these … that doesn’t mean we’re doing it. We’re aware of the tremendous interest. Obviously we can’t ignore the interest,” commissioner Gary Bettman said regarding the possibility of multiple outdoor games being played.

There’s no shortage of interested cities in hosting the game and Collins said expanding the outdoor idea is an opportunity for the league to get an outdoor game in markets that might not work nationally for the Winter Classic game and also for markets that recently hosted the game, opening up the possibility of a quicker return of outdoor hockey to cities like Boston, Chicago and Pittsburgh.

“We’ve always said, how do we get to more markets and share this experience?” Collins said. “We know that there a lot of markets where the concept of an outdoor regular season game would be magical and really fantastic.”

One market that has made its interest known is Los Angeles, where the Kings have confirmed they are interested in hosting an outdoor game next season. The Anaheim Duckswould love to be their opponent.

Kings spokesman Mike Altieri said Sunday that the defending Stanley Cup champions are aggressively working to get plans in place for an outdoor game in Southern California, although nothing has been finalized.

The risk is in diluting the popularity of the Winter Classic, which has quickly become a New Year’s Day staple for hockey fans. The reward is having major regular-season events on days outside of Jan. 1.

“There are people who say that you would dilute what is a good and special thing,” Collins said. “No one would be more concerned about not screwing up a good thing than we would be … you have to weigh that with increasingly what’s the impact in the local market.”

The NHLPA is on board with the expansion of the outdoor schedule, according to NHLPA executive Mathieu Schneider.

“I think if we can expand it to bring the experience to more hockey fans throughout the world, that would be tremendous,” he said.

• ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun reports the “asking price on Ben Bishop right now” is a second-round pick plus either a player or prospect. Bruce Garrioch reports that the  Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes,  Philadelphia Flyers and  Tampa Bay Lightning  are interested in Bishop.
  
• After landing forward Ryane Clowe in a deal with the San Jose Sharks yesterday, the New York Rangers aren’t yet willing to stand pat. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports GM Glen Sather still wants to bolster his blue line. ”In the market for a defenseman. Looking at many options”.
• ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun suggests the Montreal Canadiens would like to add a bit of sandpaper up front. ”Habs still on the lookout for a gritty forward, may or may not get him. Some slight interest in Raffi Torres.” The Phoenix Coyotes winger is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
• Chris Johnston of Rogers Sportsnet reports that Tim Connolly is scratched today. Feeling has been that Dave Nonis will do everything he can to move him.

Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis has been vocal about his interest in adding a veteran goaltender to play alongside James Reimer and Kiprusoff’s name has been front and centre. According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the Leafs have discussed a contract extension with Kiprusoff’s agent.

Kiprusoff has one year remaining past this season on a six-year deal he signed prior to the 2008-09 season worth an average annual value of $5.8333 million.

The 36-year-old Finnish netminder has posted a 6-9-2 record in 17 games with the Flames this season. He has also posted an .873 save percentage and a 3.52 goals-against average.

Kiprusoff has spent the last nine season with the Flames after the team acquired him from the San Jose Sharks via trade.

In 616 career games with the Flames and Sharks, Kiprusoff has posted a 317-208-7-64 record with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .913 career save percentage. Kipprusoff has appeared in 56 career playoff games, posting a 25-28 record with a .921 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average.

He was originally drafted by the Sharks in the fifth round (116th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.