Linkorama humpday.

~You can cross Detroit Redwing's forward Marian Hossa off the list of possible UFAs [Sports Illustrated]

~The NHL General Managers have voted down a new head shot rule proposal. [TSN]

~Boston Bruin's all star defenseman Zedno Chara is a finalist for the Messier Award. [TSN]

~Apparently the Flyer's are thinking about signing former Senator's sieve Ray Emery It will be interesting to see how this circus unfolds. [CSN Philly]

~Ron MacLean ate Betteman's lunch last night on CBC. Betteman is a bumbling fool. You almost have to wonder if he is running for office? Sounds just like a politician. I can't be the only person that finds him to be mind numbingly boring and uninspiring. [CBC]

~The Vancouver Canucks are going to attempt to sign the exciting Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. They aren't going to come cheap, it will be interesting to see if they end up on the same team or if they get spilt up. [Vancouver Sun]

~This is what the Bruin's GM had to say about the subject of signing Bruin's RFA Phil Kessel this summer.

Chiarelli would not even estimate what a deal with Kessel would amount to compared with Krejci’s three-year, $11.25 million contract and would only say that “we value them both a lot.” But salary-cap restrictions, obviously, preclude the Bruins from giving Kessel too much more than Krejci. [The Bruins blog]

Canucks not happy with the officiating.

I have watched a lot of this series and the Canucks are finally paying for their mistakes in all three zones on the ice. I think the Blackhawk’s are the better team. During the last series Blues didn't cash in on the Canucks mistakes like the Blackhawk’s have. I don't think the Canucks can blame any of their loses on bad officiating or weak penalties. I do think that Detroit could make the case because they were screwed on a quick whistle that should have been a game tying goal.

Chicago has given us a glimpse of their very bright future, if they can get past the Canucks I think they have a very good chance of defeating who ever they play in the next round. The refs have been consistently bad during this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. It doesn’t matter what series you are watching. The Hurricanes homer announcers were complaining about the Bruins and how they felt they were getting away with a lot of stick work and checking from behind calls.

Questionable officiating

The Canucks probably had reason to complain about the officiating in Game 5 Saturday night. There were a few questionable calls, including an extra two minutes called on Shane O’Brien after a scrap with Matt Walker.

The Blackhawks scored on that man advantage as Dustin Byfuglien converted his second goal of the game, squeezing in a Brian Campbell rebound between the legs of Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo.

After the game, O’Brien expressed some frustration with the call. He was originally tied up with Byfuglien, who skated away before an altercation. O’Brien says Walker then challenged him and they dropped the gloves, but the officials called the Canucks defenceman for an extra two minutes for roughing.

Vancouver also took two penalties late in the game. Defenceman Kevin Bieksa hit Patrick Sharp along the boards and high-sticked him in the process. That led to the winning goal by Dave Bolland, his fourth of the post-season.

“That’s happened to us three times in this series…what are you going to do.” said Luongo after the game.

The game was pretty much decided with Ryan Kesler’s final penalty of the game at 16:07. Kesler was called for holding Chicago defenceman Brian Campbell, who seemed to embellish. But Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said the “two penalties at the end of the game were deserved. We got in penalty trouble and they made us pay.”

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.

Time to end fighting in the NHL? (not)

I saw this article last night over on the illegal curve. Larry Brooks from the New York Post is calling for the NHL to ban Fighting. The NHL will not and should not ban fighting. Seriously folks! Fighting in the NHL is a great marketing tool, but also a way to curb gratuitous violence on the ice. The NHL needs guys like Derek Boogaard because he keeps people honest, if not there will be chaos.

If you take fighting out of the game there is no deterrent to the leagues gutless agitators that hide behind half shields will run around without consequences taking liberties with the leagues star players. If Mr Brooks doesn't like fighting in hockey he should cover a different sport.

Two seasons ago, in the aftermath of the fight in which Orr broke Todd Fedoruk's face with a devastating punch, NHL VP Colin Campbell suggested the time had come for the league to at least investigate the possibility of eliminating fighting from the game.

Campbell was ahead of his time. For the time has come today for the NHL not only to investigate the possibility, the time has come for the NHL to abolish fighting. It's simply too dangerous.

Watching heavyweight fights such as the one in Tampa on Wednesday between the RangersNew York Rangers ' Orr and Lightning's David Koci has become the equivalent to viewing the aftermath of automobile accidents on the Interstate. They're impossible to look at without becoming queasy.