Gabby to play tonight.

It's too bad that I have one more day in Georgia. Lets just say that you would be hard pressed to find a hockey game on Television other than the Thrashers. So I will only be able to read about Gabby's first game back, I probably won't be able to see any visual evidence of it happening.

Being in hockey starved Georgia I was actually was able to see the Bruins and Thrasher play twice on Comcast in my hotel room but that's it. Nothing, nix, nine, nay, nada as far as hockey goes. If I lived down here on a regular basis I would have to get the hockey package. I think this is why Hockey is a regional sport that isn't doing as well in the south as it does in the northern tier areas.

It's official Gaborik to return ---The good news for the Wild, which as I predicted in my Monday game story would be out of the playoff top-eight by the time it next played, is Marian Gaborik is officially back. The Wild activated him this morning. And he’ll even get to dictate his ice time tonight. Took him eight years, but Jacques Lemaire told him before today’s skate that he needs to be communicative tonight. In other words, tell Jacques how he’s feeling, and if he’s feeling good, he’ll get more and more ice time.

I asked Gaborik if he gets to pick his linemates, too. Nope. He’ll start with Sheppard and Veilleux tonight. Incidentally, I’m pretty positive that was Gaborik’s line against Atlanta and Boston in his only two previous games this season.