Hockey Central

Where have I gone? Site Update!

2012-01-27T07:39:00.001-06:00

I've been sick the past couple of days, I will return on Saturday, January 28, 2012. I had like a headache and wasn't feeling good.

Owner/Editor Adam Santic

Sorry for the Wait!

Jordan Staal Injury Update

2012-01-22T19:55:00.000-06:00

Jordan Staal will miss six weeks due to a knee injury that happened when Mike Rupp of the New York Rangers collided knee-on-knee. Rupp received a two minute minor for kneeing on the play. But, Jordan Staal came out of the game and did not return.

NHLPA Rejected NHL’s Realignment Plan

2012-01-21T10:56:00.000-06:00

It was announced on December 5, 2011, the NHL Board of Governors announced that it would divide the league into four conferences (instead of the previous six divisions) starting in the 2012-13 season. Under the new realignment, each team would play each team in the other three conferences exactly twice per year, once at home and once on the road. All the remaining games will be in your conference.

The playoff system would chance with the top four teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs, each with individual seedings (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3). The winner of each intraconference tournament would then meet in the semifinals, ultimately playing for the Stanley Cup.

But, on January 6, 2012, the National Hockey League Player's Association rejected this proposed realignment, and that as a result any realignment will not take place until at least 2013–14.

The National Hockey League announced today that it will not move forward with implementation of the Realignment Plan and modified Playoff Format recently approved by the NHL Board of Governors for the 2012-13 NHL season because the NHLPA has refused to provide its consent.

“It is unfortunate that the NHLPA has unreasonably refused to approve a Plan that an overwhelming majority of our Clubs voted to support, and that has received such widespread support from our fans and other members of the hockey community, including Players,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. “We have now spent the better part of four weeks attempting to satisfy the NHLPA’s purported concerns with the Plan with no success.

Because we have already been forced to delay, and as a result are already late in beginning the process of preparing next season’s schedule, we have no choice but to abandon our intention to implement the Realignment Plan and modified Playoff Format for next season.”

“We believe the Union acted unreasonably in violation of the League’s rights. We intend to evaluate all of our available legal options and to pursue adequate remedies, as appropriate.”

As a result of the League’s decision today, the NHL will maintain its alignment and Playoff Format for the 2012-13 season.

Statement From Don Fehr Regarding Realignment

Toronto – National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) Executive Director Don Fehr issued the following statement this evening regarding the League's realignment proposal:

"On the evening of December 5, 2011, the NHL informed the NHLPA that they proposed to put in place a four-conference format beginning with the 2012-13 season. As realignment affects Players' terms and conditions of employment, the CBA requires the League to obtain the NHLPA's consent before implementation. Over the last month, we have had several discussions with the League and extensive dialogue with Players, most recently on an Executive Board conference call on January 1. Two substantial Player concerns emerged: (1) whether the new structure would result in increased and more onerous travel; and (2) the disparity in chances of making the playoffs between the smaller and larger divisions.

In order to evaluate the effect on travel of the proposed new structure, we requested a draft or sample 2012-13 schedule, showing travel per team. We were advised it was not possible for the League to do that. We also suggested reaching an agreement on scheduling conditions to somewhat alleviate Player travel concerns (e.g., the scheduling of more back-to-back games, more difficult and lengthier road trips, number of border crossings, etc.), but the League did not want to enter into such a dialogue. The travel estimation data we received from the League indicates that many of the current Pacific and Central teams, that have demanding travel schedules under the current format, could see their travel become even more difficult. On the playoff qualification matter, we suggested discussing ways to eliminate the inherent differences in the proposed realignment, but the League was not willing to do so.

The League set a deadline of January 6, 2012 for the NHLPA to provide its consent to the NHL's proposal. Players' questions about travel and concerns about the playoff format have not been sufficiently addressed; as such, we are not able to provide our consent to the proposal at this time. We continue to be ready and willing to have further discussions should the League be willing to do so."

The unbalanced conference format, with two divisions of eight teams and two divisions of seven teams. Combined with the return to a four-team "divisional" playoff format, the players felt there was an unfair advantage to teams in the smaller conferences.

Basically, the NHLPA felt that this realignment plan was created by and for the owners, and not in the best interests of the players. And when they reached out to attempt to reshape the plan to better serve their interests, that input was rejected, according to one source.

NHL Deputy Bill Daly statement:

Calgary/Tampa Trade

2012-01-21T07:57:00.002-06:00

The Calgary Flames acquired center Blair Jones from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Brendan Mikkelson.

Center, Brendan Mikkelson recorded one assist for a -5 in 19 games for the 2010-11 season.

Defenseman, Blair Jones recorded two goals and two assists for four points for a -3 in 22 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Blair is a player that both Brent Sutter and I are familiar with,” stated Flames General Manager Jay Feaster. “He is a good sized centerman and someone we feel will fit in well here with our organization.”

Former U.S. President at Hockey Game

2012-01-17T16:45:00.000-06:00

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton recently went to a game at the Madison Square Garden to see the New York Rangers take on the Florida Panthers.

Krys Barch Suspended One Game

2012-01-16T21:23:00.000-06:00

Florida Panthers right wing Krys Barch has been suspended one game for insensitive comments directed at Montreal Canadians defenseman P.K. Subban on December 31, 2011.

He will miss the game against the New York Rangers.

"Mr. Barch has admitted making the remark, but denies that the comment was racially motivated," said Colin Campbell, Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. "While we accept Mr. Barch's assertion, as a player in the National Hockey League, he must be held accountable for making a comment that, in the context in which it was made, and in light of the entirety of the circumstances, was offensive and unacceptable."

Daniel Carcillo Suspended Seven Games

2012-01-15T10:55:00.001-06:00

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Daniel Carcillo has been suspended seven games for boarding Edmonton Oilers defenseman Tom Gilbert at 7:23 of the second period on January 2, 2012. He was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for the play.

Daniel Carcillo was suspended earlier this season for two games for a hit from behind on Joni Pitkanen on October 28, 2011.

Carcillo and Tom Gilbert were both hurt on the play.

He will miss the following games - Jan. 5 at Philadelphia, Jan. 6 vs. Colorado, Jan. 8 vs. Detroit, Jan 10. vs. Columbus, Jan. 12 vs. Minnesota, Jan 14. at Detroit and Jan. 15 vs. San Jose. He will be eligible to return January 18 vs. Buffalo.

Rene Bourque Suspended Five Games

2012-01-15T08:09:00.000-06:00

Calgary Flames left wing René Bourque has been suspended five games elbowing Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom at 10:06 in the first period on January 3, 2012. A minor penalty for elbowing was assessed on the play.

René Bourque was suspended earlier this season for two games for an illegal check from behind on defenseman Brent Seabrook.

Bourue will forfeit $203,252.05 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He will miss games January 5 at Boston, January 7 vs. Minnesota, January 10 vs. New Jersey, January 12 vs. Anaheim and January 14 vs. Los Angeles. He will be eligible to return on January 17 at San Jose.

John Tortorella Fined $30,000 for Criticizing NHL Officiating

2012-01-14T16:03:00.000-06:00

New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella has been fined $30,000 for comments made following the Winter Classic game against the Philadelphia Flyers on January 2, 2012.

John Tortorella called the officiating "disgusting" and ripped the officials in the third period.

"There is no acceptable explanation or excuse for commentary challenging the integrity of the League, its officials or its broadcast partners," said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. "People can disagree with calls by officials on the ice, but even in instances of the utmost frustration there is no justification for speaking as inappropriately and irresponsibly as Mr. Tortorella did."

He later apologized:

"I tainted the Winter Classic with my mouth and I shouldn't have," a remorseful Tortorella said. "So I apologize to everyone involved."

"That was not even in my mind. They were sarcastic comments by me, at the wrong time. It was frustration on my part as far as the referees were concerned and how it was done at the end of the game. I wanna get that straight," he said. "Not for a second, no way, time, shape or form did I think anything like that goes on with our league. Or ever will."

"It was wrong with my sarcasm and frustration, and I apologize to everyone involved. I want to make sure that's straight," he continued. "That was not my intent and I certainly handled it the wrong way."

"I've known them for a long time," Tortorella said. "They do a great job; it's one of toughest jobs in the game. For me to put them under a microscope in that type of setting -- the Classic -- was wrong."

Derek Dorsett Says Alex Ovechkin Spit in His Face

2012-01-14T15:53:00.000-06:00

Columbus Blue Jackets agitator Derek Dorsett accused that superstar Alex Ovechkin spit in his face during the 4-2 loss.

Dorsett and Ovechkin both received two minute minors (cross-checking for Dorsett and roughing for Ovechkin) at 2:38 in the third period.

“That’s why I was yelling at the ref so much and yelling at him in the penalty box,” Dorsett said. “That’s probably one of the most disrespectful things someone can do, especially a guy who is the best player in the league. It’s classless. He’s supposed to be a role model for the game. It’s unbelievable.”

According to numerous media outlets it is reported that Derek Dorsett is a liar and that Ovehkin did not spit in his face.

Evgeni Nabakov lets in Bad Goal

2012-01-14T15:46:00.002-06:00

A bad Evgeni Nabakov play.

Matthew Hulsizer's Purchase Agreement Terminated

2012-01-14T09:11:00.002-06:00

The National Hockey League has terminated the purchase agreement held by Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer in his pursuit of the St. Louis Blues. The league wasn't satisfied by the league during his attempted restructure.

Tom Sillman will now have the ability to purchase the St. Louis Blues.

Joni Pitkanen Injury Update

2012-01-14T09:04:00.001-06:00

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen will miss four weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

This season, he recorded three goals and nine assists for 12 points for a -/+ -10 in 21 games.

General Manager Jim Rutherford recently gave Pitkanen a three-year, $135 million contract extension last summer.

Mike Green Injury Update

2012-01-14T09:01:00.000-06:00

Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green returns to the lineup after missing twenty-three games due to a right groin strain suffered on November 11 against the New Jersey Devils.

It'll be Mike Green's first game under new head coach Dale Hunter.

“You can’t do much. But he’s been skating hard here for a while now,” Hunter said. “You see him after practices where he’s been skating, getting a lot of shots. So it’s more conditioning and we’ll monitor his ice time. And [head trainer Greg Smith] will monitor how he feels. You know, you don’t want to be fatigued out on the ice.”

Raffi Torres Suspended Three Games for Charging

2012-01-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

Phoenix Coyotes left wing Raffi Torres has been suspended three games for charging Minnesota Wild defenseman Nate Prosser on December 31, 2011. The incident occurred at 7:57 in the first period. Prosser suffered no apparent injury on the play. Torres has been suspended and fined before in his career. Most recently, on December 29, he was fined $2,500 for elbowing Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jan Hejda.

Raffi Torres will forfeit $42,682.93 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He will also miss games against St. Louis Blues on January 4th and January 6th against Los Angeles Kings and will be eligible to return on January 7th against the New York Islanders.

Stars Of The Week

2012-01-14T08:37:00.003-06:00

NEW YORK (January 2, 2012)—Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin and Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick have been named the NHL ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending Jan. 1.

FIRST STAR—STEVEN STAMKOS, C, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Stamkos surged to the NHL goal-scoring lead by notching six goals as the Lightning (17-17-3) posted three consecutive victories and moved within six points of the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Stamkos scored twice, including the game-winning goal, in a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Dec. 27 and tallied once in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens Dec. 29. He ended the week by recording the fifth hat trick of his NHL career and second game-winner in three outings to key a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Dec. 31. The first overall selection in the 2008 NHL Draft enters the New Year with a League-leading 26 goals, four more than second-place Marian Gaborik of the New York Rangers. Stamkos is the only NHL player to have scored at least 40 goals in each of the past three calendar years.\

SECOND STAR—ALEX OVECHKIN, LW, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Ovechkin recorded seven points (five goals, two assists) and a +4 rating as the Capitals (20-15-2) won three of four starts. He tallied points in each game, extending his point streak to six games (6-3—9). The Capitals captain opened the post-holiday schedule with one goal in a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 26 and finished the week with three consecutive multiple-point performances. He earned a pair of assists in a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers Dec. 28, notched his first two-goal game since Oct. 29 in a 3-1 victory over Buffalo Dec. 30 and keyed a four-goal Washington rally by scoring twice in the third period of a 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets Dec. 31. The two-time NHL MVP increased his season points total to 31 (16 goals, 15 assists) in 37 games.

He leads the Capitals in goals, power-play goals (five) and shots (143).

THIRD STAR—JONATHAN QUICK, G, LOS ANGELES KINGS

Quick helped the Kings (19-14-6) jump to first place in the Pacific Division by posting a 3-0-0 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and .958 save percentage, including victories over the first- and second-ranked teams in the Western Conference. After making 26 saves in a 4-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes Dec. 26, Quick stopped all 38 shots he faced for his League-leading fifth shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks Dec. 28. He concluded the week by turning aside 27 of 28 shots in a 4-1 win over the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks Dec. 31. Quick improved his season record to 17-10-5 with a 2.05 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in 32 appearances.

Ian Cole Suspended Three Games

2012-01-13T22:54:00.001-06:00

St. Louis Blues Ian Cole has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader on December 31, 2011. The incident occurred at 9:11 in the first period. Abdelkader briefly left the game and suffered no apparent injury. Cole has no prior history before this illegal act.

Ian Cole will forfeit $21,081.09 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He will also miss games January 3 vs. Phoenix, January 5 vs. Edmonton and January 7 vs. Colorado and will be eligible to return January 10 vs. Montreal.

Three Stars of the Month of December

2012-01-13T22:40:00.002-06:00

NEW YORK -- Centers Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks have been named the NHL 'Three Stars' for the month of December.

FIRST STAR -- EVGENI MALKIN, C, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Malkin tallied 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 13 games as the Penguins (21-13-4) finished the month fifth in the Eastern Conference and just four points off the Conference lead. Malkin recorded 19 points during a nine-game point streak from Dec. 8-29, tying Anaheim's Teemu Selanne and Chicago's Patrick Sharp for the longest such streak in the League this season. He tallied five points, including the seventh hat trick of his NHL career, in an 8-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 17. It marked Malkin's fourth five-point game in his six NHL seasons. He followed up by assisting on all three Penguins goals in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Dec. 20. His eight points were a career high for any two-game span. The 25-year-old Magnitogorsk, Russia native increased his season points total to 43 (15 goals, 28 assists) in 31 games and climbed to sixth place in the NHL scoring race.

SECOND STAR -- STEVEN STAMKOS, C, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Stamkos surged to the NHL goal-scoring lead by notching 10 goals along with seven assists in 13 games as the Lightning (17-17-3) ended the month within six points of the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Stamkos notched four game-winning goals in a seven-game stretch from Dec. 15-31, beginning with an overtime strike in a 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames. He also scored the game-deciding goals at Columbus (3-2, Dec. 17), vs. Philadelphia (5-1, Dec. 27) and vs. Carolina (5-2, Dec. 31), the latter capping his fifth career NHL hat trick. The first overall selection in the 2008 NHL Draft enters the New Year with a League-leading 26 goals, four more than second-place Marian Gaborik of the New York Rangers. Stamkos is the only NHL player to have scored at least 40 goals in each of the past three calendar years.

THIRD STAR -- HENRIK SEDIN, C, VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Sedin led all NHL scorers in December with 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 15 games and vaulted to first place in the NHL scoring race, spurring the Canucks (24-13-2) to top spot in the Northwest Division. Sedin tallied points in 13 of 15 games, highlighted by six multiple-point performances and one game-winning goal. Henrik assisted on each of brother Daniel's three goals in a 6-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche Dec. 6 and tallied one-goal, two-assist performances in wins over the Minnesota Wild (4-0, Dec. 19) and Anaheim Ducks (5-2, Dec. 29). Henrik, the 2009-10 NHL scoring champion, enters 2012 with the League points lead (10-36--46) in a bid for his second Art Ross Trophy in three seasons.

Copied and Pasted from: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=609192

Numbers From 2011

2012-01-13T22:25:00.000-06:00

Copied and Pasted from: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=609189

Sunday, 01.01.2012 / 10:47 AM / NHL Insider
By John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist

2011 was a memorable year for both individual and team accomplishments -- including the return of the Stanley Cup to New England for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Here are some of the numbers that helped make it memorable:

0 -- Power-play goals scored by Boston in its seven-game victory against Montreal in the opening round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins became the first team in playoff history to win a seven-game series without scoring on the power play.

1 -- Goals credited to goaltenders in 2011. Carolina's Cam Ward made a save in the final minute of the Hurricanes' game against New Jersey on Dec. 26 and was the last 'Cane to touch the puck before Ilya Kovalchuk backpassed it into his own empty net. Ward is the 10th goaltender in NHL history to be credited with a goal.

2 -- Playoff series won by the Bruins in their history after losing the first two games. Boston dropped the first two games to Montreal of their 2011 conference quarterfinal series at home before rallying to win in seven, then rallied from an 0-2 deficit to beat Vancouver in the Final. Before 2011, they had never won a series after trailing 2-0.

3 -- Games in 2011 in which both teams were scoreless through 65 minutes. Minnesota topped Los Angeles 1-0 in a shootout on Feb. 1, Ottawa topped Toronto 1-0 in a tiebreaker on Feb. 19 and Pittsburgh did the same to New Jersey on March 25 in games that saw both goaltenders credited with shutouts -- but just one earn a victory.

3 -- Players who had four-goal games in 2011. All three play in New York -- Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan of the Rangers did it in 7-0 home wins against Toronto (Jan. 19) and Philadelphia (March 6), respectively. Islanders forward Matt Moulson had the only four-goal game on the road; he scored four of his team's five goals in a 5-4 victory at Dallas on Dec. 3.

5 -- Goals scored by Detroit's Johan Franzen in the Wings' 7-5 win at Ottawa on Feb. 2. It was the only five-goal game of 2011 -- and the first by an NHL player since Gaborik, then with Minnesota, did it against the Rangers on Dec. 20, 2007.

6 -- Longest goal-scoring streak in 2011. Four players had goals in six straight games: Michael Grabner of the Islanders (Feb. 5-15), Jamie Benn of Dallas (March 1-11), Patric Hornqvist of Nashville (Oct. 27-Nov. 8) and Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell (Dec. 2-13).

9 -- Consecutive shootout wins by the Colorado Avalanche, who won their past nine tiebreakers in 2011 after losing the first one. That includes a 6-0 record this season.

10 -- Consecutive wins by the Bruins from Nov. 1-25, the longest winning streak by any team in 2011. The streak was snapped in a 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit on Nov. 25, but Boston won its next four games for a 14-0-1 non-losing streak in regulation before a 2-1 loss at Winnipeg on Dec. 6.

12 -- Home wins without a loss by the Detroit Red Wings since dropping a 4-1 decision to Calgary on Nov. 3, the longest home winning streak of the year.

12 -- Point-scoring streak by New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk, the longest in 2011. Kovalchuk had 7 goals and 14 points from Feb. 1-25.

13 -- Points in 2011 by Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh's captain played the first two games of the new year, earning one assist, before missing the rest of the 2010-11 season with a concussion. He then went 2-10-12 in eight games in late November and early December of the 2011-12 season before sitting out the rest of the year with concussion-related issues.

34 -- Goals in 2011 by Alex Ovechkin. Ovi had 18 in 43 games after the New Year in 2010-11 and has 16 this season through Dec. 31, including two goals in each of his last two games.

39 -- Years since the Boston Bruins had won the Stanley Cup before they beat Vancouver in 2011. It was the sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history, but the first since 1972.

43 -- Plus-minus rating of Boston's Brad Marchand, the best of any player in the League in 2011. Marchand was plus-19 from Jan. 1 to the end of the 2010-11 season and is among the League leaders at plus-24 this season.

44 -- Goals by Anaheim's Corey Perry, more than any other player in 2011. Perry had the final 30 of his 50 goals in 2010-11 after the New Year and has 14 this season. Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, the leader in 2011-12 with 26 goals, had 40 in 2011.

52 -- Most shots in a game by any team in 2011. San Jose did it twice, including in its season-opener against Phoenix this season. The only other team to have 52 shots in a single game was Pittsburgh, which did it against Carolina on Dec. 27.

58 -- Wins in calendar year 2011 by the Vancouver Canucks, the most of any team. The Canucks posted 34 of their 54 victories in 2010-11 after the turn of the year, and have won 24 of their first 39 games in 2011-12.

101 -- Points by Vancouver's Daniel Sedin, the most of any player in 2011. Sedin had 57 points from Jan. 1 to the end of 2010-11 on the way to winning the Art Ross Trophy and enters 2012 with 44 points -- two behind his League-leading twin brother, Henrik.

170 -- Shutouts by goaltenders during 2011. No. 170 (including three games in which both goaltenders earned one) came Saturday night when the Detroit's Jimmy Howard blanked St. Louis 1-0.

297 -- Penalty minutes taken in 2011 by Zenon Konopka, now with the Ottawa Senators, by far the most in the League. Konopka took 169 of his League-leading 307 PIM with the New York Islanders from Jan. 1 through the end of the 2010-11 season and has 128 for the Senators this season through Dec. 31.

Cory Sarich Fined $2,500 for an Illegal Check to the Head

2012-01-13T22:19:00.000-06:00

Calgary Flames defenseman Cory Sarich has been fined $2,500 for an illegal hit to the head to right wing Erik Condra on December 30, 2011. The incident occurred at 7:46 of the third period and he was assessed a minor for interference.

Editor's Note: I am still looking for video of this incident. If anyone has found video footage of the incident you can post below or you can send me an email at adam.santic@gmail.com.

Year in Review: Moments that defined hockey in 2011

2012-01-13T22:02:00.000-06:00

Copied and Pasted From: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=609132

Saturday, 12.31.2011 / 8:22 PM / NHL Insider
By Dave Lozo - NHL.com Staff Writer

Let's call 2011 the year of Tim Thomas.

From Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, no one had a more memorable, highlight-filled 365 days than the Boston Bruins goaltender, who won nearly every trophy a goalie can win.

But as we look back on 2011, there were plenty of events that didn't involve Thomas that thrilled fans. There was also some sad news that shook up many, along with a couple of incidents that will leave fans laughing for years.

After much reflection, these are who we considered the 24 biggest events, plays, occurrences and stories from 2011.

24. A stanchion helps Vancouver to the Stanley Cup Final (May 24)

The primary assist on Kevin Bieksa's winning goal was credited to Alexander Edler, but an inanimate object had the biggest hand in sending the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994.

The Canucks and Sharks were tied at 2-2 in the second overtime of Game 5 of the Western Conference Final with Vancouver leading the series 3-1. Edler tried to play the puck down the right-wing boards, but fate had a different plan. The puck ricocheted off a stanchion and caromed across to Bieksa. While Sharks and Canucks players alike searched for the puck behind the cage or up in the netting, Bieksa one-timed a knuckling shot past an unsuspecting Antti Niemi to blow the roof off Rogers Arena.

"I just one-timed it on net and not many people knew where it was," Bieksa said. "It was just a knuckleball. I barely got enough on it to put it on net. It was a hard puck to shoot. It was probably the ugliest goal of my career, but the biggest."

23. Rangers, Blackhawks make playoffs with Game 82 (April 9-10)

In an effort to avoid missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second-straight season, the Rangers needed a lot to go right on that final Saturday of the season. It all did. The Rangers rallied to beat the Devils 5-2, then watched as the Lightning blew out the Hurricanes in Carolina, 6-2.

"Watching that game next to Henrik (Lundqvist) was pretty intense," said Rangers captain Chris Drury, who gathered with teammates to watch Saturday night's game. "It was a long day, but we're excited."

The Blackhawks had an equally gut-wrenching situation the following day. They lost at home during the day to the Detroit Red Wings, leaving them on the outside until the Minnesota Wild did the Blackhawks a favor that night, beating Dallas and knocking the Stars out of the No. 8 spot.

22. Paul Holmgren blows up his roster (June 23)

One year removed from a Stanley Cup Final trip and two months after a 106-point season, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren did what many considered unthinkable. He traded Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings and Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets and received Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek and draft picks in return.

But Holmgren didn’t stop there.

Those deals freed enough money to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million contract. A little more than a week later after those moves, Holmgren also decided to let Ville Leino leave via free agency and instead signed Jaromir Jagr, the future Hall of Famer who had spent the previous three years playing in Russia.

21. Tim Thomas races Cam Ward at the All-Star Game (Jan. 29)

In an effort to get the goaltenders more involved at the All-Star Game skills competition, the League instituted a goalie race.

Boston's Thomas was game -- even if the opponent was Carolina's Cam Ward, who was performing in front of his home fans in Raleigh. In full gear, each would take one full lap around the ice in an effort to earn the title of NHL's fastest goalie.

Thomas came out on the losing end of something in 2011 for one of the few times, wiping out in the first turn.

"That's OK," Thomas said. "The hometown boy won, but I think everyone knows who the fastest skater was."

20. Craig Smith misses an empty net from the top of the crease (Nov. 17)

By all accounts, Predators rookie Craig Smith is having a terrific first season in the NHL. But no matter what he does, at least for now, he'll be known for a goal he didn't score.

With the Preds up two goals on the Maple Leafs in the dying seconds, Smith found himself all alone in front of an empty net with the puck. Instead of tapping it home and sealing a three-goal victory, he tried to roof the shot into the top part of the net.

He missed; not only the net, but the glass behind it.

19. Corey Perry's push for the Hart Trophy (Feb. 5 - April 9)

It's not as though Perry was having a miserable season before his hat trick against Colorado on Feb. 5. At that point, Perry had 25 goals and 28 assists in 53 games, putting him on pace for his first point-per-game season.

But Perry's explosion during the Ducks' final 29 games -- 25 goals and 20 assists -- took him to elite status. During the stretch, the Ducks went 19-9-1 run, despite playing almost all of those games without starting goaltender Jonas Hiller, who was battling vertigo.

18. New ownership takes the reins in Buffalo, Dallas (Feb. 18, Nov. 18)

The strongest connection between the Stars and Sabres is their six-game Stanley Cup Final won by the Stars in 1999. But 12 years later, both franchises picked up new owners nine months apart.

Terry Pegula bought the Sabres, the team for which he grew up cheering. He immediately invested money in the team, acquiring Brad Boyes from the Blues for a draft pick. During the summer, the Sabres were very active in free agency, signing Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino to big-ticket contracts.

"Starting today" Pegula said at his introductory press conference, "the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win the Stanley Cup."

In Dallas, the purchase of the team by Tom Gaglardi put to fears of the team leaving to rest. The president of Northland Properties Corporation has strong family ties to Texas.

"Yeah, it is nice to have that stability," Stars captain Brenden Morrow said. "We look forward to it."

17. Manny Malhotra returns from an eye injury in the Stanley Cup Final (June 4)

An unlucky bounce at the end of the regular season put the career of Canucks center Manny Malhotra in doubt. A puck hit him in his left eye, sidelining him for the rest of the regular season and the first three rounds of the postseason.

Despite doubts, Malhotra returned for Game 2 of the Final, which the Canucks won 3-2 in overtime. Malhotra played just 7:26, which was almost as long as the fans at Rogers Arena cheered him during warmups and his first shift.

"The nerves kept getting to me," Malhotra said. "I was telling the guys, right from warmup, it was kind of sensory overload, just the noise, the crowd into it, all the towels waving."

16. Phil Kessel at the All-Star Game (Jan. 28)

Phil Kessel

Right Wing - TOR

GOALS: 20 | ASST: 23 | PTS: 43
SOG: 134 | +/-: 1

The All-Star Game's new format meant someone had to be picked last.

In Raleigh, that player was Toronto's Phil Kessel.

It came down to Kessel and Colorado's Paul Stastny with Eric Staal selecting Stastny. It wasn't all bad for Kessel. For being picked last, he was awarded a car and a $20,000 donation he made to a cancer charity.

"I really didn't care. I was just having fun with it," Kessel said. "When I was a kid, I never dreamed of being here."

15. The Boston Bruins jacket (June 6)

Just about every NHL team has a makeshift trophy that gets passed around after victories. This year's New York Rangers are using a hat, while other teams have used shovels and belts to honor the team's best player after a victory.

During the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins adopted a jacket, a retro-looking number featuring the team's logo on the back, front and sleeves.

At no point was the jacket more meaningful than it was following Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Canucks.

Aaron Rome's illegal hit to Nathan Horton knocked the Bruins' playoff hero out of the game -- and the series with the Bruins already trailing in the series 2-0. The hit though lit a fire under the Bruins that never wavered.

After Game 3, the jacket hung in Horton's locker.

14. Devils flip a switch after worst start in team history (Jan. 8 - March 15)

Through 41 games, the New Jersey Devils were 10-29-2 with 33 points, last in the League and 11 points behind the 29th-place Edmonton Oilers.

The team rediscovered its winning ways when Jacques Lemaire replaced rookie coach John MacLean, who was fired in late-December.

Of all the statistics that defied logic during their 23-3-2 run, perhaps the one that reflected Devils hockey the best was the fact they allowed two goals or fewer in the final 17 games of that stretch. They rose to No. 10 in the conference and closed to within six points of the final playoff spot in the East with 13 games to play, but the hole was just too deep.

13. A pair of Game 7s after two 3-0 leads are squandered (April 26, May 12)

Chicago bounced Vancouver from the playoffs in 2009 and 1010, winning six-game, second-round series both times. It was different in 2011 -- but not without a scare.

Vancouver, the top seed, built a 3-0 series lead against the eighth-seeded Blackhawks and appeared ready to exorcise their demons. But Chicago won Games 4, 5 and 6 to force Game 7 in Vancouver. The Canucks were 1:56 away from victory, but Jonathan Toews scored a shorthanded goal to force overtime.

This time, however, the Canucks didn't fold. Alexandre Burrows scored at 5:22 of overtime to end the Blackhawks' dominance.

History repeated itself when the San Jose Sharks let a 3-0 lead slip away against the Detroit Red Wings. But just like the Canucks, the Sharks staved off the collapse by winning Game 7 on home ice. Patrick Marleau, who didn't have a point in the first six games of the series.

12. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins drafted No. 1 by the Oilers (June 24)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Center - EDM

GOALS: 13 | ASST: 22 | PTS: 35
SOG: 80 | +/-: 0

For the second year in a row, the Edmonton Oilers had the first pick in the draft. After selecting Taylor Hall in 2010, the Oilers knocked it out of the park in 2011, taking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The 18-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., has been a force since opening night. He scored a goal against the Penguins in his first career game and has 13 goals and 34 points in 33 games. Nugent-Hopkins captured NHL Rookie of the Month honors in October and November. The last player to accomplish that was Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin in 2006-07.

Nugent-Hopkins is also on pace to have the most points (85) for a rookie since Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby had 106 and 102, respectively, in 2005-06.

11. Hockey goes outside in Canada for the Heritage Classic (Feb. 20)

The NHL's first outdoor game was played between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in 2003 at Commonwealth Stadium. Eight years later, a second outdoor game in Canada took place at McMahon Stadium in Calgary between the Flames and Canadiens.

Temperatures were around minus-8 degrees Celsius the game, which saw Rene Bourque score twice and Miikka Kiprusoff make 39 saves in a 4-0 victory. The shutout was the first in an NHL outdoor game.

"Winning sure heats it up," the Flames' Brendan Morrison said of the cold conditions.

The game was played in front of 41,022 fans who didn't care about the freezing temperatures.

10. Six coaches lose their jobs in about six weeks (Nov. 5 - Dec. 17)

It started when the Blues fired Davis Payne and ended when Jacques Martin was let go by the Canadiens.

Ken Hitchcock took over for Payne and has guided the Blues to the top of the Western Conference. Randy Cunneyworth will be the interim coach in the Montreal for the rest of the season.

On Nov. 28, the Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau and the Hurricanes fired Paul Maurice hours later. Boudreau didn't stay unemployed for very long -- less than three days, actually -- as he took over for Randy Carlyle in Anaheim.

On Dec. 12, the axe was dropped on Terry Murray of the Kings. He was replaced on an interim basis by assistant John Stevens, but Darryl Sutter was eventually tabbed by GM Dean Lombardi to take over on a full-time basis.

9. Rain shifts the Winter Classic to prime time (Jan. 1)

The forecast was foreboding in the days leading up to the Winter Classic between the Penguins and Capitals. Eventually, the rains came on New Year's Day, delaying the afternoon start for several hours.

The sold-out crowd at Heinz Field packed the stadium for the 8 p.m. start. The rain continued throughout the contest, but it didn't damper the excitement when Evgeni Malkin opened the scoring for the Penguins.

Two goals from Eric Fehr and Semyon Varlamov's 32 saves in the Capitals' 3-1 win in front of 68,111 rain-soaked fans.

"It was one of the best experiences of my life," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. "I can't imagine football players play every game like this. It's unbelievable. It's the kind of thing you want to do all the time, go out and play like this."

8. Max Pacioretty collides with a stanchion in Montreal (March 9)

During the second period of a traditionally intense game against the Bruins, Montreal forward Max Pacioretty cleared the defensive zone by chipping the puck past Zdeno Chara and then tried to squeeze past the defenseman along the boards, but he was shoved into the boards and hit the exposed glass at the end of the player's bench.

Pacioretty laid motionless on the ice for several minutes before being taken off on a stretcher. Chara was assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct with 16 seconds left in the second period. The Canadiens went on to win the game 4-1.

Afterward, Pacioretty was diagnosed with a concussion and fractured vertebrae. He missed the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. Chara was not suspended or fined for the hit, which was termed a "hockey play" by the League.

There was some good that came out of the scary incident. The League installed curved glass in arenas at the spot where Pacioretty was injured in an effort to lessen the impact of future incidents.

7. The saga of Sidney Crosby (Jan. 1 to present)

On New Year's Day, Sidney Crosby took an accidental hit from Washington's David Steckel in the Winter Classic; four nights later, he took a big hit from the Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and, after that hit was diagnosed with a concussion.

Not long after, the team decided their captain's season was over.

Crosby spent the 10 months that followed resting and rehabbing, waiting for clearance to make a return. Finally, he received clearance and returned Nov. 21 at home against the New York Islanders, scoring two goals and two assists in a magical return.

Crosby scored eight more points in the next seven games, but was out of the lineup again after absorbing several hits in a game against Boston on Dec. 5.

In late December, the team announced that Crosby is again suffering concussion symptoms and his return date is unknown.

6. Hockey officially returns to Winnipeg (May 31)

The Winnipeg Jets existed from 1972-96, but the franchise was relocated to Phoenix. In the years that followed, fans in Winnipeg hoped for an NHL team to return to Manitoba.

True North Sports & Entertainment, the group that purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and moved them to Winnipeg, started a campaign to sell 13,000 season tickets to the 15,004-seat MTS Center. Season tickets were made available to the public on June 4 and sold out in 17 minutes.

5. Death strikes members of the NHL family

A scout, two former players and two current athletes all died during the calendar year.

On March 13, Rick Martin died of a heart attack at the age of 59. He was part of the Buffalo Sabres' "French Connection Line" that included Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert. Martin had 384 goals and 701 points in 685 career games with the Sabres and Los Angeles Kings. A knee injury ended his career at the age of 30.

On April 7, E.J. McGuire, the vice president for NHL's Central Scouting, also died of cancer at the age of 58. McGuire was diagnosed with one of the rarest forms of cancer in December 2010 -- leiomyoscarcoma. McGuire was the architect of many of the innovations Central Scouting pioneered in the past decade.

On June 22, legendary Flames owner Harley Hotchkiss died at the age of 83. He was instrumental in moving the Flames from Atlanta to Calgary and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2006.

The deaths of the Rangers' Derek Boogaard, the Jets' Rick Rypien and the recently retired Wade Belak shook the NHL community.

Boogaard was sidelined for the final 51 games of the regular season due to a shoulder injury. On May 13, he died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and oxycodone.

On Aug. 15, tragedy struck again as Rypien was found dead in his Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, home. Rypien had battled depression for most of his life and had said in the months leading to his death that he had received help and was making strides.

Sixteen days later, Belak was found dead in a Toronto hotel room. Belak spent 15 seasons with the Avalanche, Flames, Maple Leafs, Panthers and Predators. He was to begin a job doing TV work for the Predators this season.

4. Team plane for KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crashes, kills 44 (Sept. 7)

Many of the passengers who died on this flight carrying a KHL team had ties to the NHL. Their deaths sent shockwaves throughout the NHL with almost every current player feeling the effects of the tragedy.

Former NHL players who died in the crash were Brad McCrimmon, Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek, Alexander Vasyunov, Alexander Karpovtsev and Igor Korolev.

In the wake of the disaster, a charity called Love for Lokomotiv began raising money for the families of those who lost loved ones. The organization was started by hockey wives across North America.

"My husband was fortunate enough to play with Pavol Demitra twice in his career, so we were quite shocked with the news that this could happen to a whole team, never mind a close friend," said Kodette LaBarbera, wife of Coyotes goaltender Jason. "We just wanted to show our support. We're thinking about Pavol's wife at home and all those other families left behind."

In December, Lokomotiv iced a new team -- comprised mostly of its youth team and loaned players from other squads -- to play its first competitive game since the crash in the first step of a long road back for the Kontinental Hockey League side.

3. Brendan Shanahan takes over as NHL disciplinarian (June 1)

After 13 years doing the job, NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell relinquished his discipline duties to Brendan Shanahan, who was named vice president of player of safety. About three weeks later, the NHL Board of Governors approved a change to Rule 48 that made any direct contact with the head a penalty, regardless of its point of origin.

The boarding rule was amended in several ways in order to put the focus on possibly dangerous contact with the boards rather than the actual point of contact.

This season, a boarding penalty will be assessed to a player who checks or pushes a defenseless player in a manner that causes the player to have a potentially violent and/or dangerous impact with the boards.

Under Shanahan, the NHL now hands out supplemental discipline decisions with a video presentation posted on NHL.com to explain and show the decision to players, management and fans.

2. Board of Governors agree to realignment for 2012-13 season (Dec. 5)

With relocated Winnipeg in the Southeast Division, realignment of some sort became a necessity. When the Board of Governors convened in December, radical action turned out to be the order of the day.

Starting as early as next season, the six-division look that has existed since the 1998-99 season will switch to a four-conference look, with teams better situated based on their geographic location. There will be two seven-team conferences and two eight-team conferences.

The top-four teams from each yet-to-be-named conference will reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs and play two rounds within their conference. From there, the teams will be re-seeded based on points for the third round. It opens the door for an all-West or all-East Stanley Cup Final.

Under the new format, every team will pay at least one visit to the building of every team in the League. That will give fans the opportunity to see the League's best players in person at least once.

1. Tim Thomas carries the Bruins to first Stanley Cup in 39 years (June 15)

Tim Thomas

Goalie - BOS

RECORD: 16-5-0
GAA: 1.84 | SVP: 0.943

After a regular season in which Tim Thomas went 35-9-11 with a 1.84 GAA and record-setting .943 save percentage, he didn't take his foot off the gas or the throats of the Vancouver Canucks during the Stanley Cup Final.

Thomas went 16-9 with a 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage during the postseason. In seven games against the Canucks, Thomas allowed eight goals.

After Vancouver's win in Game 5, Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo criticized Thomas' playing style, a comment that lit a fire under the Bruins for the final two games of the series. Maxim Lapierre scored the Game 5 winner off a big bounce off the end boards. The aggressive Thomas was caught out of position, leading to Luongo's critique afterward.

Of course, the Bruins won Games 6 and 7, Thomas walked away with the Stanley Cup and, later in June, the Vezina Trophy.

Follow Dave Lozo on Twitter: @DaveLozo

Remembering those NHL family lost in 2011

2012-01-13T21:55:00.000-06:00

The end of a year offers the chance to reflect on the previous 12 months.

For all of the tremendous accomplishments that took place this past year, 2011 was also defined by those we lost -- including the deaths of two current NHL players and another who was recently retired, as well as the worst airline disaster in the history of hockey.

Here's a look at some of those in the hockey world who left us during the past year:

Derek Boogaard
May 13, 2011
Age: 28

Derek Boogaard

Boogaard, a seventh-round pick by Minnesota in 2001, played 277 games during six NHL seasons -- five with the Wild before signing with the New York Rangers in the summer of 2010. But he was limited to just 22 games with the Rangers due to a shoulder injury and a concussion.

He was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment, and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office listed the cause of death as an accidental mixture of alcohol and oxycodone toxicity. Oxycodone is categorized as a painkiller.

Rick Rypien
Aug. 15, 2011
Age: 27

Rypien played all 119 games of his NHL career from 2005-11 with the Vancouver Canucks, putting up 16 points and 226 penalty minutes, including one assist and 31 PIM in 2010-11; he missed part of the season after taking a leave of absence due to personal reasons.

Rypien's previous success with the Winnipeg-based Manitoba Moose -- he spent parts of five seasons with the American Hockey League team and became a fan favorite there -- led to his signing of a one-year contract with the Jets in July. But a month later, he was found dead in his home in Crowsnest Pass, Alta., after a long bout with depression.

Wade Belak
Aug. 31, 2011
Age: 35

Belak's death came only months after he officially retired as a player following a 14-year career that saw him play 549 games. He was found dead in his room at a luxury condo/hotel in Toronto. No cause of death has been released.

Belak retired after he was waived by the Nashville Predators, but remained with the organization as a member of its radio broadcast team. Belak also played for Colorado, Calgary, Toronto and Florida.

He was scheduled to be Nashville's sideline television reporter during the 2011-12 season, and was also slated to take part in the "Battle of the Blades," a figure-skating reality show that airs on CBC.

Brad McCrimmon (52), Igor Korolev (41), Alexander Karpovtsev (41), Karlis Skrastins (37), Pavol Demitra (36), Ruslan Salei (36), Karel Rachunek (32), Josef Vasicek (30).
Sept. 7, 2011

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team photo

The worst plane crash in hockey history decimated the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team, which was headed to Minsk to play their opening game of the Kontinental Hockey League season. Instead, pilot error resulted in the crash of the Yak-42 jet charter, killing all 37 players, coaches and team staff on board. Only one member of the flight crew survived.

Yaroslavl is located about 150 miles northeast of Moscow, but the tragedy was mourned around the hockey world -- hundreds of NHL players were connected to at least one of the deceased.

McCrimmon, a longtime NHL player and highly regarded assistant who had never gotten a chance to coach in the NHL, was on the way to his debut as a head coach after signing with the team in the summer. Korolev and Karpovtsev, both of whom had lengthy NHL careers, were his assistants. Skrastins, Demitra, Salei, Rachunek and Vasicek were former NHL players.

A memorial service for the team drew more than 100,000 people, including Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.

EJ McGuire
April 7, 2011
Age: 58

The 2011 NHL Draft began with tributes to McGuire, the longtime executive director of NHL Central Scouting, who died of cancer.

McGuire had served as an assistant coach for Philadelphia, Chicago and Ottawa, as well as a scout, before becoming the head of Central Scouting in 2005. He was the architect of many of the innovations Central Scouting pioneered during the past decade to achieve its mandate of providing NHL clubs with the most comprehensive list of draft-eligible prospects each season.
In his memory, all NHL team personnel at the draft wore pins with the initials "EJ." He was also honored with a video tribute.

Harley Hotchkiss
June 22, 2011
Age: 83
Hotchkiss, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (2006), had battled prostate cancer before he died.

Hotchkiss was an oil and gas entrepreneur and philanthropist who was part of the group that purchased the Atlanta Flames in 1980 and brought them to Calgary. He served as chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors from 1995-2007, and kept his stake in the Flames until this past season.

Rick Martin
March 13, 2011
Age: 59

Martin, one-third of the Buffalo Sabres' famed "French Connection" line in the 1970s, died of a heart attack while driving near Buffalo.

Martin, taken by the Sabres with the No. 5 pick in the 1971 NHL Draft, scored all but two of his 384 NHL goals with Buffalo. He had back-to-back 52-goal seasons in 1973-74 and '74-75 while playing on the left side with center Gilbert Perreault and right wing Rene Robert on the most famous line in franchise history. He suffered a severe knee injury in November 1980 and retired a year later at age 30.

Gregg Madill
Dec. 5, 2011
Age: 67

Madill, an NHL referee for 12 years, died at his winter home in Kissimmee, Fla.

The most notable incident in Madill's career came at the end of a game between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 23, 1979. After the final whistle, players from both teams milled on the ice in a scrum that grew more heated as players argued. A fan then reached over the glass surrounding the rink to hit Boston's Stan Jonathan in the nose -- and the Bruins, still wearing their skates, climbed the glass to fight with the fans.

His NHL officiating career ended a year later, though he refereed for several more years in the Ontario Hockey League.

Johnny Wilson
Dec. 27, 2011
Age: 82

Wilson, a four-time Cup winner with Detroit in the early 1950s and one of the NHL's ironmen in the Original Six era, passed away two days after Christmas. He had been battling lung disease.

Wilson, the brother of former NHL player and coach Larry Wilson and uncle of Toronto coach Ron Wilson, played for Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and the Rangers during a 14-year career that saw him score 162 goals, make two All-Star Games and win Cups with the Wings in 1950, '52, '54 and '55. He was honored by the League in 1960 for playing in 580 consecutive games.

He also coached seven seasons in the NHL with Los Angeles, Detroit, Colorado and Pittsburgh.

Tom Cavanagh
Jan. 6, 2011
Age: 28

Tom Cavanagh

Cavanagh, who had a goal and four points in 18 career games with San Jose, was found dead in a parking lot in Providence, R.I. A Health Department spokeswoman said an autopsy by the state Medical Examiner showed that Cavanagh died from "multiple traumatic injuries due to blunt force impact."

Cavanagh played five games with the Sharks' AHL affiliate in Worcester in 2010-11 and was credited with one assist. He was San Jose's sixth-round pick (No. 182) in the 2001 NHL Draft and signed with the Sharks after playing four seasons at Harvard. His 138 points were the most in the history of the Worcester Sharks at the time of his death.

Nick Harbaruk
March 10, 1967
Age: 67

Harbaruk, a forward who spent seven seasons in the NHL and WHA, died of cancer.

He scored 45 goals and 120 points in five NHL seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues from 1969-74, then had a pair of 20-goal seasons with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association. After he retired in 1977, Harbaruk spent seven seasons as coach of Seneca College, posting a 118-25-3 record and winning three Ontario College championships, as well as silver and a bronze medal in the Canadian finals.

Eddy Palchak
Nov. 16, 2011
Age: 71

Palchak, the Canadiens' longtime trainer and equipment manager, died after a long illness.

The Montreal native joined the Canadiens as assistant trainer to Larry Aubut for the 1966-67 season and worked in a variety of jobs until he retired in 2000. He had his name etched on the Stanley Cup 10 times, a record for a support-staff member of an NHL club. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society in 1998.

Palchak began the team's 100th anniversary celebrations on Dec. 4, 2009, by walking to the Canadiens bench and dumping two buckets of pucks onto the ice, just as he had done before practices and pregame skates for years. Fans chanted "Eddy, Eddy" from the seats.

Mandi Schwartz
April 3, 2011
Age: 23

Mandi Schwartz

The older sister of St. Louis Blues' 2010 first-round pick Jaden Schwartz died of acute myeloid leukemia, which short-circuited her own promising hockey career.

Mandi Schwartz played 73 consecutive games for Yale's women's hockey team before learning in December 2008 that she had leukemia and left to receive treatment. She underwent numerous treatments, including a stem-cell transplant using umbilical cord blood in the fall of 2010. However, the cancer returned less than three months later, and she stopped aggressive treatment soon afterward.

Roger Christian
Nov. 9, 2011
Age: 75

Christian, a member of the famed Warroad, Minn., hockey family and a star on the gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team at the 1960 Winter Olympics, died after a heart attack. He and his brother, Billy, were teammates on the 1960 team and partners in forming Christian Brothers, a hockey stick-manufacturing company in their hometown.

In the 1960 gold-medal game at Squaw Valley, Calif., he scored four goals in the Team USA's 9-4 victory against Czechoslovakia. In that Olympics, the United States earned its first victory against the Soviet Union, beating the Soviets 3-2, with Roger assisting on two goals by Billy.

Sven Tumba
Oct. 1, 2011
Age: 80

Tumba was a three-sport star who was honored as the best hockey player in Sweden and later became a golf pioneer in his country and the former Soviet Union. Tumba, who died at a Stockholm hospital of an illness, according to the Swedish Hockey Federation, was inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.

Tumba played hockey for Djurgarden starting in 1950 and won eight Swedish championships and three goal-scoring titles. He represented Sweden at 14 world championships and four Winter Olympics. He was honored as the best forward at the 1957 and 1962 Worlds, and was the top goal-scorer at the 1964 Winter Olympics.

In 1999, he was named as the best hockey player in Swedish history, beating out such players as former NHL MVP Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin, both Olympic champions.

Jaroslav Jirik
July 11, 2011
Age: 71

Jirik, the first player from a communist country to be allowed by authorities to join an NHL club, died in a plane crash in Brno, Czech Republic. Jirik helped Czechoslovakia win the silver medal at the 1968 Olympics and bronze at the 1964 Olympics, attracting interest from NHL teams. He played only three games for the St. Louis Blues in 1969-70, spending most of the season in the minors and opting to return to his home country and his team, RH Brno.

When he retired in 1975, he became a coach in the Czechoslovakian league for many years. He also coached the Swiss national team from 1977-80.

Victor Hedman has a Concussion

2012-01-13T21:45:00.002-06:00

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman announced that defenseman Victor Hedman has suffered a concussion and will be out indefinitely. He averages 22.5 minutes per game.

"You have to be very careful," Hedman said after the Lightning's 5-2 win over the Hurricanes. "I feel a little bit better than when it happened, so that's progress. There's no timetable for my return."

"I'm trying to get better each day and see how it goes," Hedman said. "See how the symptoms work out. Have to make sure I'm symptom-free when I get back on the ice, and right now I'm not. So that's why I'm not playing."

Nicklas Lidstrom/Corey Perry Commercial

2012-01-13T21:40:00.003-06:00

When you combine NHL® stars like Corey Perry and Nicklas Lidström with Honda, the Official Vehicle of the NHL, something extraordinary is bound to happen.

Tomas Kopecky & Michael Del Zott Fined $2,500

2012-01-13T21:38:00.001-06:00

Florida Panthers forward Tomas Kopecky and New York Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto have each been fined $2,500. Tomas Kopecky was assessed a match penalty and Michael Del Zotto was assessed a minor penalty for hi-sticking. The incidents happened at 19:52 in the third period.

Other incidents in that period at 19:52 that did not receive supplemental discipline were a fighting major and game misconduct to New York Rangers forward Mike Rupp and a ten minute misconduct to Florida Panthers right wing Krystofer Barch.

In the end, Jagr really hasn't changed

2012-01-11T21:03:00.002-06:00

Friday, December 30, 2011

By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Copied from: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11364/1200204-87-0.stm#ixzz1jD2kRFon

Jaromir Jagr is 2-0 against the Penguins this season. He scored the biggest goal in the Philadelphia Flyers' 4-2 win Thursday night at Consol Energy Center. He has been great all season with 12 goals and 19 assists in 32 games. He has been huge on the power play with five goals. By all accounts, he has been just as great off the ice. Coach Peter Laviolette mentioned him as being big as a leader in the Flyers room in the absence of captain Chris Pronger, who's out for the season with concussion-like symptoms.

The Penguins still are better off without Jagr.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it, ridiculous as it must seem on the day after Jagr and the Flyers were the better team for the second time in three weeks, this time, thanks in large part to Jagr's goal, which put the Flyers ahead to stay, 2-1, in the second period, and an empty-netter at the end by old pal Max Talbot.

"Why worry about a 40-year-old guy? The biggest mistake [Penguins] management made [during the summer] was they should have signed Max," Jagr said after the game in a fairly typical, disingenuous moment.

The Penguins couldn't match the Flyers' five-year, $9 million offer to Talbot, and Jagr knows it.

But his quote made for a good sound bite and made a lot in the media giggle.

Please.

We saw the always moody Jagr at his best and worst during his two-day visit. Wednesday, he was short and surly when he met with the media. Perhaps his corn flakes were stale that morning. Something as simple as that used to ruin his day frequently when he played with the Penguins more than a decade ago and begged repeatedly to be traded. Thursday, after the morning skate, he was congenial and expansive even if what he said made little sense and, in some cases, were out and out lies.

The Penguins flirted with Jagr before he signed with the Flyers. He said no one in the organization would guarantee him a job as a top-six forward. Lie No. 1. Owner Mario Lemieux, general manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma all told him he figured prominently in the team's plans. Jagr also said no one told him he would be used on the power play. Lie No. 2. The Penguins were coming off a 1-for-35 performance on the power play in their first-round playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team's brass made it clear to Jagr he would be a key part of the power play.

But that's Jagr.

He often has had problems with reality.

Things are going well for Jagr and the Flyers now. You wonder how he'll be when things aren't going his or the team's way. How will he be if the puck stops going in for him or if his ice time gets cut? Maybe he really has changed, if you believe Laviolette. But I'm not buying it.

There's no doubt Jagr still can play in the NHL. He still has the vision, the hands, the wheels -- all of it -- that will put him in the Hockey Hall of Fame the instant he becomes eligible. He clearly showed it when he beat Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with a terrific backhanded shot, the second of three consecutive goals by the Flyers, who beat the Penguins, 3-2, Dec. 18.

But Jagr turns 40 on Feb. 15. He still must prove he can hold up over 82 games plus a long playoff grind. That worried Penguins management even more than his many moods. We'll see.

Jagr's return after the events of the summer made this the season's most-anticipated game. Certainly, it brought out the beautiful people. Governor Tom Corbett was among the crowd of 18,602, a guest in Lemieux's box. Lemieux interrupted a family vacation in Florida to come back for the game.

The sight of Jagr also brought the predictable hostility. He was booed even before the teams took the ice for warm-ups when he was shown on the arena's big scoreboard. He was booed each time he touched the puck in the game, although it wasn't any worse than the treatment Marian Hossa received when he came back to town in February 2009 after jilting the Penguins for the Detroit Red Wings the previous summer.

Talbot, who received a nice tribute on the scoreboard early in the game as a thanks for his years of service here, called the atmosphere "electrifying ... The fans showed up tonight and they were ready. It was like a playoff game."

Jagr wasn't nearly so moved. Then again, he didn't get any such tribute.

"The most important thing is we won in Pittsburgh," Jagr said. "This is a tough place to play. They are a very good team."

The crowd didn't like seeing Jagr's goal and really didn't enjoy him taking off his right glove and saluting after he scored it. It's funny, Penguins fans used to love the gesture when he was scoring goals for their team and helping it to Stanley Cup wins in 1991 and '92.

"I don't know how many goals I'm going to score," Jagr said. "Every goal might be my last one. I'm going to enjoy each one."

Jagr said he said should have scored many more goals Thursday night.

"From the first shift, I had good chances. I probably had the most chances of any game this year. I could have scored five goals easily if I were good. Fifteen years ago, I would have scored five goals. Not now."

Jagr grinned.

He knew what he said sounded good and made people smile.

Too bad it didn't make him any less of a phony.

Raffi Torres Fined $2,500 for Elbowing

2012-01-11T21:00:00.000-06:00

Phoenix Coyotes left wing Raffi Torres has been fined $2,500 for elbowing Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jan Hejda on December 29, 2011. The incident occurred at 18:22 in the second period and no penalty was assessed on the play.

Jack Johnson Big Hit, Evander Kane Retaliates

2012-01-11T20:55:00.000-06:00

Jack Johnson hits Tim Stapleton, prompting Evander Kane to stand up for his teammate during the 12/29/11 Kings at Jets game.

Jack Johnson received two for roughing while Evander Kane receive a double minor for roughing.

7:35 Winnipeg Evander Kane severed by Eric Fehr - Roughing Minor
7:35 Winnipeg Evander Kane - Roughing Minor
7:35 Los Angeles Jack Johnson - Roughing Minor

Matt Duchene Injury Update

2012-01-09T18:09:00.001-06:00

Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene will miss at least a month for injuring his knee during a game on December 31st.

Currently this season, he has 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points and a -8 rating in 39 games.

NHL 36: Patrice Bergeron episode 2 recap

2012-01-09T17:54:00.002-06:00

This is the second episode of NHL Original Productions featuring 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Patrice Bergeron. The series premiered on December 14, 2011 featuring Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane. For 36 straight hours cameras will follow Patrice Bergeron.

The Boston Bruins drafted center Patrice Bergeron 45th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He became the 25th member of Triple Gold Club (winning Olympic Gold Medal in 2010, IIHF World Hockey Championship in 2004 and the Stanley Cup in 2011). He recorded 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points in 80 regular season games last season. Bergeron scored two goals including the Stanley Cup winning goal at 14:37 of the first to clinch the Bruins sixth Cup.

Episode 2: The second episode of NHL 36 featured 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Patrice Bergeron. The cameras will follow Bergeron for a day and a half.

Dec. 27 9:00 am: Bergeron is going to the airport to go to Phoenix.

12:00: The team arrives in Phoenix and practices at Jobing.com Arena.

12:30 pm: The media is in the locker room interviewing Bergeron.

1:30 pm: Bergeron and the team play soccer.

2:30 pm: The team is practicing on the ice.

6:00 pm: The team goes to the Renaissance hotel.

7:00 pm: The whole team is having dinner at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

9:00 pm: Bergeron returns to the Renaissance hotel.

10:00 pm: Bergeron is watching television and then goes to bed.

Dec. 28 9:00 am: It is game day and the team is eating breakfast at the Renaissance hotel.

10:30 am: The team returns to Jobing.com to watch film from the previous game.

11:30 am: The team heads out for the morning skate.

4:45 pm: Bergeron goes back to the hotel to get dress for the game. He arrives back to the arena.

A few hours Ahead: The game is underway. Bergeron passed the defense and scores to tie the game up. Dennis Seidenberg scores the game winning goal in overtime.

Penguins' Crosby expands treatment team

2012-01-08T13:50:00.002-06:00

By Josh Yohe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, December 29, 2011

More than three weeks after his last game, Penguins star Sidney Crosby continues to experience concussion-like symptoms and has broadened his treatment team to include the Steelers' team neurosurgeon.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Wednesday that Crosby is only able to exercise lightly because of headaches. General manager Ray Shero reiterated that Crosby won't play until his symptoms are gone.

Crosby hasn't played since Dec. 5.

Michael Collins, a clinical psychologist who heads the UPMC Sports Concussion Program, continues to oversee Crosby but has been joined by Dr. Joseph Maroon, the Steelers' neurosurgeon and WWE consultant who helped develop the ImPACT test widely used by professional and college teams to determine concussion severity.

Maroon recently was part of a medical team that oversaw the Flyers' Chris Pronger, who is out for the season with a concussion.

Dr. Chip Burke, the Penguins' team physician, is the only person permitted to clear Crosby for game action.

Shero declined to comment when asked if Crosby has visited Ted Carrick, a chiropractor based in Florida. Carrick worked with Crosby in August.

"I can tell you that Sidney isn't going to come back until he is 100 percent healthy," Shero said. "If he's having symptoms of any kind, we're not going to let him back into the lineup. It's that simple."

Two sources in the Penguins' organization said they expect Crosby to play again this season.

Crosby missed the second half of last season after sustaining a concussion in early January. He returned to game action Nov. 21 and played in eight games.

The Penguins announced Crosby had a headache after a Dec. 7 practice. A day later, Bylsma said, there was no indication of a concussion.

Crosby passed an ImPACT test that week and was said to be dealing with "slight headaches."

Almost a month later, Crosby remains out indefinitely. Bylsma declined to say whether Crosby has taken another ImPACT test.

Crosby participated in light workouts during most of his time away from hockey last season.

Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Take To The Ice

2012-01-08T13:46:00.002-06:00

Joe Thornton Trolling Henrik Sedin

2012-01-08T13:43:00.001-06:00

Joe Thronton and Henrik Sedin's trolling incident, which required the referee to separate.

Adam McQuaid vs. Raffi Torres

2012-01-08T13:39:00.001-06:00

17:11 in the First Period - penalties between Torres & Mcquaid

Phoenix Raffi Torres: 2 minutes, elbowing
Phoenix Raffi Torres: 5 minutes, fighting
Boston Adam Mcquaid: 2 minutes, instigator
Boston Adam Mcquaid: 5 minutes, fighting
Boston Adam Mcquaid: 10 minutes, misconduct

Raffi Torres delivered a high hit on Andrew Ference and Adam Mcquaid came to his aid and fought Torres.

Citizens Bank Park Ice Update

2012-01-08T13:21:00.001-06:00

Andrew Raycroft on Waivers

2012-01-08T13:19:00.000-06:00

On December 29, 2011, Dallas Stars goaltender Andrew Raycroft was placed on waivers and was assigned to the Texas Stars. Richard Bachman will replace Raycroft to backup the starter Kari Lehtonen.

Raycroft compilied a 2-8-0 record, .898 save percentage and a 3.51 goals against average this season.

Kari Lehtonen is out from a groin injury suffered on November 26 against the Phoenix Coyotes.

NHL - 'Our Way Of Life' HD

2012-01-08T09:59:00.002-06:00

John Madden Signs One-Year, $2.75 Million Contract

2012-01-08T08:26:00.002-06:00

On January 4, 2012, the Florida Panthers signed center John Madden to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million.

He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2001 and finished second in voting in 2003, 2004 and 2008. He won the Stanley three times, two with the New Jersey Devils (2000 and 2003) and in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Johnny Wilson Passes Away at age 82 (1929-2011)

2012-01-07T15:31:00.002-06:00

Johnny Wilson (1929-2011)

Johnny Wilson was a Canadian ice hockey player and head coach. Johnny was the brother of former NHL player and coach Larry Wilson and the uncle of former NHL player and current Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson.

Johnny Wilson died on December 27, 2011 of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 82. He was battling that for several years.

His hockey career lasted from 1949 to 1962, playing on teams such as the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Indianapolis Capitals.

Johnny Wilson is a four time Stanley Cup Champion with the Detroit Red Wings (1950, 1952, 1954 & 1955). He is also a one time Calder Cup Champion as head coach of the Springfield Kings in 1971.

Soon after he won his fourth and final Stanley Cup with the Red Wings, general manager Jack Adams traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks in a eight player trade. He was then reacquired by the Red Wings in the infamous Ted Lindsay trade. Wilson would then play two seasons with the Red Wings before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1959. A year later, he was traded to the New York Rangers. He finally retired following the 1961-1962 season.

He finished his NHL career with 161 goals and 171 assists for 332 points in 688 regular season games. During the playoffs, he recorded 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 66 games.

			Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1947-48	Windsor Hettche Spitfires	IHL	25	21	13	34	19		--	--	--	--	--
1947-48	Windsor Spitfires	OHA	34	23	28	51	15
1948-49	Windsor Hettche Spitfires	IHL	4	5	4	9	0		13	16	7	23	16
1949-50	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	1	0	0	0	0		8	0	1	1	0
1949-50	Omaha Knights	USHL	70	41	39	80	46		7	2	5	7	4
1950-51	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL	70	34	21	55	48		3	1	0	1	4
1950-51	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	--	--	--	--	--	--	1	0	0	0	0
1951-52	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	28	4	5	9	18		8	4	1	5	5
1951-52	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL	42	25	14	39	16		--	--	--	--	--
1952-53	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	70	23	19	42	22		6	2	5	7	0
1953-54	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	70	17	17	34	22		12	3	0	3	0
1954-55	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	70	12	15	27	14		11	0	1	1	0
1955-56	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	70	24	9	33	12		--	--	--	--	--
1956-57	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	70	18	30	48	24		--	--	--	--	--
1957-58	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	70	12	27	39	14		4	2	1	3	0
1958-59	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	70	11	17	28	18		--	--	--	--	--
1959-60	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	70	15	16	31	8		10	1	2	3	2
1960-61	Rochester Americans	AHL	2	2	2	4	0		--	--	--	--	--
1960-61	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	3	0	1	1	0		--	--	--	--	--
1960-61	New York Rangers	NHL	56	14	12	26	24		--	--	--	--	--
1961-62	New York Rangers	NHL	40	11	3	14	14		6	2	2	4	4
	NHL Totals		688	161	171	332	190		66	14	13	27	11

Johnny Wilson

His coaching career lasted from 1967 to 1981, coaching teams such as the Springfield Falcons, Detroit Red Wings, Cleveland Crusaders, Baltimore Blade/Michigan Stags, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Penguins and Springfield Indians.

Johnny Wilson won the Calder Cup in 1971 with the Springfield Falcons. Following the Calder Cup victory, he was hired to coach the Detroit Red Wings during the 1971-1972 season as a midseason replacement. He would then coach teams in the World Hockey Association. He later returned to coach the Springfield Falcons, one more year before retiring from coaching in 1981.

Season	Team	Lge	Type	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pct	Result
1967-68	Springfield Kings	AHL	Head	72	31	33	8	0	0.486	Lost in round 1
1968-69	Springfield Kings	AHL	Head	74	27	36	11	0	0.439	Out of Playoffs
1969-70	Springfield Kings	AHL	Head†
1969-70	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	Head‡	52	9	34	9	0	0.260	Out of Playoffs
1970-71	Springfield Kings	AHL	Head	72	29	35	8	0	0.458	Won Championship
1971-72	Tidewater Wings	AHL	Head†
1971-72	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	Head‡	67	30	27	10	0	0.522	Out of Playoffs
1972-73	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	Head	78	37	29	12	0	0.551	Out of Playoffs
1974-75	Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blade	WHA	Head	78	21	53	4	0	0.295	Out of Playoffs
1975-76	Cleveland Crusaders	WHA	Head	80	35	40	5	0	0.469	Lost in round 1
1976-77	Colorado Rockies	NHL	Head	80	20	46	14	0	0.338	Out of Playoffs
1977-78	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	Head	80	25	37	18	0	0.425	Out of Playoffs
1978-79	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	Head	80	36	31	13	0	0.531	Lost in round 2
1979-80	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	Head	80	30	37	13	0	0.456	Lost in round 1
1980-81	Springfield Indians	AHL	Head	80	34	41	5	0	0.456	Lost in round 1

Rest in Peace, Johnny Wilson

Dale Weise Five Minute Major & Game Misconduct

2012-01-07T11:19:00.001-06:00

Vancouver Canucks right wing Dale Weise was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for charging Edmonton Oilers defenseman Alex Plante. The incident occurred at 8:28 in the second period on December 26, 2011. Alex Plante was bloodied on the play and did not return to the game.

This was a good clean hard hit and the impact of the glass caused Alex Plante to receive facial damage.

Owner/Editor Note: I am looking for a video replay of this incident. So, if anyone can find one please post it below or to my email address adam.santic@gmail.com.

Toronto Maple Leafs Gives Ron Wilson a One-Year Extension

2012-01-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

The Toronto Maples extended the contract of head coach Ron Wilson by one year. He was in the final season of a four-year contract. He has yet to make the playoffs with the Maple Leafs, but currently looks in contention for the playoffs this year.

He coached his 600th game on January 11, 2011, and became the seventh coach.

Patrice Bergeron Next Up For NHL 36

2012-01-07T10:51:00.000-06:00

NEW YORK (Dec. 27, 2011) – The National Hockey League and NHL Original Productions today announced Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron as the next NHL player to be profiled in the all-access series NHL 36.

“Patrice has won a Stanley Cup, plus a gold medal at the Olympics, at the World Championship and at the World Junior Championship,” said Ross Greenburg, executive producer, NHL 36. “He is one of the League’s most under-rated superstars.”

NHL Original Productions cameras joined the Bruins’ alternate captain at 7:30 a.m., ET, today and will follow him for 36 hours as Bergeron participates in team practices, flies with teammates to Arizona and prepares for Boston’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

NHL 36: Patrice Bergeron will air Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 6:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS). Narration is provided by actor and Emmy Award winner Peter Coyote. The original score is the creation of accomplished composer Ferdinand J. Smith. The show will be followed on NBC Sports Network by NHL LIVE at 7:00 p.m. ET, and the Bruins’ game in New Jersey against the Devils at 7:30.

NHL 36: Patrice Bergeron will re-air on the NBC Sports Network on Friday, Jan. 6 at 9 a.m. and Sunday, Jan. 8 at 1 a.m. It also will air in the United States and Canada on NHL Network on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET and Sunday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Cody McLeod Five Minute Major & Game Misconduct

2012-01-07T10:46:00.001-06:00

Colorado Avalanche left wing Cody McLeod was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for checking Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Supergeon from behind. The incident occurred at 5:22 in the first period. Spugergeon was helped off the ice and did not return to the game. McLeod will not face supplementary disclipinary after Brendan Shanahan reviewed the play.

Goal is Under Review

2012-01-07T10:33:00.001-06:00

At 12:52 of the second period in the Detroit / Nashville game, video review was used to determine if Pavel Datsyuk's wrap around shot crossed the goal line. Video Review was inconclusive, referee's call on the ice stands. Good goal Detroit.

Cam Ward Scores a Goal

2012-01-07T10:26:00.002-06:00

Ward was awarded his first career goal when Ilya Kovalchuk's errant pass for Adam Henrique from the end line wound up going the length of the ice and into an empty net with 29.4 seconds left. Officials initially awarded the goal to Sutter before a postgame review determined he never touched the puck.

"I don't know how to explain it. I should make better decisions that that, definitely," Kovalchuk said. "We find a way to make the game interesting and we were working hard, but a bad decision by me cost us the game."

It was the first goal by a goaltender in the history of the franchise -- including the Hartford Whalers.

"It would have been a lot cooler if I had shot the puck or did something like that," Ward said.

"It was Wardo's. As soon as it went in, I think we all knew it was his," Sutter said. "And then the ref kind of came up to me and asked what happened. He asked who touched it last, and it was (Ward)."

Three Stars of Week

2012-01-07T00:51:00.001-06:00

The Boston Bruins lead the NHL in goals (119) and goal differential (plus-56) coming out of the holiday break, and no one has been hotter for them over the past week than Brad Marchand.

The third-year forward was named the League's First Star of the Week on Monday, with New York Rangers forward Marian Gaborik earning Second Star and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere receiving Third Star honors.

The Bruins only played twice last week, but Marchand played a pivotal role in both their victories. His goal with 5:46 remaining in the third period proved to be the game-winner as Boston held off Northeast Division rival Montreal 3-2 on Monday.

Four nights later, the Bruins teed off on the visiting Panthers, routing them 8-0, and Marchand had a career night. He registered his first NHL hat trick and assisted on a pair of goals for good measure, finishing with 5 points. Marchand's shorthanded goal opened the scoring in the game.

"I never even thought I would ever get one of those in this League," said Marchand, who recalled his last hat trick came in junior.

Gaborik took over the League lead in goals while helping the Rangers claim first place in the Atlantic Division from the Flyers with their showdown in the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic fast approaching.

Gaborik extended his goal-scoring streak to four games by lighting the lamp in all three games the Rangers played last week. He scored twice in a three-goal third period -- including the game-winner -- in a 4-1 win over the rival Devils on Monday, then added single goals in 4-2 victories over the Islanders on Thursday and the Flyers on Friday. The goal against Philadelphia was also the decisive score, his fourth game-winning goal of the season. In addition, Gaborik eclipsed 600 career points.

"It’s a pretty nice milestone but the most important thing is it helped us win," Gaborik said.

Giguere has backstopped the Avalanche to four straight wins, including three last week. The 34-year-old veteran lowered his goals-against average to 1.79 (third in the NHL) and upped his save percentage to .934 (fourth) in the process.

"I am just taking it one game at a time and trying to give the team a chance and try to leave a good impression so the coach wants to put me back in," said Giguere, who started his streak with a 2-1 win against Washington on Dec. 17 when Semyon Varlamov didn't play because of a sore back.

Steve Coates Between the Benches Incident

2012-01-07T00:42:00.000-06:00

Mike Milbury Charges of Assult and Battery on Pee Wee Player Dropped

2012-01-07T00:36:00.000-06:00

Current TV Analyst, Mike Milbury who works for NESN, NBC, TSN and CBC's HNIC charges has been dropped. He was accused for assault and battery of a child, disorderly conduct and making a threat to commit a crime against the 12-year-old boy after a Pee Wee hockey game. The incident occurred December 9, 2011, after a game between the Boston Jr. Blackhawks and the Boch Blazers at Jack Kirrance Ice Skating Rink. Milbury is the assistant coach with the Blazers; and his son, Jake, plays on the team.

Brookline police determined there was lack of evidence in the matter and therefore they dropped the investigation.

That is good news for Mike Milbury because he will return in time for the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

NHL Network - New Enhancements, Re-Branded Highlight Show, New Network Logo & New Ad Campaign

2012-01-04T16:39:00.000-06:00

NEW YORK (December 22, 2011) – NHL Network will get a jump on the New Year with a number of new enhancements including a new network logo, re-branded highlight show and new ad campaign. The Net will also begin broadcasting from Citizens Bank Park™ in anticipation of the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Dec. 29, providing fans more with more hours of original programming around the annual event than ever before.

On December 26, NHL Network will officially switch over to its new logo and launch NHL Tonight – an evolution of the 10 p.m. edition of NHL On the Fly – airing seven days a week. Kathryn Tappen, host of NHL Tonight, will be joined by a rotating lineup of hockey insiders and analysts that will serve fans with every highlight, every game. NHL Tonight will re-air the following morning for fans to catch up on all the games from the previous night. For its first week, NHL Tonight will air immediately following the live coverage of the IIHF World Junior games. Otherwise, NHL Tonight will air nightly at 10 p.m. NHL on the Fly will continue to air nightly from 7-10 p.m.

The national advertising campaign for NHL Tonight also will debut on Dec. 26, positioning the show as the source for all of the night’s highlights from around the NHL using the new show slogan “Every Highlight. Every Game. Every Night.” The TV spot features NHL players watching NHL Tonight in their everyday life - at home, in arenas, working out, taping sticks, on the road and relaxing in hotel rooms. Including the new NHL Network tagline “Where the NHL Gets Hockey,” the campaign aptly features a number of the NHL’s biggest names including New Jersey’s Zach Parise, Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, Toronto’s Dion Phaneuf, Montreal’s Brian Gionta, Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler, Anaheim’s Corey Perry, Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, and New York’s Brad Richards and Henrik Lundqvist.

The NHL Tonight advertising campaign will run across the US and Canada, and includes TV, online, radio, print, in-arena, mobile and social media executions.

NHL Network at the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic

On Dec. 29, NHL Network will set up stage in Philadelphia to provide fans with daily coverage live from the site of the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – adding up to more than 25 hours of original programming around the event. From the transformation process turning the famed ballpark into an ice rink, to daily press conferences and weather reports provided in collaboration with the Weather Channel™, NHL Network becomes the destination for fans to keep apprised of everything happening in Citizens Park Bank™ leading up to and following the fifth annual outdoor game.

Deb Placey, EJ Hradek and Bill Pidto will bring the popular daily afternoon show NHL LIVE to Philadelphia along with the rest of the NHL Network broadcasting team from field level at Citizens Bank Park including host Kathryn Tappen, analysts Barry Melrose, Jeremy Roenick and Kevin Weekes. Reporter Heidi Androl will check in from Spectator Plaza, a free, three-day fan festival just outside the gates of Citizens Bank Park. NHL Network talent also will provide intermission reports from Citizen Bank Park during the U.S. broadcasts of the 2012 World Junior Championship on the Network.

Joining the NHL Network team as special guest analysts for the Network’s Winter Classic coverage is former NHLer Mark Recchi, who will bring unique insight to the event. Recchi played in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic in Boston as a member of the Bruins. He finished his 22-season NHL career by winning the Stanley Cup with the Bruins last season.

On Dec. 31, Broad Street meets Broadway in the Molson Canadian 2012 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game, featuring some of the biggest names from Rangers and Flyers past including former Blueshirts Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves, Ron Duguay, Dave Maloney and Mike Gartner and Flyers Bob Clarke, Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Mark Howe, Jeremy Roenick and Reggie Leach. NHL Network will air a 90-minute special providing a detailed account of the game and reliving all of the memorable moments.

As the current Rangers and Flyers take to the open-air ice for the first time on January 1 for team practices, NHL Network will be there broadcasting it live beginning at 11 a.m. ET. On game day, January 2, beginning at 10 a.m., NHL Network will provide live coverage from field level in the lead-up to puck drop as the ultimate pre-game show. The 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Post-Game Show will air immediately following the game’s conclusion.

Digital customers in participating systems of Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and Charter Communications will be offered a free preview of NHL Network beginning Dec. 29 through Jan. 2. (Not available in all areas.)

Michael Bublé Skates with Canucks

2012-01-04T16:34:00.002-06:00

Michael Bublé is a Canadian singer and actor. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found a worldwide audience with his 2005 album It's Time and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible which reached number one on the Canadian Album Chart, the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. Bublé has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

He recently laced up the skates and skated with the Vancouver Canucks.

Brian McGrattan Five for Interference and a Game Misconduct

2012-01-02T11:39:00.001-06:00

Nashville Predators right wing Brian McGrattan received a five minute major and a game misconduct for interference on Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Jared Boll at 14:26 of the first period on December 23, 2011.

Nick Foligno Five for Charging and a Game Misconduct

2012-01-02T11:22:00.005-06:00

Ottawa Senators center Nick Foligno received a five minute major and a game misconduct for charging Florida Panthers defenseman Keaton Ellerby at 3:01 of the second period on December 23, 2011.

Lennart Petrell Five for Boarding and a Game Misconduct

2012-01-02T11:19:00.001-06:00

Edmonton Oilers center Lennart Petrell received a five minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind on Minnesota Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky at 2:50 of the third period on December 22, 2011.

Discusses the ice at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia

2012-01-02T11:11:00.002-06:00

Mike Richards Injury Update

2012-01-02T11:10:00.000-06:00

Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards recently returned from an injury he sustained on December 1, 2011. He missed the previous eight games.

Ryan Kesler Knee on Knee Hit on Henrik Zetterberg

2012-01-01T20:42:00.002-06:00

Ryan Kesler delivered a knee-on-knee hit to Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg was a little shaken on the play; but was later fine.

Kesler said "he had no idea" about the hit, but Zetterberg called it a stupid play.

"He comes with his knee. I see him, he sees me," Zetterberg said. "I think he was a little frustrated by the big hit from Kronner and he was just going around and trying to find stuff."

The video quality isn't that great.

Daniel Sedin Heads the Puck

2012-01-01T18:28:00.003-06:00

Daniel Sedin does a soccer head-butt with the puck.

Kronwall with a Big Hit On Kesler

2012-01-01T18:22:00.000-06:00

Detroit Red Wings Niklas Kronwall delivered a big hit on Vancouver Canucks Ryan Kesler. It was a good hard hit by Niklas Kronwall. Some people deemed that Kronwall left his feet. Kesler retaliated and received a two minute minor for roughing.

Steve Ott & Peter Laviolette Confrontation

2012-01-01T18:16:00.002-06:00

Brent Peterson Undergoes Radical Treatment For Parkinson’s Disease

2012-01-01T18:08:00.001-06:00

Brent Peterson is a retired professional hockey league player who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with four clubs, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks. He finished his career with 72 goals and 141 assists for 213 points in 620 games.

Since 2005, Brent Peterson diagnosed from Parkinson's Disease, which is a disorder of the central nervous system.

Currently, Peterson serves as associate coach for the Nashville Predators. He is a tireless worker in the community and recently underwent radical treatment for Parkinson's Disease.

Evander Kane Drills Al Montoya

2012-01-01T17:52:00.001-06:00

Winnipeg Jets Evander Kane collides with New York Islanders goaltender Al Montoya during the game on December 20, 2011. It appears that Islanders defenseman Milan Jurcina slightly pushes Kane. The referees deemed it a two minute minor for goaltender interference. It was the right call because Montoya was in his crease and Kane runs in to him.

Al Montoya was injured on the play and Evgeni Nabakov came in.

Martin St. Louis Injury Update

2012-01-01T17:42:00.000-06:00

Martin St. Louis returned to practice since he took a puck to the face during a morning skate on December 8. He was out two weeks from that injury. It was also complicated by a blood clot that formed.

Colton Orr Tebows

2012-01-01T16:44:00.004-06:00

Colton Orr does Tim Tebow's expression during the Leafs Fan appreciation night.

24/7 Flyers/Rangers: Road to the NHL Winter Classic episode 3 Recap

2011-12-29T20:03:00.001-06:00

Last week on 24/7 Flyers/Rangers: Road to the NHL Winter Classic we saw an unbelievable buzzer-beater shot at 1/10th of a second by Brad Richards. Another scary incident when Sean Couturier takes a puck to the head from Kimmo Timonen. Superstar Claude Giroux is still out with concussion symptoms

Episode 3 Recap: We immediately see a f***ing pissed off Peter Laviolette during the second intermission at the Pepsi Center. Danny Briere would score with 0:19 left in the third to tie the game up. The Colorado Avalanche would win the game in shootout.

Superstar Claude Giroux is cleared for contact and he feels good.

The Rangers and Devils have a game together. Cam Janssen and Mike Rupp both dropped the gloves in the game. The Rangers would score four unanswered goals to win the game.

Superstar Claude Giroux returns to the ice and gives the team a spark in the offense. Claude Giroux had a goal and three assists in his return from a four-game absence due to a concussion and the surging Philadelphia Flyers beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 Wednesday night. Giroux, the Flyers' top scorer, was out since he was injured in a game against Tampa Bay on Dec. 10 when he was accidentally hit in the back of the head by Simmonds' knee.

Brandon Dubinsky scored his first goal in seventeen games against the Islanders as he raced down the side boards. Marian Gaborik scored his 20th goal of the season to put the Rangers up by one. The defense picks up for the Rangers as Michael Del Zotto scored from the blueline. Islanders' Stu Bickel picked up his first NHL fighting major against Matt Martin at 1:19 in the third period. The Rangers win there fourth game in a row.

The Rangers' 4-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Friday vaulted them into first place in the Atlantic Division as the final meeting between the Rangers and Flyers before the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Marc-Andre Bourdon and Tom Sestito dropped the gloves and Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle did too in two separate fights.

The Rangers broke a scoreless tie in at 10:18 in the second period. Derek Stepan deflected a shot from Stu Bickel. The referees called a no-goal on the ice, video review confirmed that the stick was below the crossbar, determining it a good goal.

Ruslan Fedotenko goal also went under review. Fedotenko deflected a shot from Stu Bickel. The referees called a no-goal on the ice, video review confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line, determining it a good goal.

Marian Gaborik scored his 21st goal of the season on a breakaway on Ilya Bryzgalov at 1:48 in the third period. Rangers lead 3-0.

Artem Anisimov takes a penalty for holding and the Flyers scores as Andrej Meszaros ends Henrik Lundqvist shutout bid.

Maxime Talbot takes a penalty for tripping and the Rangers scores as Ryan Callahan wrists one past Ilya Bryzgalov.

James van Riemsdyk scored the second goal for the Flyers, but it wasn't enough as the Rangers win 4-2.

2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic

The fifth annual outdoor regular season National Hockey League game will be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies with the host Philadelphia Flyers playing against their long-time Atlantic Division rivals, the New York Rangers. The game will be broadcast on NBC in United States and CBC in Canada at 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 2, 2012.

Episode 4: Wednesday, January 4, 2012
*10:00 p.m. ET on HBO

Deryk Engelland Suspended Three Games

2011-12-29T13:12:00.001-06:00

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland has been suspended for three games for an illegal check to the head of center Marcus Kruger at 8:55 in the first period on December 20, 2011. Kruger suffered a head injury on the play. Engelland received no penalty for the hit; but received a five minute major for fighting John Scott. Scott bloodied Engelland and received a five minute major, ten minute misconduct and a instigator penalty.

Engelland will forfeit $9,189.18 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund and will also miss games Dec. 23 at Winnipeg, Dec 27. vs. Carolina and Dec. 29 vs. Philadelphia.

NHL Referee Gregg Madill Passess Away

2011-12-29T13:04:00.001-06:00

Alumni passes away

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Sad news in the world of officiating today with news of the passing of Gregg Madill. Gregg was an NHL referee for 12 years. He passed away suddenly at his winter home in Kissimmee, Florida on December 5, 2011.

He was born in Toronto on July 15, 1944 to Margret Grace Farenick [Little] and George Edward Madill.

Gregg had a career as an NHL referee for 12 years and became a residential building contractor in the Durham area and, later, in North Kawartha.

He is survived by his wife, Judy Madill, and sons, Jeffrey Greg Madill [Oshawa] and Robert Glenn Madill [Kansas City, Mo]. He is also survived by his step daughter Sarah Ann Roy [Sudbury,On] and her husband Chris.

Gregg was a loving grandfather to Emma Aitchison-Madill, Austin Roy, Lauryn Roy, Paige Roy, Morgann Madill and Mathew Madill.

The NHLOA wishes to offer his family and friends our most sincere condolences

Terry Murray Fired, Darryl Sutter Hired as Head Coach

2011-12-29T00:59:00.000-06:00

Terry Murray

The Los Angeles Kings fired head coach Terry Murray on December 12, 2011, after a record of 139-106-30. At the time of his dismissal, he ranked third in franchise wins (139), fourth in games coached (275) and first in winning percentage (.560). He reached the 100-win plateau faster than any Kings coach.

This season, his record wasn't good, losing four straight for a mediacore 13-12-4. While coaching the Kings he appeared in two playoffs, both first round exits.

"We hadn't been playing up to the expectations of this team, and I think the last homestand was the end of it,'' said Lombardi, who flew to Boston on Monday to deliver the news to Murray at the team hotel before an intense meeting with his players. ''You're constantly evaluating everything. I don't think you can say (there was) one glaring moment. It just kind of builds up.''

"When you have expectations, it's driven more towards results,'' Lombardi said. ''It's harder at times to look for those victories within losses, and it's just the state of the franchise right now. You can look for more of those things three years ago, but we're trying to push to that next level, and it isn't easy. It's a lot easier playing with the house's money. We're at the stage where you're going to be judged on wins and losses and playoff success.''

''Ultimately, the message is that they're accountable,'' Lombardi said. ''Unfortunately, the coach has to pay the price, but make no mistake, they're the ones who are accountable for this.''

NHL coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season							Post season
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
WAS	1989–90	34	18	14	2	-	(78)	3rd in Patrick	Lost in Conference Finals
WAS	1990–91	80	37	36	7	-	81	3rd in Patrick	Lost in second round
WAS	1991–92	80	45	27	8	-	98	2nd in Patrick	Lost in first round
WAS	1992–93	84	43	34	7	-	93	2nd in Patrick	Lost in first round
WAS	1993–94	47	20	23	4	-	(88)	3rd in Atlantic	(fired)
PHI	1994–95	48	28	16	4	-	60	1st in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Finals
PHI	1995–96	82	45	24	13	-	103	1st in Atlantic	Lost in second round
PHI	1996–97	82	45	24	13	-	103	2nd in Atlantic	Lost in Cup Finals
FLA	1998–99	82	30	34	18	-	78	2nd in Southeast	Missed playoffs
FLA	1999–2000	82	43	27	6	6	98	2nd in Southeast	Lost in first round
FLA	2000–01	36	6	18	7	5	(66)	3rd in Southeast	(fired)
LA	2008–09	82	34	37	-	11	79	5th in Pacific	Missed playoffs
LA	2009–10	82	46	27	-	9	101	3rd in Pacific	Lost in first round
LA	2010-11	82	46	30	-	6	98	4th in Pacific	Lost in first round
LA	2011–12	29	13	12	-	4	(30)	4th in Pacific	(fired)
Total		1012	499	383	89	41

John Stevens

John Stevens was named the interim head coach. Stevens' won the Calder Trophy as a captain in 1998 and again in 2005 as the head coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms. He also played on the 1988 Calder Cup Hershey Bears.

During the 2006-07 season, Stevens had the most consecutive losses in franchise history with ten, NHL record for biggest drop off in points from one season to the next (101 points to 56 points) and the worst season record in Flyers history -- 21-42-11.

President and General Manager Dean Lombardi stated that John Stevens will serve as the interim head coach until we [Los Angeles Kings] find a perminate head coach.

Interim head coach John Stevens compiled a 2-2 record before Dean Lombari announced that Darryl Sutter would become the 24th head coach in franchise history on Tuesday, December 20, 2011. John Stevens will move back behind the bench as the assistant.

Darryl Sutter

Darryl Sutter replaces John Stevens, who held the job for a week after former coach Terry Murray was fired. John Stevens moved back to his old position as an assistant coach. Sutter was named head coach on December 20, 2011.

Sutter was a former ice hockey play in which he was drafted 179th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. He would end his eight year NHL career all playing with the Blackhawks.

Sutter would then coach the Chicago Blackhawks from 1992-93 through the shortened 1994-95 lockout season and served as Chicago’s assistant coach in 1987-88 and as associate coach in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

After that he would coach several other franchises (San Jose Sharks & Calgary). He would coach the Calgary Flames from 2002-03 through 2005-06 (he held dual roles as head coach and general manager from 2003-04 through 2005-06), before taking a role in the executive office as the general manager. He would be in that role from July 12, 2006 to December 28, 2010.

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season							Post season
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
CHI	1992–93	84	47	25	12	—	106	1st in Norris	Lost in first round
CHI	1993–94	84	39	36	9	—	87	5th in Central	Lost in first round
CHI	1994–95	48	24	19	5	—	53	3rd in Central	Lost in third round
SJ	1997–98	82	34	38	11	—	78	4th in Pacific	Lost in first round
SJ	1998–99	82	31	33	18	—	80	4th in Pacific	Lost in first round
SJ	1999–2000	82	35	30	10	7	87	4th in Pacific	Lost in second round
SJ	2000–01	82	40	27	12	3	95	2nd in Pacific	Lost in first round
SJ	2001–02	82	44	27	8	3	99	1st in Pacific	Lost in second round
SJ	2002–03	24	9	12	2	1	73	5th in Pacific	Missed playoffs
CGY	2002–03	46	19	18	8	1	75	5th in Northwest	Missed playoffs
CGY	2003–04	82	42	30	7	3	94	3rd in Northwest	Lost in Stanley Cup final
CGY	2005–06	82	46	25	-	11	103	1st in Northwest	Lost in first round
Total		860	409	320	101	30	949

IHL coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	Pts	Finish	Result
SAG	1988–89	82	46	26	10	102	2nd in East	Lost in first round
IND	1989–90	82	53	21	8	114	1st in West	Won Turner Cup

Offsides at the Blueline? Kings Scores

2011-12-28T13:54:00.001-06:00

Doughty later held in a puck that appeared to trickle out over the blue-line but was ruled to have stayed in, setting up a series of passes that put the goal on Brown's stick. He converted at 14:58 in the second period.

PPG - Dustin Brown (7) Snap Shot - Assists S. Gange (10) & A. Kopitar

"I was told it was offside," Doughty said. "I haven't seen it but we finally got a good bounce our way - we haven't been getting those at all lately so finally the hockey gods helped us out."

Happy Holidays from the Detroit Red Wings

2011-12-28T12:12:00.001-06:00

Rene Bourque Suspended Two Games

2011-12-28T12:09:00.002-06:00

Calgary Flames left wing René Bourque has been suspended two games for an illegal check from behind on defenseman Brent Seabrook at 15:25 in the first period on December 18, 2011. Bourque was assessed a game misconduct and a five minute major penalty on the play.

Bourue was fined and will give the money to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He will miss games Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota and Dec. 22 vs. Detroit and will return against the Vancouver Canucks.

Milan Lucic Suspended One Game

2011-12-28T11:52:00.001-06:00

Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic has been suspended one game for checking Philadelphia Flyers left wing Zac Rinaldo from behind at 16:21 in the second period on December 17, 2011. He was assessed a major and game misconduct penalty on the play. Rinaldo wasn't injured on the play and Lucic has prior supplemental history.

Lucic will forfeit $22,072.07 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund .

Three Stars of the Week

2011-12-28T11:43:00.000-06:00

NEW YORK (December 19, 2011)—Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin have been named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending Dec. 18.

FIRST STAR—JASON SPEZZA, C, OTTAWA SENATORS

Spezza tallied eight points (three goals, five assists), highlighted by multiple-point games in each start, as the Senators (15-14-4) ended the week one point from a top-eight position in the Eastern Conference. Spezza notched two assists in a 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 13, figured in both Ottawa goals (one goal, one assist) in a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins Dec. 14 and finished the week with a season-high four points (two goals, two assists) and +4 rating in a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Dec. 16. The second overall pick in the 2001 draft leads the Senators in scoring and ranks seventh in the NHL overall with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists), just three behind League leader Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs (19-20—39). With 568 career points in 559 NHL games, Spezza’s 1.02 points-per-game average ranks fourth among active players with at least 500 career games (Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, 1.26; Philadelphia’s Jaromir Jagr, 1.25 and Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne, 1.06).

SECOND STAR—PEKKA RINNE, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Rinne posted a 3-0-0 record, 1.62 goals-against average and .957 save percentage, helping the Predators (17-11-4) extend their winning streak to five games and climb to seventh place in the Western Conference. He made at least 35 saves in each start, beginning with 35 in a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Dec. 13. He turned aside 37 shots in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings Dec. 15 and matched his season high with 39 saves plus three shootout stops in a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues Dec.17. Rinne improved his season record to 15-9-4 with a 2.42 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and three shutouts. He leads all NHL goaltenders in appearances (29), shots faced (891) and saves (823).

THIRD STAR—EVGENI MALKIN, C, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Malkin led all NHL players in points and goals last week (5-3—8), earning points on 62% of the Penguins’ tallies. He began the week by recording Pittsburgh’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Dec 13. He tallied one goal and one assist in a 6-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators Dec. 16 and finished the week by recording five points, including the seventh hat trick of his NHL career, in an 8-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 17. Malkin leads the Penguins in scoring and ranks fourth in the NHL overall with 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 26 games. He has 12 points during a five-game scoring streak.

Joel Quenneville Coaches 600th Game

2011-12-28T11:40:00.001-06:00

Joel Quenneville, who led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup title in 2010 - the franchise's first championship since 1961 and fourth - is 162-81-32 with Chicago, the best winning percentage in team history. He took over five games into the 2008-09 season. Quenneville reached 600 wins in 1,113 games on December 18, 2011, against the Calgary Flames, the second fastest in league history. Scotty Bowman, a Blackhawks senior adviser, did it in 1,002 games.

"I've been fortunate in a lot of ways," Quennville said. "I'm in a great spot here, very content, and I've got a nice team to work with."

NHL 12 Commerical featuring Anze Kopitar

2011-12-28T11:36:00.000-06:00

The Latest On The Time Warner Cable/MSG Negotiations

2011-12-28T11:33:00.000-06:00

MSO Wants Separate Discussions For Fuse; Programmer Says Operator is 'Mischaracterizing' Negotiations

In the carriage renewal fight between Time Warner Cable and MSG, the MSO Sunday put the negotiating ball in the programmer's court.

Time Warner Cable pledged that it would not take MSG and its sister regional sports network, MSG + off its air through the balance of the NBA and NHL seasons, offering to pay a 6.5% increase in monthly subscriber license fees.

The parties' have evidently been negotiating for two years and their contract expires on Dec. 31. On Friday, Time Warner Cable dropped music network Fuse.

"We will not remove MSG/MSG+ from our New York cable systems. That ball is in MSG's court," said Mike Angus, senior vice president, content acquisition for Time Warner Cable, in a statement. "Time Warner Cable and our customers have stood by MSG and its teams through thick and thin. Our customers have paid whether the teams won or lost; they deserve better."

MSG returned fire Sunday night with this response: "Time Warner Cable is blatantly mischaracterizing our negotiations and the figures as a smokescreen for the fact that they are not willing to pay fair and reasonable rates for our programming."

Time Warner Cable on Dec. 16 disconnected the music channel. For its part, MSG on Friday evening issued a statement indicating that the MSO was threatening to take the RSNs off the air and pointed Time Warner Cable subscribers to alternate providers to ensure that they would be able to continue to see the retooled NBA New York Knicks and the NHL's New York Rangers and Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabers.

The cable operator responded that night by detailing some of the price increases the programmer has been seeking and said the parties had neared a deal at the abovementioned rate, before MSG looked to collect millions for Fuse. On Saturday, MSG began running a crawl on its air, alerting Time Warner Cable subscribers about a potential service disruption and included the logos of RCN, DirecTV and Verizon FiOS as potential alternate providers.

On Sunday, Time Warner Cable said MSG is demanding carriage of Fuse as a condition to its distribution of the RSNs at a cost of millions of dollars. "Fuse is watched by fewer than one-tenth of one percent of the customers who have it available - that's just 4,000 customers out of more than 7.4 million. Asking our customers to pay millions for a channel they clearly don't want and don't value is nothing more than a tax on New York sports fans," said Angus.

The nation's No. 2 cable operator also disclosed that Angus sent a letter to MSG Media president Mike Bair in which he wrote that "despite our unsuccessful attempts to date, Time Warner Cable continues to believe that a renewal for MSG/MSG+ is easily achievable. "

The missive said the MSO was ready to enter a long-term pact under the aforementioned terms. "The only obstacle that prevented us from reaching agreement was MSG's insistence that Time Warner Cable carry and pay millions of dollars for Fuse music network, even though we made it clear that the Fuse network had scant viewership and little value to our customers. We are happy to discuss the future of Fuse separately, but right now our customers and your viewers deserve our undivided attention on resolving the future of MSG/MSG+. While we continue to work through this issue, we are offering to continue carrying MSG/MSG+ at a 6.5% increase through the end of the 2011-2012 NBA and NHL seasons. "