• According to Sun Media, the wishlist Dany Heatley(notes) provided the Ottawa Senators: "Sources told Sun Media the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins were among the teams submitted to Murray by Heatley's agents J.P. Barry and Stacey McAlpine." It's good to want things. [Sun Media]
BOSTON—Citing continued leadership problems at the executive and strategic levels, as well as the fact that they could use a little help on defense, Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs expressed interest in signing former All-Star captain Ray Bourque to help the struggling Bruins "in a variety of ways." "In addition to being a favorite of fans here in Boston, Ray Bourque is a proven champion," Jacobs said, referring to Bourque's 21 years with the Bruins and his brief stint with the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche. "I believe the leadership, vision, and motivation he exhibited during two decades as a professional hockey player will translate extremely well to his new roles as head coach, general manager, and hockey player." The 45-year-old Bourque announced he is considering the offer, but will weigh it against the opportunity recently offered to him to become concessions, lighting, and entertainment director for Boston's TD Banknorth Garden.
FRANKLIN — After Phil Kessel finished fielding the creampuff questions from precocious fifth-graders here at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School yesterday, the Bruins forward got down to the harder stuff with a couple reporters.
No, he said, he and his agent, Wade Arnott, have not asked for $5 million a year during negotiations with the Bruins on a new contract, as was reported by the Ottawa Sun.
Yes, his first priority is to remain with the Bruins rather than play elsewhere, although he will become a restricted free agent in a little less than two weeks (July 1) if no agreement is struck with Boston before then.
And yes, his left shoulder is coming along nicely some four weeks after surgery to repair a torn labrum, but even the notoriously fast-healing Kessel doubts he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season in early October.
LAS VEGAS -- It appears the "staged fights" rule recommended by the NHL's 30 GMs will not see the light of day.
The players discussed it at their meeting here this week and they recommended to their members on the competition committee to vote against it. The committee needs seven of 10 votes to pass a new rule and won't get them if all five players vote "no" next Thursday when the group meets in Montreal.
The union brought in a number of tough guys Wednesday and they shared their universal thumbs-down on the "staged fights" rule proposition.
"They gave the group a pretty clear message," said NHL Players' Association executive Glenn Healy. "What's the code? What are the rules of engagement? Everyone talks about it, but what is it? So we had these guys come in and talk about it.
"We're about safety, but we also understand that if a fight breaks out in a game, Gandhi isn't leaving; he's going to stay and watch it. We understand that it's part of our sport, it cleans up our sport, it polices our sport, and it's entertainment. Goals, saves, fights -- thank you."
When Bas Balkissoon moved to Scarborough 34 years ago, hockey was the sport of choice for the mostly white community. But since then, the MPP for Scarborough-Rouge River has watched the community's taste in sports change as new immigrants from China, South Asia and the Caribbean settled there.
"Most of them are from non-hockey-playing countries, where cricket, soccer and badminton are the kind of sports they're familiar with," said Balkissoon, who emigrated from Trinidad in 1970.
"I doubt you could do anything to make hockey a mainstream sport in the community in this area."
The cost of hockey is prohibitive, he said, noting that most immigrants can't afford to pay $1,000 every winter to put a child in a hockey program. In contrast, a summer of soccer costs as little as $100.
Hockey fanatics like Egypt native Nour Abdelwahed, 15, say lowering the cost of equipment would be the best way to lure apprehensive youngsters. The Grade 10 student at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute can skate but only plays street hockey because ice hockey gear is beyond his parents' budget. He thinks more accessible and reasonably priced equipment would allow local leagues to thrive.
"It's not just too high for new immigrants, it's everybody," he said.
[The Star]
Fletcher expects trade talks to intensify this week. He has spoken to all 29 other teams about a variety of hopeful fits. He even has talked several times to Ottawa GM Bryan Murray about two-time 50-goal scorer Dany Heatley, who has asked to be traded and could be by Friday night.
TORONTO - Mr. Hockey says people should cut Sid The Kid some slack.
Hockey legend Gordie Howe doesn't believe Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby intentionally failed to shake hands with some Detroit players after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
Howe said Crosby's natural shyness combined with getting caught up in the emotion of winning an NHL championship resulted in Crosby getting in line to shake hands after some Red Wings had left the ice.
"He got caught up," Howe said Thursday after serving as the Queen's Plate honorary drawmaster at Woodbine Racetrack. "He will mature.
"He's a good kid."
So this is where I have to ask what the WCHA sees in UNO? Why do they seem to be so interested in them? Forrest's response, "No idea...". I second that. The only thing that I can think of is the recruiting side of things. Omaha puts you right in that fine divider between USHL and the NAHL, which opens up a lot of recruitment opportunities for the coaching staff of the WCHA that they currently don't have
But with all of the financial benefit to all parties involved, why are we riding the pine pony while UNO hogs all the WCHA ice time? I didn't have an answer, but Forrest Karr put it nicely. "Right now it doesn't make sense to jump into the mix as the WCHA is a long ways down the road already with UNO. The coaching staff (and I agree) would rather show loyalty to the CCHA and if for some reason a UNO-WCHA partnership does not work out, we will discuss further."
If Omaha departs the CCHA for the WCHA -- a move that is looking probable -- it would drop the CCHA to an odd number of 11 teams.
Alabama-Huntsville applied for membership in January and received a site visit from the CCHA a couple of weeks ago. The CCHA will vote on Huntsville's application in August. By then, it will know whether Omaha is on its way out.
Huntsville coach Danton Cole said today that he felt that the site visit went well. The CCHA had a few concerns and Cole said UAH is working to address those concerns "quickly."
"There is no guarantee on our future," Cole said, "regardless of what transpires with the other institutions over the summer. That being said, the university and our community are very proud of what we presented and what we have to offer the CCHA and college hockey."
Geographically, UAH isn't much different than Omaha is to the CCHA, and transportation wouldn't be all that bad. Bowling Green is a quick, three-hour drive to UAH. The Huntsville airport also has direct flights to Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati -- which basically covers the CCHA.
UAA's hockey team is likely to get two new conference rivals in a year or two, and whether one of them is the Nanooks from up north will depend largely on a straw vote league members will take next week.
The 10-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association has all but decided to expand to 12 teams, either for the 2010-11 season or the 2011-12 season, commissioner Bruce McLeod said.
UAA athletic director Steve Cobb, one of four members of the WCHA's structure committee, thinks league members next week will vote informally on a proposal to admit both Bemidji and Omaha.
If that vote fails to show widespread support for both teams, or if Omaha decides it doesn't want to join the league, Fairbanks is expected to become a bigger part of the equation.
"Depending on how things go with Omaha, we'll consider Fairbanks," McLeod said.
The team everyone expects to gain admission is Bemidji State of Minnesota, the only school so far to formally apply for membership. Bemidji was an NCAA Frozen Four team this year, but its conference -- College Hockey America -- has disbanded.
But the WCHA wants an even number of teams, McLeod said. And so it has been talking with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association that is a geographical fit for the WCHA.
The league has had several conversations with Omaha, McLeod said. The Mavericks recently hired head coach Dean Blais, a long-time WCHA coach who guided North Dakota to national championships in 1997 and 2000.
If Omaha decides it doesn't want to leave the CCHA, or if WCHA members decide Omaha isn't the best choice for its 12th team, Fairbanks will become a bigger part of the expansion conversation
"Bruce McLeod has asked us to sit back and wait to see what happens with Nebraska-Omaha," UAF athletic director Forrest Karr told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner last week.
Two other schools that McLeod wouldn't name are also potential applicants for membership. But Cobb predicts the new members will come from two of three schools -- Bemidji, Omaha or Fairbanks.
Moorhead, Minn. (WDAY Sports) - MSU Moorhead has likely seen the door closed on it's WCHA hopes, but the Commissioner of the CCHA says his league may be willing to consider a startup program..
It's all speculation right now, but the dragons say if they can raise enough money they'll launch a program next year.
Nebraska Omaha is about to move to the WCHA, but that would open up a spot in the CCHA.
If the Dragons have hopes of getting in, they could boost their appeal by offering a travel subsidy
LAS VEGAS -- Tim Thomas has truly received his due.
The Boston Bruins goaltender was awarded the Vezina Trophy on Thursday, beating out Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild in voting by the NHL's 30 general managers.
The honour is especially meaningful to Thomas because it was only a few years ago that he figured his dream of playing in the NHL was dead. He never minds hearing about his rags-to-riches journey.
"It doesn't bother me that other people talk about it," said Thomas. "I'm 35 (years old). At 31, I was thinking to myself that I'm going to be playing in Finland for the rest of my career. This is a long way from where I was. ...
"This is a totally different level that I've been able to reach."
Thomas and partner Manny Fernandez also shared the Jennings Trophy after helping the Bruins post the lowest goals-against average in the NHL.
It was a good season in Beantown.
A 12 team WCHA league is NOT a money loser that deprives each team of $20,000.........Let us not forget if there were 12 teams in the WCHA there will be an additional first playoff series.............which means..........
In 2009 SCSU would have hosted a first round play off series and they would have sold 12K to 18K tickets at $30 a pop for $360,000 to $540,000 for the WCHA to be split 12 ways = meaning each team would have received an additional $25,000 to $40,000 after expenses
In 2008 WISCONSIN would have hosted a first round play off series and they would have sold 20K to 30K tickets at $30 a pop for $600,000 to $900,000 for the WCHA to be split 12 ways = meaning each team would have received an additional $40,000 to $70,000 after expenses
In 2007 WISCONSIN would have hosted a first round play off series and they would have sold 20K to 30K tickets at $30 a pop for $600,000 to $900,000 for the WCHA to be split 12 ways = meaning each team would have received an additional $40,000 to $70,000 after expenses
In 2006 SCSU would have hosted a first round play off series and they would have sold 12K to 18K tickets at $30 a pop for $360,000 to $540,000 for the WCHA to be split 12 ways = meaning each team would have received an additional $25,000 to $40,000 after expenses
SO, going to 12 teams is profitable, and does NOT come at a loss of revenue
12 team WCHA ALSO gives the WCHA another Super SIX playoff game, which is one more than a FINAL Five format for even more money to distribute......WCHA can charge more for XCEL playoff package Because there's another playoff game included.....two on Thursday instead of one Thursday night play-in game
Finally, as a rebuttal to the UAF proposal.........any team can already go to UAF every year and get the exemption NOW if they wish, and can then have two more home games for doing so......teams do not need UAF in their own conference to travel to UAF for an exemption........they can already do that NOW IF THEY WISH
12 team WCHA increases revenue, and even more with UNO because of potential for huge home playoff draws as well
Jeff Dubay, a former sports-talk radio personality, is facing jail time after failing to complete two substance abuse programs and repeatedly testing positive for cocaine use.
Dubay, 41, of Plymouth, was fired as a morning-show host at KFAN-AM after he was charged in mid-October with fifth-degree drug possession. He was placed in a yearlong diversion program, which could have resulted in the charge being dismissed. That program required him to perform 100 hours of community service, remain law abiding and comply with other conditions.
Dubay flunked out of that program but caught another break when he was accepted into Substance Abuse Court in March, according to Ramsey County District Court records.
According to the records, Dubay tested positive for cocaine on 12 occasions, the most recent June 6. He also failed to report for 11 urine tests since January. Those violations disqualified him from the Substance Abuse Court.
Dubay was arrested on June 10 and released on bail two days later. He will be sentenced July 21 by District Judge Joanne Smith. Sentencing guidelines call for him to spend a year in jail. [StarTribune]
