Minnesota Wild: Nino Niederreiter signed to a Three-Year Contract

And then there was one RFA left to sign. This is good news for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild didn't want to go into training camp with Nino Niederreiter unsigned. Nino's deal is worth 8 million dollars over 3 years. So the Wild have him signed through the 2016-17 season. That leaves Darcy Kuemper as the only unsigned restricted free agent.

BREAKING: #mnwild agrees to terms with @thelnino25 on a three-year contract. More coming to http://t.co/QO5q0O9vrQ pic.twitter.com/L5ITxslRFq
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) September 11, 2014

Liam Reddox Scores A Sick Goal

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Liam Reddox scored this amazing goal in a Champions Hockey League game. Reddox is now playing for Sweden's Växjö Lakers. Former Denver Pioneer Rhett Rakhshani is also a member of the Lakers.

Liam Reddox scores a beauty in the Champions Hockey League. https://t.co/VFooUpHxII
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) September 6, 2014

Coyotes Devan Dubnyk's Goalie Mask

Devan Dubnyk's new desert-themed #Coyotes mask. pic.twitter.com/4PddIwVdfo
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) September 7, 2014

Another nice looking goalie mask.

Hockey News: Steve Moore/Todd Bertuzzi settlement proves NHL can’t justify culture of revenge

The Steve Moore and Todd Bertuzzi settlement has been reached. I thought this article was worth a read. For those that don't read the Hockey News, they're very anti-fighting and I refer to them as the Anti-Fighting Cabal.  That being said, this was an ugly incident.

Adam Proteau, The Hockey News -- Perhaps they’ll be able to shovel enough money toward future plaintiffs to convince all of them to settle prior to a trial as Moore has. But what keeps owners and league brass awake at night is the lingering fear lucrative payouts won’t protect them forever; that they’ll be called to account in public and under oath; and once that happens, all their empty chatter about “tradition”, “our game” and “the code” will be exposed for what it is: insular, anachronistic, indefensible bunk.

The biggest tragedy/irony of the Bertuzzi/Moore narrative is that both of its main actors were broken by it – Bertuzzi never was the same player – yet hockey and the NHL carried on unscathed despite creating and cultivating the conditions that led to it. The truth is, the game was broken long ago, and in a way that led directly to the events that took place when the Canucks and Avs squared off on March 8, 2004.

The money that’s been paid to Moore does nothing to fix that fissure. Sadly, all it does is leave open the possibility there will be more Todd Bertuzzis, Steve Moores and legal showdowns to come.

The Steve Moore/Todd Bertuzzi lawsuit is over, & @Proteautype says it shows the NHL can't defend its revenge culture: http://t.co/XwkPHG4TBt
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) September 5, 2014

CBC: Gary Bettman shoots down NHL expansion talk

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Of course he did... The NHL doesn't like others to break their news for them. I just don't believe it, the NHL stands to make a lot of money off of adding more teams to the league... I guess we will find out soon, right? Personally, for me, the more the merrier.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman shoots down expansion talk: Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday a repo... http://t.co/tZzhWwRh1F #NHL
— NHL (@NHLLinks) September 3, 2014

The Canadian Press -- Gary Bettman has vehemently denied the NHL is considering expansion.

But the commissioner said if it ever does, prospective owners may have to pay up big time.

Sports Business News reported via Twitter last week the NHL will expand into Las Vegas, Seattle, and Quebec City while adding a second franchise in Toronto by 2017.

On Wednesday, Bettman called the report a "complete fabrication," and took issue with the franchise fees cited in the story — $1.4 billion US, or $350 million per team.

'Nobody's moving. And speculation to the contrary not only is wrong, it's unfair to the team and their fans who are being speculated about.'

Boston Bruins: David Krejci re-signed by the Bruins

#Czech media reports David Krejci has signed a 6 year, $43M extension with the #Bruins.
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) September 3, 2014

Whew, the Boston Bruins have inked one of the key players to a nice long-term deal. Krejci signed a six-year, 43 million dollar deal. The Bruins still have to get their RFA Torey Krug re-signed.

D.J. Bean, WEEI --- According to a league source, the Bruins and David Krejci have agreed to a six-year, $43.5 million contract.

Krejci, 28, will carry a $7.25 million cap hit throughout the duration of the deal, which begins in the 2015-16 season. His salary breakdown will be $7.25 million for the first two years of the deal, $7.5 million for the next two and $7 million for the final two.

NHL expanding to Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas! According to the Providence, the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas, Nevada. Place your bets. I picture an arena with one armed bandits and black jack tables in it. All jokes aside, I think it's a great move. Now, I wonder if we can get a Frozen Four there?

Tony Gallagher, The Providence -- Sources close to the situation have indicated Las Vegas is a done deal, the only thing to be determined being which owner will be entitled to proclaim that he brought the first major league sports franchise to Sin City.

And given how dead set against a team in the gambling haven the commissioner was 10 years ago, this move into another player friendly state-tax-free zone represents a considerable about-face indeed.

But people have been betting on hockey games for years and to pretend games couldn’t be fixed just as easily anywhere as in Vegas is pretty ridiculous, so that posturing has fallen by the wayside.

A new team close to the newly renamed Arizona squad and California’s big three is all but assured, the only question being when and with which other city. Or should that be plural?

With all the activity going on in the Seattle area in the last little bit it would be quite a stretch to imagine that much time and effort being spent by so many wealthy men being frittered away for nothing.

Report: #NHL expansion to Las Vegas ‘a done deal’ http://t.co/r8p1ZNDNkv pic.twitter.com/TP3zPmXwFE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 27, 2014

NCAA Hockey: Six Part Must-See Non-Conference Series

Atlantic Hockey: Five Must-See Non-Conference Series http://t.co/oXAtQNjJFu
— NHLFantasyPlus (@NHLFantasyPlus) August 25, 2014

I just finished up six blog posts: Five Must-See Non-Conference Series. I am in the process of writing a 10 Must-See NCAA Hockey Series. It should come out this week. As we move towards the 2014-15 college hockey season, this has been the most uneventful off-season that I can remember. For those that are wondering, the NCHC CBSSN television schedule is going to come out sometime in the next six weeks.

Hockey East: Five Must-See Non-Conference Series - http://t.co/exzbOdnZOU #hockey #THW pic.twitter.com/ddqwDiGwCx
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 15, 2014

WCHA Hockey: Five Must-See Non-Conference Series - http://t.co/NFnkuFtXDE #NHL pic.twitter.com/5S7jQy2ivf
— THW Hockey (@HockeyLinks) August 13, 2014

Big Ten Hockey: Five Must-See Non-Conference Series http://t.co/PEJLOVDELc #THW
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 9, 2014

ECAC Hockey: Five Must-See Non-Conference Series http://t.co/uZTLyjpxSn #THW
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 7, 2014

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#NHL #Hockey NCHC Hockey: Five Must See Non-Conference Series http://t.co/oa1IDdmeVj
— Hockey Fan (@HockeyFanLV) July 30, 2014

Hump Day Links

There's only 46 days until the University of North Dakota kicks off the 2014-15 season. Here's a few links of interest from the world of hockey.

Matt Greene Brings the Stanley Cup Back to Grand Forks - http://t.co/XKBF7MXZk7 #NHL pic.twitter.com/Vq8Ns9uDjE
— THW Hockey (@HockeyLinks) August 20, 2014

Report: It's 'not looking good' for Bruins on Kevin Hayes http://t.co/JrHlEKUBdz
— Ian McLaren (@iancmclaren) August 20, 2014

Not looking good for #bruins on Kevin Hayes. I'm being told Rangers and Avs appear to have inside track.
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) August 20, 2014

Three concussion lawsuits filed by ex-NHL players consolidated, to be heard by federal judge in Minnesota. Details: http://t.co/8NdMpE1XHD
— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) August 20, 2014

Did Doug Lidster Save The Canucks’ Season? http://t.co/sXodtikSJC #THW
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 20, 2014

Checking In: Jake Guentzel: Forward Jake Guentzel returned to Pittsburgh for prospect developme... http://t.co/mVgJbBjUkc #NHL #Penguins
— NHL (@NHLLinks) August 20, 2014

TSN: NHL Loses Key Decision in TV Rights Lawsuit

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I will be following this story closely, this sounds like a potential mess.

Rick Westhead, TSN.CA -- The lawsuit also attacks the NHL's tactic of charging customers $179.80 for its full-season offering of games available on cable and satellite providers. Again, both of those packages, known as NHL Center Ice, black out in-market games.

The NHL subsequently filed a motion to dismiss the case and a judge ruled this week against that motion. The ruling was unsealed on Friday.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs will spend the next few months asking for the case to be considered as a class action. It's unclear how many people might be involved in the case.

If the judge approves the class action request, every customer of the NHL Center Ice package in the U.S. would be included as a plaintiff. The case does not involve or affect broadcast rights within Canada.

"Disappointed, but still very preliminary," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN on Friday afternoon. "We remain confident of ultimately prevailing on the merits."

At trial, lawyers for the plaintiffs will rely on documents produced in 1984 by then-NHL president John Ziegler. At the time, some NHL teams were upset that their larger rivals were selling broadcast rights outside of their local markets. Ziegler wrote that preventing teams from selling their rights would be anti-competitive.

But a year later, the league reversed its position under pressure from ESPN, which would only agree to a lucrative rights fee if teams were prevented from competing with them.

Minnesota Wild All Time Greatest Player

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Well we all heard Eric's opinion on who the greatest player in franchise history for the Minnesota Wild is, Marian Gaborik, and that will probably be a lot of other peoples choices because of how dynamic of a goal scorer he is.

However, one has to argue for Mikko Koivu. The captain has been with the team for 601 games played, plus three playoff runs.  The captain is much deserving of this honor along with his 452 points and a +26 rating in his career, I'd say this honor goes to Mikko Koivu.

OMG! A Boston Bruins Hate Map

I was actually kidding when I said this. But there's actually a Boston Bruins hate map. It's official, everyone hates the Boston Bruins.

@gopherstate Can we put that right next to the hate map for the Boston Bruins?
— Eric J. Burton THW (@goon48) August 4, 2014

Parise Scores.....

Even more reason to be positive about the upcoming 2014-15 season. Parise scored 33 goals during the 2013-14 season and playoffs.

Subban gets his money (RW77)

PK Subban is, to me, an interesting case... and not the only interesting case on the Canadiens.

Yesterday, PK Subban signed an 8 year $72 million contract with Montreal.  For the math fans out there, that's a cap hit of $9 million a year.

Is this a good or a bad deal?  Fans and analysts alike are already batting around this question.  Ok, so maybe it is because we are now entering the boring part of the offseason and there's nothing really to talk about now that Sid the kid's surgery is postponed or cancelled.

Back a few years, Duncan Keith signed a mammoth extension with the Blackhawks worth $5.5 million a year and people questioned it and it turned out ok.  Others, not so much.  But in my opinion, the worthiness of this contract isn't questionable if you look at Subban's offensive numbers and even defensive capabilities.  Based on those facts alone, he's pretty solid.  Goon and I agree, he's most certainly the best player on Montreal.

However, he has a reputation most often scorned by those who were subjected to the Vigneault-led Vancouver Canucks of years past:  Embellishment, diving, showboating, etc.  Subban is the finest diver in all of the NHL (my opinion anyways) and he excelled at it last year in the playoffs.  Sadly, it's not the "haters" that were the only ones noticing it.... EVERYONE was.

There is talk that Subban will be named Captain or wear an 'A' on his sweater this season.  I, for one, hope this is just talk.  He's not yet matured enough to be an on ice leader.  Maybe he's great in the locker room.  His interviews seem good enough as well.  So, sure, he has the potential, but he needs to clean up his game first.

The problem lies in the necessity to do such a thing... you see, it isn't present.  More and more Captains of teams employ shady tactics on the ice.  The Kings' Dustin Brown is a good example.  Historically, there have been "cheap" Captains or superstars.  Heck, Gordie Howe was a cheap as they come back in his heyday.

However, I'd like to think that the Captain is a leader by example and exemplifies what his team is all about on and off the ice by such an example.  PK Subban doesn't lead in that way.  But that being said, the NHL isn't going to change its trends because of my opinion.  Oh well.

So, is Subban worth a big payday?  Yes.  Is it a bit high?  I think so.  I like Duncan Keith's numbers.  Something like an 8 year $44 million contract would have been perfect for Subban.  Load it with incentives if you want, that's fine.

So, he's a bit overpaid... but unlike the other "interesting" case, I think he'll back up his pay grade.

The next Habs player headed for a big payday apparently is Carey Price.  And I truly believe that last year he had a career year pre-injury.  He'll still be good, but he's not an elite goaltender.  The Habs will pay for a guy they almost let walk twice.  Soon after, they'll wish they had let him walk.

Just my prediction.

Nick Schmaltz impresses Chicago Blackhawks

Schmaltz leaves strong first impression http://t.co/cnmgh786tP
— ESPN Chicago (@ESPNChiHawks) July 24, 2014

While he may not be the second coming of Jonathan Toews, not many are, soon-to-be UND freshman forward Nick Schmaltz impressed the Chicago Blackhawks brass with his efforts during a recent development camp.

Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com --- To eliminate that risk, the Blackhawks could look to sign those college prospects earlier. They could attempt to sway their top top-tier college players to leave after their sophomore or junior seasons and sign them to entry-level contracts. They have done this before with players such as Jonathan Toews and Nick Leddy.

The Blackhawks already appear to have a handful of players whom they might consider signing prior to their senior seasons. Forwards John Hayden, Vincent Hinostroza and Anthony Louis are coming off productive freshman seasons and continued to impress at last week's prospect camp. Tyler Motte didn't attend the camp, but he also had a strong freshman season. Nick Schmaltz, the Blackhawks' 2014 first-round pick, also played well in the camp and will be a freshman next year.

That being said, it doesn't appear that the Blackhawks are going to rush him to sign an NHL contract, either.

Scott Powers, ESPNChicago.com --- Blackhawks amateur scouting director Mark Kelley did a majority of the evaluating of the 6-foot, 172-pound Schmaltz and had him high on the list of the offensively-skilled players in the NHL draft. One of Schmaltz’s skills especially stood out to Kelley.

“His hands, they’re fast,” Kelley said at the NHL draft.

Schmaltz isn’t a finished product, and that also attracted the Blackhawks to him. The Blackhawks weren’t looking for someone in the first round they could rush to the NHL. They sought someone with a high ceiling, but who would need time to get there.

NCAA Hockey: Expanded video replay criteria approved for men's, women's hockey

An ice hockey referee signals a penalty for high sticking. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here are some of the changes to come down from the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved several changes to the criteria for allowing video replay in men’s and women’s ice hockey, effective for the 2014-15 season.

The replay changes were recommended by the Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee during its meeting in June as part of a number  of recommendations intended to improve the game and were circulated to coaches and conferences for comment prior to PROP’s approval.

The added scenarios are:

• Goals may be reviewed to determine if they are scored before a penalty occurred.

• If an offsides or too many men on the ice penalty is missed and a goal is scored, the play may be reviewed if the puck remains in the offensive zone after the missed infraction. If the puck leaves the attacking zone, the offsides or too many men on the ice penalty is no longer reviewable.This replaces the previous wording that only allowed a review if the missed play directly led to a goal.

• It was clarified that the video used for replays may come from any source that is available to the game officials. Previously, the video used was required to come from a television broadcast.

CBC: Wayne Gretzky's agent denies link to Seattle group interested in NHL

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Interesting story, but from an expansion perspective, Seattle would be a nice place to put an NHL team. They "could" become an instant rival with the Vancouver Canucks.

CBC.CA -- Wayne Gretzky's agent is denying a report that the Great One is trying to bring an NHL team to Seattle.

The New York Post reported Friday that Gretzky is part of a group of investors working on a deal to bring either a new or existing franchise to the city.

Darren Blake, Gretzky's agent, told The Canadian Press in an email that the 53-year-old Hall of Famer isn't involved in any bid."As you can imagine prospective team owners from various franchises call frequently to gauge his interest in coming on board. Seattle is no different," said Blake.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly declined to comment on the report.

There would be significant hurdles to clear if Seattle were to host an NHL franchise, starting with the lack of an arena.

Wild sign Jordan Schroeder to a two year contract

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The Minnesota Wild have signed first round bust and former Golden Gopher Jordan Schroeder to a two-way contract. Based on who the Wild have in their current lineup, I don't see Schroeder playing in Minnesota all of that much.

ICE Client and Minnesota native Jordan Schroeder agrees to terms on a two-year contract with the Minnesota Wild.
— NEIL SHEEHY (@ICEHockeyAgent) July 12, 2014

Chicago Blackhawks: Toews and Kane get paid

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For their efforts, former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are now locked into some nice, fat contracts that will make them very rich men. In my opinion, this is what a post 2013 lockout contract will looks like. It will be interesting to see what kind of issues the Blackhawks have with salary cap.

Chris Kuc, Tribune reporter -- Two of the NHL’s top players aren’t going anywhere after Toews and Kane agreed to terms on identical eight-year, $84 million contract extensions Wednesday, likely ensuring the Hawks will be Stanley Cup contenders for the next decade or so.

Hawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz, President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the Hawks’ hierarchy recognized and rewarded their young forwards’ rare talent with contracts that will carry salary-cap hits of $10.5 million per year apiece — the highest in league history — when they kick in beginning with the 2015-16 season.

That combined $168 million dedicated long term to two players carries cap implications that Bowman will have to work his way through when he assembles future rosters.

Toews and Kane: Blackhawks through 2023. Both agree to an eight year, $84 million contract extension. #Hawkstalk pic.twitter.com/EAtkKTHONv
— Crosstown Tickets (@crosstowntix) July 9, 2014

Minnesota Wild: Justin Fontaine files for arbitration

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Former UMD Bulldog and current Minnesota Wild RFA forward Justine Fontaine has filed for salary arbitration. EDIT: Came from Hockey Wilderness blogger-> Apparently, the former Bulldog wants 2.75 million a year. So, I would say, it's probably going to be less than the above number.

This past season, Fontaine scored (13G-8a—21pts) in 66 games. Just for comparison sake, Fontaine was 4th on the Wild in goal scoring, so he isn't total hack making outrageous demands. It will be interesting to see what kind of a contract he signs. I don't think his salary demands are all that unreasonable.

Russo's Rants -- Wild right wing Justin Fontaine was the only one of the Wild's restricted free agents to file for arbitration by today's 4 p.m. deadline. He's one of 20 to do so in the NHL.

Fontaine's agent, Neil Sheehy, will continue to try to negotiate a contract with the Wild. He can do so up until the hearing, which will be scheduled from July 20 to August 4 in Toronto in front of an independent arbitrator. Most of the time, a contract is worked out prior to the hearing. By any player filing for arbitration, it ensures he can't be signed to an offer sheet by another club and it ensures no holdout from training camp.

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